Cy4: Cyclopedia slashes Pieper entry: 1954 to 1975: restored

      This continues from Part Cy3 in a series (Table of Contents in Part Cy1) identifying the drawbacks of today's online LC–MS "Christian Cyclopedia". — While studying Dr. Surburg's criticisms of the newest Cyclopedia, I discovered a disturbing aspect that parallel's some of Surburg's findings. Although editor Lueker claimed in his "Preface to the Revised Edition" of 1975 that "articles from the previous [1954] edition were carefully reworked", many were in fact severely abbreviated. A glaring example of this is presented below by reproducing the 1954 edition's entry for "Franz August Otto Pieper". I have highlighted in yellow shaded text the material that was omitted from the 1975 edition, and therefore also today's "Christian Cyclopedia". I have also added hyperlinks to all the source materials:

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Pieper, Franz August Otto. B. June 27, 1852, at Carwitz, Pomerania; graduated at St. Louis, 1875; pastor at Centerville, Wis., 1875—76; Manitowoc, Wis., 1876—78; prof. at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., 1878—87; D. D. (Northwestern College, Watertown, Wis.; Luther College, Decorah, Iowa); President of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., 1887—1931; President of Missouri Synod, 1899—1911; d. June 3, 1931.

Pieper’s outstanding theological contributions were in the field of dogmatics. True to his conviction that the person who himself clearly understands a doctrine can and should present it clearly, Pieper always strove to present Biblical doctrine clearly. His scholarly treatment of textual criticism, exegesis, history, etc., may be seen in the footnotes of his Christian Dogmatics, Pieper kept the practical purpose of theology in the foreground, so that the doctrines presented appeal not only to the mind but also to the heart.

Pieper gave special attention to the doctrines of grace and inspiration. “It is, to be sure, to his (Pieper’s) and Walther’s credit that the sola gratia, the lifeblood of the Lutheran Church in all ages and the core of her message, was more and more effectively worked out as a dogma (theoretisch) among Lutheran churches of our land and that clarity and purity (Sauberkeit) of theological thought was furthered.” (M. Reu.) Pieper’s many articles on inspiration attest his lifelong interest in the sola Scriptura.

As President of Synod, he practiced his conviction that “in the Church nothing is mere theory.” He was the optimistic and enthusiastic leader of Synod during a period of intensified activity along every line of church work. His knowledge was put to work for the Church with the conviction that true “Christianity … represents a life, not a system of creedal formulas or a compend of religious teaching” (Dau). His manner of preaching was clear and enlightening, and the language of his sermons simple and noble.

Pieper wrote able polemics against rationalistic tendencies in the Lutheran Church (Kahnis, von Hofmann, Luthardt). He was editor of Lehre und Wehre; wrote Christliche Dogmatik; Conversion and Election; Zur Einigung; Das Wesen des Christentums; Die Grunddifferenz in der Lehre von der Bekehrung und Gnadenwahl; A Brief Statement of the Missouri Synod’s Doctrinal Position; Ich glaube, darum rede ich; Unsere Stellung in Lehre und Praxis; Das Fundament des christlichen Glaubens; Die rechte Weltanschauung; Der offene Himmel. EL [Erwin L. Lueker]

L. Fuerbringer, “F. Pieper als Theolog,” CTM, II: 721 ff. 801 ff.; W. H. T. Dau, “Dr. Francis Pieper the Churchman,” CTM, II:729 ff.; T. Laetsch, “Dr. Pieper als Prediger,” CTM, II:761 ff.

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      All that extensive highlighted praise and information of Franz Pieper from 1954 was gone in 1975. Perhaps Prof. Lueker thought that Pieper was too "biased" and wanted to devote the freed up space to other more worthy subjects, such as "Piepkorn, Arthur Carl". The only information of significance that Seminex Professor Erwin Lueker added to the 1954 entry in the 1975 edition was that Franz was the “Brother of A. [August] O. W. Pieper and R. [Reinhold] Pieper.” It may be said that also the entries for these two brothers were likewise severely abbreviated, even the entry for Ludwig Fuerbringer. You won't find the above highlighted information on today's LC–MS flagship "Christian Cyclopedia", but it is freely available on the Internet Archive! As Prof. Surburg exclaimed: "Hold on to your 1954 version and the 1927 version." — More examples will be presented in a future Part Cy5…. But before that, I may present the full essay that Surburg wrote 10 years later on Walther's Hermeneutics.