Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2pzkn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-01T10:55:13.468Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Wauwatosa Theology: John Philip Koehler and His Exegetical Methodology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

Charles E. Werth
Charles E. Werth
Affiliation:
pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Chester, Virginia.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Wauwatosa is a suburb of the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was there that a particularly fascinating bit of twentieth-century church history was played out between 1900 and 1929. Three theological professors, J.P. Koehler, August Pieper, and John Schaller, headquartered in Wauwatosa sought to influence a generation of students preparing for the ministerium of the Wisconsin Synod of the Lutheran church. Short-lived and generally scorned, the Wauwatosa Theology is clothed in a comic-tragic story. Its rise and fall is contemporaneous with the rise and fall of its chief framer, John Philip Koehler.

Type
Research Article
Information
Church History , Volume 55 , Issue 2 , June 1986 , pp. 206 - 217
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Church History 1986

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Springer, John, “A Bibliography of the Published Works of John Philip Koehler,” Faith-Life 44 (11–12 1971 Supplement): 1–12.Google Scholar This list enumerates all of Koehler's works in German and in English translation.

2. Koehler, John Philip, “Faith, the Quintessence of Christian Life on Earth,” trans. John, Emil and Zorn, Kurt, Faith-Life 28 (07 1955): 9.Google Scholar A translation of “Der Glaube das Urwesen des Christenlebens auf der Erde,” published in the 1927 volume of Theologische Quartalschrift (hereafter referred to as TQ).

3. Koehler, John Philip, The History of the Wisconsin Synod, ed. Jordahl, Leigh D. (Faith-Life: The Protestant Conference, 1970), p. 2.Google Scholar

4. Koehler, John Philip, “Gesetzlich Wesen Unter uns,” trans. Hillmer, A., Faith-Life 25 (07 1952): 9.Google Scholar Appeared originally in TQ (1914): 231 – (1915): 147. Unless otherwise noted all citations are taken from articles appearing in Faith-Life. This journal of the Protestant Conference of the Wisconsin Synod is a public archive of all the written works of J.P. Koehler. I compared all translations with the originals and found the translations to be accurate.

5. Koehler, , “Gesetzlich Wesen” (07 1952), p. 9.Google Scholar

6. Koehler, , History, p. 208.Google Scholar

7. Koehler, John Philip, “Die Analogie des Glaubens,” Theologische Quartalschrift 1 (1904): 18–2(1905): 105.Google Scholar

8. Koehler, , History, p. 212.Google Scholar

9. Koehler, John Philip, “The Analogy of Faith,” trans. Sauer, E.E., Faith-Life 24 (08 1951): 5.Google Scholar

10. Koehler, , “Analogy of Faith” (12 1951), p. 16.Google Scholar

11. Koehler, , “Analogy of Faith” (04 1952), p. 11.Google Scholar

12. Koehler, , History, pp. 211–213.Google Scholar

13. Koehler, , “Analogy of Faith” (02 1952), P. 16.Google Scholar

14. Koehler, John Philip, “The Interpretation of Scripture in Scripture,” trans. Hensel, Philemon, Faith-Life 38 (05/06 1965): 21.Google Scholar Originally published in the 1935 volume of Faith-Life as “Schriftauslegung in der Schrift.”

15. Koehler, John Philip, “The Coherent Study of Holy Scripture is the Essence of Theological Pursuit,” trans. Zimmermann, M.A., Faith-Life 23 (12 1950): 9.Google Scholar Appeared originally as “Das zusammenhangende Studium der heiligen Schrift, der Kern des theologischen Studiums,” TQ (1926): 1.Google Scholar

16. Koehler, John Philip, “Biblical Hermeneutics,” trans. Sauer, E.E., Faith-Life 28 (08 1955): 4–6;Google Scholar (Sept. 1955): 4–7; (Oct. 1955): 8–10; (Nov. 1955): 19–20; 29(Jan. 1956): 13–16. Thorough study of these outlines is vital for gaining a firm grasp on Koehler's approach to the scriptures.

17. Koehler, , “Biblical Hermeneutics” (09 1955), p. 4.Google Scholar

18. Koehler, , “Analogy of Faith” (12 1951), p. 15.Google Scholar

19. Koehler, , “Biblical Hermeneutics” (09 1955), P. 5.Google Scholar

20. Koehler, , “Analogy of Faith” (01 1952), p. 14.Google Scholar

21. Koehler, , “Biblical Hermeneutics” (09 1955), p. 5.Google Scholar

22. Ibid.

23. Koehler, , “Faith, the Quintessence” (06 1955), pp. 8–10.Google Scholar

24. Koehler, , “Gesetzlich Wesen” (09 1952), pp. 10–13.Google Scholar

25. Ibid.

26. Koehler, , “Gesetzlich Wesen” (09. 1952), P. 9.Google Scholar

27. Koehler, , “Faith, the Quintessence” (07 1955), p. 8.Google Scholar

28. Ibid.

29. Koehler, , “Analogy of Faith” (05 1952), p. 12Google Scholar – (Sept. 1955), p. 5.

30. Koehler, , “Faith, the Quintessence” (06 1955), p. 9.Google Scholar

31. Ibid.

32. Koehler, , “Interpretation of Scripture in Scripture” (03/04 1966), p. 9.Google Scholar

33. Koehler, John Philip, “Sanctification is not Hurrah,” trans. Meier, A., Faith-Life 24 (07 1951): 4–7;Google Scholar (Aug. 1951): 11–15; (Sept. 1951): 11–14. Published originally as “Die Heiligung geschiet nicht mit Hurra,” TQ (1920): 279.Google Scholar This is Koehler's definitive excursus on the faith-life principle.

34. Koehler, , “The Coherent Study” (01. 1951), p. 13.Google Scholar

35. Koehler, , “Biblical Hermeneutics” (11. 1955), p. 20.Google Scholar

36. Koehler, , “Gesetzlich Wesen” (07 1952), p. 9.Google Scholar

37. Koehler, , “The Coherent Study” (12. 1950), p. 9.Google Scholar

38. Another one of the ironies in this era of Wisconsin Synod history is that because of Koehler's initiatives, the synod had just finished a series of discussions on the question of Church and Ministry. Out of these discussions arose the doctrine which Wisconsin has since espoused, namely, that the synod has the rights and privileges accorded by scripture to the local congregation. Therefore, the synod possesses the right of suspension which is, in essence, excommunication. Koehler and his son Kurt were two of the many pastors who fell victim to the synod's newly discovered authority of suspension (excommunication).

39. Hass, W.P., “Adieu to St. Matthew's,” Faith-Life 5 (04 1932, Supplement): 1–8.Google Scholar The offending congregation, Saint Paul's in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, had in 1922 ousted its Wisconsin Synod pastor, W.P. Hass. Until that time it had been one of those numerous independent congregations served by Wisconsin Synod pastors but not officially a member congregation of the synod. In 1922 Saint Paul's was accepted into membership in the Missouri Synod and called a Missouri Synod pastor. A new Wisconsin Synod congregation, Saint Matthew's, was formed by Hass and was given mission status within the Wisconsin Synod. In 1930 Hass resigned over the Protestant Controversy. Saint Matthew's was reorganized in 1932 as a Wisconsin Synod mission. The Saint Paul's incident caused many hard feelings between the Missouri and Wisconsin Synods. Saint Paul's was considered a “Rottengemeinde”—a rabble congregation. That is why the Fort Atkinson teachers were prompted to express displeasure over their pastor allowing the church choir to sing in the Oconomowoc church.

40. Koch, Gerda, “Miss Koch's Appeal,” Faith-Life 8 (07 1935): 8–12.Google Scholar

41. Koehler, John Philip, “Letter to President G. Thurow,” Faith-Life 32 (05 1959): 15–16.Google Scholar

42. Koehler, John Philip, “Beleuchtung,” Faith-Life 38 (03 1965): 8.Google Scholar

43. Koehler, John Philip, “From His Ledger,” Faith-Life 43 (07/08. 1970): 20–26.Google Scholar