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Tell Your Congregation About This One
I'm in Stuttgart, Germany, at the moment, attending the 11th Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (assemblies happen every six or seven years; the LWF was founded in 1947). Among all the other business on the table, it's an ecumenical action taking place here that will be the main thing remembered and have the biggest impact on the whole church in the years to come. In recognition of the fact that some Lutheran reformers, including Melanchthon and Luther himself, advocated the use of violence and even capital punishment in dealing with Anabaptists, whose present-day descendants are called Mennonites, the LWF is making a public statement of repentance and remorse, asking forgiveness from God and from the Mennonites. It is hard to convey the enormity of this action in the ecumenical world...
I'm in Stuttgart, Germany, at the moment, attending the 11th Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (assemblies happen every six or seven years; the LWF was founded in 1947). Among all the other business on the table, it's an ecumenical action taking place here that will be the main thing remembered and have the biggest impact on the whole church in the years to come. In recognition of the fact that some Lutheran reformers, including Melanchthon and Luther himself, advocated the use of violence and even capital punishment in dealing with Anabaptists, whose present-day descendants are called Mennonites, the LWF is making a public statement of repentance and remorse, asking forgiveness from God and from the Mennonites. It is hard to convey the enormity of this action in the ecumenical world (though I'm going to try in the fall issue of LF!). Forgiveness is central to the teaching and work of Christ: and nothing will repair his broken church like willing admissions of sin, repentance, and requests for forgiveness. I'll be the first to admit that ecumenical work often seems to be obscure or irrelevant; but this one is worth making the time for.
There are two resources here you can download for use in the congregation. One is a survey of the work of the Lutheran-Mennonite Study Commission, explaining how it got to the point of this apology and analyzing the remaining theological issues. The other is the text of the LWF apology itself, which will be offered during the assembly tomorrow, July 22.
The Lutheran-Mennonite Study Commission
The LWF Statement to the Mennonites
careful use of ecumenical approach
On the other matter regarding the Anabaptists including the Mennonites, Lutheran confessional response on the one hand ought to be approached with care. Officially the Mennonites do not approve of the use of force in terms of waging war at any level. To the confessors, this was a slap in the face to the hidden God whose authorization in the left hand kingdom meant that use of force was also to defend one's own country in light of hostile aggression. To maintain security and protection, God uses human power against threatening forces which would undermine
good order. In addition to this the use of civil force also,ideally, guarantees assists in clenching the hand that against disobeying the commandment: "You shall not kill."
Therefore, the Lutheran distinctiveness of approving of the civil order's use of force coincides with what St. Paul writes in Romans 13.