2005 Symposium on the Lutheran Confessions

Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary is pleased to host a symposium on the Lutheran Confessions. 2005 marks the 475th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession and the 425th anniversary of the publication of the Book of Concord. Since our pastors subscribe to the Lutherans Confessions “because” they exhibit and exposit the teachings of Scripture and since the Confessions are in the spotlight in several critical ways today, the Seminary’s annual symposium will focus on the Lutheran Confessions.

Graduate pastors of the Seminary will present three essays. Prof. em. Arnold Koelpin will relate the unique nature of each of the confessional writings included in the 1580 publication and review the history, its formation, publication, and subscription. The second essay, by Pastor Paul Naumann, will set forth the Lutheran understanding of the norma normans and norma normata roles of the Scriptures and the Confessions and point to what seem to be deviations from this traditional point of view in so-called conservative circles. Pastor Joel Otto will focus on the Augsburg Confession and present a detailed study of the confession’s understanding of the Church’s public worship.

• The Book of Concord: Sources and Story Prof. em. Arnold J. Koelpin (WLS 1958), New Ulm, Minnesota.
• The Lutheran Confessions and Their Role in Establishing the Teachings of the Church Pastor Paul S. Naumann (WLS 1979), Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Benton Harbor, Michigan.
• The Augustana and Lutheran Worship Pastor Joel D. Otto (WLS 1995), Reformation Lutheran Church, San Diego, California.