Memories 13: Anniversaries- 25th & 50th (1903/1928); Chinese congratulate, but Th. Graebner?

      This continues from Part 12 (Table of Contents in Part 1), a series by Prof. Ludwig Fürbringer of his personal memories of the departed Franz Pieper in the 1931 Der Lutheraner magazine. —  I spent considerable time compiling the hyperlinks for the matters related to the Chinese Lutherans.  More will be said below on false reporting by LC-MS historians on the China mission effort.

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(page 314, col. 2)

Memories of Dr. Franz Pieper.

by Ludwig Fürbringer – [5.] (Part 13 of 16)

During his time at the seminary, he was also privileged to celebrate several anniversaries and, as he used to say, had “surrendered” to such celebrations because they were organized by his beloved brothers and friends. Everyone knows how he, the eloquent man, always found the right word on such occasions, and how to strike the right note. When a well-known English theologian of the nineteenth century divided all speakers and preachers into two classes – I must say it in English, because the pun in German does not work well –, "those who have something to say and those who have to say something", Dr. Pieper certainly belonged to those who really always “had something to say” and did not make mere words. His twenty-fifth jubilee in 1900, if I recall correctly, went by without a special event, and I suspect that he was even absent from St Louis during those days;

but his twenty-five-year professor’s jubilee was celebrated in October 1903 with a special celebration. Shortly before, in September, his alma mater, the Northwestern College of Wisconsin Synod in Watertown, had granted him the theological doctorate along with Professor Hönecke at the twenty-fifth anniversary of the seminary of that Synod and its director A. Hönecke. And in October he was granted the same honor by the faculty of the Lutheran Seminary of the Norwegian Synod in Hamline near St Paul, Minnesota, where at the same time this award was granted to his colleagues Professors G. Stöckhardt and A. L. Graebner who had worked with him for many years.

Dr. Pieper was well known and appreciated by the leading members of the old Norwegian Synod, Pres. V. Koren, Professor L. Larsen, Professor H. G. Stub, Professor J. Ylvisaker and others. The ceremonial address in the auditorium of the seminary was given by Vice-President C. C. Schmidt. To this celebration the well-deserved Dr. Hönecke of Milwaukee – for the first and only time that I know of – came to St Louis, as did the late President of the Wisconsin Synod, Pastor Philipp von Rohr. The doctoral degree was presented by Professor O. E. Brandt, (page 315, col. 1) Dr. Pieper’s former student and then teacher of theology at the Norwegian seminary, to him and the two others named. According to the old academic practice this proceeded in the Latin language, which then also was used by the three new doctors in their answers. This was very beautiful and solemn. (*) The academic celebration was followed by a social celebration in the dining room of the seminary.

In 1915 Dr. Pieper's fortieth year in the ministry was celebrated, and this fact was remembered also in connection with the twenty-fifth jubilee of his younger colleague, the blessed Professor E. Pardieck. Particularly impressive was the celebration in May 1925, when Dr. Pieper had worked for fifty years in the ministry, which at the same time involved the inauguration of his two younger colleagues, professors O. C. A. Böcler and W. G. Polack. The service took place in the Holy Cross church. The President of the Synod, Dr. F. Pfotenhauer, preached in German and district President R. Kretzschmar, the chairman of the supervisory authority of the seminary, in English. The subsequent celebration was held in the dining room of the old seminary, again with great participation. At the time it particularly pleased the jubilee that the current director of his alma mater in Watertown, Professor E. E. Kowalke, had appeared in person, as well as the General President of the Wisconsin Synod, Pastor G. E. Bergemann. His colleagues at that time dedicated a special jubilee book to him in recognition of his many years of excellent service to our Lehre und Wehre. [Source unknown]

“Chinese congratulations -
seminary at Hankow”

It was probably unique that among the many letters, telegrams, cable messages and blessings that a Chinese congratulations had been directed to him by students of our small missionary seminary at Hankow, which they had signed by hand.

E. L. Arndt
missionary to China,
translated Dogmatik into Chinese

Our blessed missionary E.L. Arndt [ILC Online, Luth. Witness] translated Pieper’s Christliche Dogmatik [Christian Dogmatics] into Chinese [later Chinese version], and the students therefore said in their longer letter: “In particular, we thank God that, since this very theological school was opened, we could use the doctor's Dogmatik as a textbook. To study dogmatics, it is just as if the doctor inspires us with the sensible, sincere milk of the Gospel and nourishes us with maternal love as his little children. Indeed, it is no different for us, as if we were deprived of the fresh water of life. Through the doctor’s Dogmatics then we are indirectly his disciples every day. And also in the future, when we are active in the ministry, we will still use the Dogmatics of the doctor as a soul-saving compass.”

The celebration of his fifty-year jubilee [Der Lutheraner]  for his professorship was held in the new seminary in October 1928, since the occurrence, which was very rare in history, had been specially considered at the closing of the seminary in June and a “Pieper Commencement” had been held according to the customary practice of the land. In October, President Pfotenhauer held the ceremonial address in the auditorium of the new seminary on Joel 2:23, and the follow-up celebration was held in a local hotel. And again, the celebration was something very special. A Latin congratulatory address written by his younger colleague, Professor Th. Gräbner, was given to him, under which the great majority of the pastors of our synod had personally put their names on little cards sent to them for this purpose. This reminded the departed again and again of his many thankful students. L[udwig] F[ürbringer].

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(*) Today, as I am sending this article to the printing press, a student of mine, who now lives in Minnesota and remembers the celebration well, writes to me by the way: “It was the first time in my life that I heard Latin speeches, of which I unfortunately did not understand anything, and, I think, the last time.”

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      Prof. Theodore Graebner sometimes said he worked "shoulder to shoulder" with Pieper. And it is reported above that he prepared a "congratulatory address" for Pieper's jubilee. But this blog has noted the sad situation of Graebner's dramatic turnabout not long after Pieper's passing. It is sad to see that he continued his turnabout to the last year of his life (1950), even refuting Walther's doctrine of the Church. He did this in his last major address, in the German language, to European Lutherans and others – see p. 116-117 below (English translation):

The picture of Theodore Graebner's career reminds one of the Apostle's warning "Take heed" lest ye fall! (1 Cor. 10:12)

Missouri Synod mission in China – discord?

      Some LC-MS historians attempted to portray discord in the Old Missouri Synod relating to missionary Eduard L. Arndt (WB) and his drive to do mission work in China (e.g. F. Dean Lueking, Mission in the Making, p. 230 ff). Yet Fürbringer reports that Arndt was far from one of those who opposed Pieper – he translated Pieper's Dogmatics into Chinese!  I believe that Arndt knew Pieper was a strong advocate for his mission effort.  Pieper wrote a lengthy article in Lehre und Wehre defending Arndt's firm stand against unionism with other erring Lutheran missionaries in China in Lehre und Wehre, vol. 75 (August 1929), p. 233 – 247.

YouTube (from Hong Kong Synod),
image of China mission in 1935

There it was reported that opponents said that Old Missourian Arndt "holds aloof of any union movements, as usual". And one may read other reports of Arndt's missionary activity in China also here and here.  Der Lutheraner had reports also here, here, here, and here.  Although the Concordia Historical Institute article on Arndt hints at discord with the Synod at times, there seems to be no discord between Eduard L. Arndt and Franz Pieper.  I hope to translate more of Pieper's articles on the mission efforts in foreign countries in future blog posts.  Arndt's firmness against unionism is in contrast to another missionary, Adolph Brux in India, who practiced unionism in the mission field, caused much grief in the Synod, and was a harbinger for the new, changing LC-MS.

      I do not know if Chinese Lutherans today still use the Arndt-Riedel Chinese translation of Mueller-Pieper's Christian Dogmatics, or if they are now using other textbooks promoted by Dr. Robert Kolb and Dr. Samuel Nafzger.  If there are Chinese Lutherans reading this blog, please let me know the answer to this question. May the Chinese Lutherans never switch from the Mueller-Pieper Dogmatics to the new Nafzger Confessing the Gospel! — In the next Part 14...