From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org


Theologians examine Luther Renaissance


From FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)
Date 28 Jul 1999 07:01:13

Encouragement for 21st century scholars

MINNESOTA, United States of America/GENEVA, 27 July 1999 (lwi) - "The
Luther Renaissance" will be the topic for discussion when scholars
convene for "A Century of Luther Research in Retrospect" from 2 to 5
August 1999 at the Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States
of America.

Martin Luther died in 1546. His life and work became the subject of
research in the 20th century with an outpouring of interest, study and
interpretation in Germany, Scandinavia and North America, according to
Dr. James M. Kittelson.

It was the late 19th century discovery of Luther's teaching on the
Apostle Paul's Letter to the Romans that led to the "Luther
Renaissance," according to Kittelson, who is professor of church history
at Luther Seminary and director of the Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation
Reformation Research Program there.

Dr. Carl Axel Aurelius, professor of historical theology at the
University of Linkjoping, Sweden, will present the opening keynote
speech on the Luther Renaissance in Scandinavia. Kittelson will make a
presentation titled, "Putting Luther into the Reformation." Dr. Gerhard
O. Forde, Luther Seminary professor emeritus of systematic theology,
will speak on the theological consequences of the Luther Renaissance.

According to a statement availed to lwi by the Lutheran Seminary,
Kittelson says: "Ours is the century of the Luther Renaissance. Here
near its end, we thought it appropriate to reassess it in a setting that
will encourage those who will be the Luther scholars of the 21st
century." Participants in the four-day event will include scholars from
throughout the Luther research community. The meeting is sponsored by
the Luther Seminary, the Reformation Research Program and the North
American Luther Research Forum.

(The LWF is a global communion of 128 member churches in 70 countries
representing 58 million of the world's 61.5 million Lutherans. Its
highest decision making body is the Assembly, held every six or seven
years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by a 49-member Council
which meets annually, and its Executive Committee.)

[Lutheran World Information is the information service of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF). 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 freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]

*       *       *
Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/


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