wfn.org | Challenging, Provocative but Useful, Theologians Say of LWF

["Frank Imhoff" <Frank.Imhoff@elca.org>]

Challenging, Provocative but Useful, Theologians Say of LWF Seminar on
Bible Authority
An Open Dialogue on Critical Questions about the Word of God

WARSAW, Poland/GENEVA, 6 August 2005 (LWI) - Challenging, often
provocative, but all in all very helpful was the general opinion
expressed by participants in a Lutheran World Federation (LWF) seminar
on the subject, "The Authority of the Bible in the Life of the Church." 

Some at the meeting held at the European Center of Communication and
Culture in Warsaw, Poland, described it as a "liberating experience" as
they could seek answers to critical questions that allowed for a better
understanding of the Word of God without putting their own faith to
question.

Thirteen representatives drawn from LWF member churches in Central
Eastern Europe took part in the June 24-30 seminar organized by the LWF
Department for Theology and Studies (DTS) in collaboration with the
Department for Mission and Development's Bratislava (Slovak
Republic)-based regional office. Participants came from the Czech
Republic, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia,
Serbia-Montenegro and Ukraine. 

Rev. Dr Reinhard Boettcher, DTS Study Secretary for Theology and the
Church, responsible for the seminar's content, said the meeting's
objective was to "support member churches in their efforts to take the
Bible seriously as the Word of God and as the decisive norm for
preaching, teaching, and practice of Lutheran churches, and also to bear
in mind the historical and contextual conditions that inevitably
determine our understanding and interpretation of the Bible." The
seminar, he remarked, was not aimed at indoctrinating the participants,
rather at serving as a forum for discussion and dialogue.

Four key subjects areas were discussed, with a teaching staff team
member responsible for each of the four sessions. The DTS study
secretary started the sessions with the provocative question: "Is the
Bible the Word of God?" In addition to describing the historical process
of how the Bible developed, the theologian questioned to what extent it
could be perceived as either the Word of God or that of humankind, how
both these dimensions related to each other, and what implications this
had for the authority of the Bible itself.

Citing experiences with charismatic groups and Pentecostal churches,
Rev. Dr Wilfried John from Malaysia sought an answer to the question
whether "the Bible is canonized or whether it is a continuous revelation
of God?" Prof. Juergen Ziemer from Leipzig, Germany, presented
methodological interpretations of the Bible, which among others,
included the historically critical, textually critical, feminist and the
theological liberation methods. He also gave insight on how these
approaches could be applied to specific biblical texts.

A presentation titled "The Bible - Liberating Gospel or Oppressive Law?"
by Dr Marta Cserhati from Hungary focused on the notion of contextual
definition, with participants reflecting on their own personal
experiences. 

A Russian deacon explained: "I was very narrow-minded until now when it
came to understanding and interpreting the Bible. This seminar has
broadened my outlook considerably." From the Czech Republic, a
congregation member discovered that "I now have better insight into my
own situation as I consider also experiences that others have had." A
teacher from Eastern Europe remarked: "I had always feared that
something was not quite right with my faith when critical questions
about the Bible arose. Now I know that I need not worry about this." A
retired lecturer and member of a church committee added: "I have
problems with the feminist interpretation of the Bible that seems to
query its content. Nevertheless, I have learnt a tremendous amount that
will help me with my work."

DTS Study Secretary Boettcher felt that the seminar represented a "forum
to review how to deal with differences in the solidarity of faith." Many
participants had clearly pursued "a path of experience and insight"
which ultimately enabled them to perceive and appreciate the plurality
of possible ways of approaching the Bible and the related analyses from
a content view point. (652 words)

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 138
member churches in 77 countries all over the world, with a total
membership of nearly 66 million. The LWF acts on behalf of its member
churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith
relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights,
communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work.
Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information service.
Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent
positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the
dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the material may be
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