Brunn's Memoirs, in English; Lochner on Loehe's downfall (Part 2 of 2)

     This concludes from Part 1 in a short series presenting biographies and the theology of Pastor Friedrich Brunn of Germany. — Because the life of Friedrich Brunn was of such great interest after reading the summaries of the 2 grandsons, I decided to prepare the German text of his autobiography, Mitteilungen aus meinem Leben (Memoirs of My Life), for machine translation into English, and then polish it for better quality. I spent close to a week doing this work. I wanted to know more about several points: 

1. Brunn's relationship and his judgments of the other German pastor/theologian who originally had close ties to the old Missouri Synod, Wilhelm Loehe. How did he deal with the Romanizing weaknesses of the later Loehe? Did he just ignore Loehe's false teachings, or did he defend against it? Would he agree with the LC–MS labeling of Loehe as the "co-founder" of the LC-MS? The grandsons' biographies did not go into detail on the problems that developed in Wilhelm Loehe's theology and practice. — 
2. Did Brunn go into detail regarding the difference between the Reformed and Lutheran doctrines?
3. Did Brunn gain his orthodoxy from Walther and the Missourians, or did he get his spiritual footing independently, before he met the Missourians? 

The grandsons's biographies were of course limited, to be reader friendly, for those wanting a good overview. They had not have the space to cover the above issues in great detail, but these matters are covered in Brunn's autobiography. Before I present my full translation, I have extracted the following

Notable excerpts:

p. 53: "also a false superimposition of the doctrine of the holy sacraments, according to which the sacraments have an effect even without personal believing acceptance of sacramental grace… these false Romanizing concepts…"

58: "Harless's advice to convert to the Lutheran Church"

74: "our state government…now had a free hand to resume the earlier war of extermination against us" 

83: "March Revolution of 1848"

106: "On October 13 [1848], we celebrated one of our most beautiful festivals in Steeden. Pastor Loehe from Bavaria had promised to visit us, and a number of Prussian ministers came with him; … the first conference of Lutheran theologians gathered in the otherwise so lonely Steeden parsonage"

119: "But Loehe's whole school of thought …had always been less focused on clear and firm foundations in pure Lutheran doctrine, but rather on church ideals in which liturgy, discipline and the constitution of the church were of paramount importance to him"

122: "in America had it already flared up between the Missouri and Buffalo Synods, and the Missourians had already sent two delegates over to Germany in 1851 to come to an understanding with Pastor Loehe, who at that time was particularly supportive of the American Lutheran Church. Unfortunately, this had the consequence that from then on Loehe and the Missourians became completely estranged and became more and more entrenched in his peculiar ecclesiastical direction."

123: "When Professor Dr. Walther visited me in Steeden in the summer of 1860, I was already in full agreement and communion of spirit with him before any personal or written contact had taken place between him and me. It was only as a result of this unity that he found in me that he suggested to me the idea of founding the Steeden Institute." [Brunn did not learn these things from Walther, he learned these doctrines from the Bible, and the Lutheran Confessions.]

125: "it was especially the doctrines of church and ministry, as well as the power of the keys, around which the theological struggle of that time revolved and about which I already then came to full clarity, in contrast to the Romanizing errors of our time."

129: "It was also of great and decisive importance for my entire theological development, as I had it in those 1850s, that the doctrine of justification was at the center of all my knowledge from the very beginning."

133: "Professor Crämer asked me to take Loehe's place in helping them to recruit students in Germany for their seminary." [Crämer had previously consulted with Loehe.]

134:: "the little paper I [Brunn] wrote at that time on the sacred ministry of preaching… [Loehe] 'regretted that Pastor Brunn was building his faith on Lutheran doctrines of men; in this way Lutheranism would come to nothing.'… reveals how far one [Loehe] was not only from truly Lutheran doctrine, but also from a faithful Lutheran confessional ecclesiastical position in general."

154: "for a long time we in Nassau also shared the various prejudices against the Missouri Synod "

155: "It was only when Professor Walther visited Germany and Steeden in 1860 that the matter came to a decision.… my entire harmony with the Missouri Synod in faith and doctrine"

168-9: "the existence of a special missionary institution for the Missouri Synod in Germany, …contributed not a little to making the name of the Missouri Synod more and more known in Germany."

194: "the Chief Consistorial President von Harless [in Bavaria] attempted to gradually restore the ordinances of the old Lutheran Church in liturgy, confession and so on." [This was also Loehe's strength, so why do the supporters of Loehe, such as Pres. Harrison and Lieberg, not also praise Harless, but instead criticize him?]

198-9: "is well known, there had been a time when Loehe had begun to speak out strongly against the corruption of the State Church and mixed communion, but after that Loehe had stopped this whole struggle and began to instruct those associated with him… to partake of Holy Communion themselves"

204: "Towards the end of 1875 I received a letter from some East Indian missionaries who were in the service of the Leipzig Lutheran Mission: Schäffer, Zorn, Willkomm, Zucker and Gruber.… [they] had come to the realization of pure and clear Lutheran doctrine"

228: "we were not Professor Walther's disciples, but that we had already had our doctrine of the election of grace before there was any talk of a dispute about it." [Again, Brunn did not learn this doctrine from the Missourians, he learned it from the Bible, and the Lutheran Confessions, just as Walther did.]

246: "Pastor Loehe in Bavaria, Professor Vilmar in Hesse… have remained in the entanglements and corruptions of the national church"

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      In today's LC–MS there is much praise for Old Missouri Pastor Friedrich Lochner († 1902), especially because of his expertise with all things ceremonial and liturgical. The organization "Gottesdienst" and Pres. Matthew Harrison have appreciated that side of Lochner.  But what did the aging Lochner say about the two 19th century pastors in Germany most responsible for sending students to the Missouri Synod seminaries? We find the answer to that in an essay he wrote in 1892, Der Lutheraner, vol. 48 (1892), p. 4 [EN]:

“It is well known that after the unfortunate but necessary termination of our relationship with Pastor Loehe, the faithful Pastor Brunn in Steeden, Nassau, has rendered great service to our practical institution and thus to the local orthodox church for a long number of years through the training and sending of pupils.”

In his final years, Lochner praised "faithful Pastor Brunn" over Pastor Loehe. Would he agree with Harrison's labeling of Loehe as a "co-founder" of the Missouri Synod along with Walther? (I don't think so.)

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Now I present the full English translation, with added hyperlinks:

The above file may be viewed and downloaded >> here <<, a version w/o highlighting HERE; PDF version on the Internet Archive HERE.

      I learned so much about the German Church from this book that I did not fully understand before. Any Christian wanting to learn of the developments of the German Church of the 19th century, and the formation of the Lutheran Free Churches, would also benefit. But along with the history, Brunn wants us to understand Christian doctrine, and he takes considerable time giving his readers doctrinal instruction. 

Soli Deo Gloria – SDG!

 

“If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death”. John 8:51

Friedrich Brunn (1819-1895)

Friedrich Brunn: "Man of God" biography; "co-founder" of LC–MS (Part 1 of 2)

     I have had the honor in the past to be contacted by descendants of notable Lutheran pastors of Germany. One of those was a great-great grandson of the faithful pastor Gustav Knak who stood before the world by standing by the words of Joshua 10:13: "And the sun stood still". I took that opportunity 4 years ago to honor Knak by publishing translations of 2 of his sermons.

 

    Recently I have been contacted by descendants of another German pastor, one who prepared upwards of 235 men for service as pastors to the American Missouri Synod: 

Friedrich Brunn.

 

I blogged about him also 4 years ago to honor him, republishing Prof. Klug's review of a biography by grandson Rev. August F. Brunn [† 1994 Find-A-Grave], The Triumph of Truth. So it was pleasant to hear that another biography had been assembled. Erwin H. Brunn († 1972), the name on the front cover, was another grandson who led another effort to get the materials together to produce this work. Erwin's son Kenneth, of Fullerton, California, worked to get the manuscript into a reproducible form in 1998. Descendants through another line have inherited this biography that was produced previously only in small quantities. I have been graciously granted the right to publish the PDF file of this biography by Peter and Barbara Gozdeck of California. Barbara, née Clem, is a great-great-grandchild of Friedrich Brunn.

       The pedigree of this publication, Friedrich Brunn: A Man of God is somewhat lengthy. One finds that much of the material is based on Friedrich Brunn's own book (translated) Memoirs of My Life. So in that regard it is an autobiography. One may read more background of this publication in the "Foreword" and "Preface". Of course the material will overlap that of the other publication Triumph of Truth by cousin August F. Brunn. But the story of Friedrich Brunn's life is so full, dramatic, and edifying that it merits multiple accounts.

      I am calling Friedrich Brunn a "co-founder" of the LC–MS only because LC–MS Pres. Matthew Harrison wants to use that label for Wilhelm Loehe along with C. F. W. Walther. But as stated before, Harrison overstates the importance of Loehe in matters of Lutheran doctrine, whereas Friedrich Brunn far excels Loehe in this regard—more on that later. 

Download >> HERE <<

Benefits of Erwin Brunn's Friedrich Brunn: A Man of God:

      While the other biography, August Brunn's Triumph of Truth, was reviewed by Prof. Klug, it has not been made available to the public as far as I know. So this biography will give a greater exposure to anyone who wants to know more, thanks to the family members' permission to present it on my blog. 

      Included are some pictures of the area in Germany that Friedrich frequented along with his home base of Steeden. The maps make it easier to follow his journeys. In the original autobiography, Friedrich Brunn speaks at length of the state of "Nassau", but that state no longer exists because it was incorporated into the German confederation in 1866. So the maps that Erwin included were most helpful for someone like me.

      Also beneficial is Erwin's and son Kenneth's update to more recent times relating the further developments after Friedrich's passing in 1895. How did the free churches in Germany fare in more modern times? Did they carry on Friedrich's legacy?

 

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      In preparing this blog post I found myself drawn more into the history of Friedrich Brunn, so much so that I decided to process his own 273-page German language autobiography so that it could be machine translated and polished for English readers. In that process, I learned much, which will be brought out and summarized in the next post in this series, Part 2.

Steeden, Germany–then & now: Brunn & Blechschmidt

Orthodox pastors and teachers from Steeden, Germany:
         Friedrich Brunn (1860s)    —    Martin Blechschmidt (2020)

      This "Excursus" follows Chapter 13a (Hist17) of Hochstetter's History, a portion which included a report on Pastor Friedrich Brunn's (Find-A-Grave) activities in Germany. Brunn's institution in Steeden provided over 200 men to the still young Missouri Synod.  The story from Steeden in Germany is not over, for a congregation still exists in Steeden that is following in the footsteps of Friedrich Brunn. — It was Brunn in Steeden who gave the troubled missionaries Carl Manthey Zorn and others a platform to voice their concerns against the erring Leipzig Mission Society (Hochstetter p. 423). Today, Pastor Martin Blechschmidt teaches and defends true Lutheran doctrine in Germany and Europe, including that of the Doctrine of the Church and Ministry, in the land of Luther, in Germany and in other European countries. 

fell away on
Church & Ministry

      It was Friedrich Brunn who, although he had received comfort from Wilhelm Loehe in his early struggles, in contrast to Loehe, did not fall away from the truth and so defended the Lutheran doctrine of the Church, publishing a book upholding it (German text, English translation).  It teaches the Lutheran, Scriptural doctrine, just as C.F.W. Walther in Church and Ministry.  — According to a book by Brunn's grandson (p. 38), "when Prof. Walther of the Semin­ary again came to Germany in 1860, he visited Pastor Brunn in Steeden and personally asked his help in preparing young people for the American Ministry." Why was this? Because "the Association with Loehe had ter­minated".  And Hochstetter's History gives the details of why there had to be a separation.

      Martin Blechschmidt from Steeden presented a scholarly essay to an international gathering in 2016 regarding the errors of the Wisconsin Synod on Church and Ministry "The Wauwatosa-Theology in the light of hermeneutical principles" (German text, English text).  President Friedrich Pfotenhauer would be pleased with this essay!  On pages 3 and 8, Blechschmidt states:

The reason for the discrepancy in the teaching position seems to be primarily in the misled approach of Wauwatosa theologians to God's Word. They neglect hermeneutical principles. According to them the scripture is not clear enough. The way they interpret certain verses prevents dogmatic conclusions because they seem to believe that the degree of certainty in the respective verses is very low. With two premises they force themselves into an unbiblical, non-Lutheran direction.… the WELS has no biblical foundation against the abolishment of the ministry. 

Steeden - 1860s
Church & proseminary

Steeden - today

In both men of Steeden we find strength regarding the Scriptural doctrines of Church and Ministry. Both teachers agree with Walther's teaching, both defended against the errors that Walther defended against. — From the website of the Steeden Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Congregation (translated, websites here and here; pic here)

“In the various regional churches and also in the existing Lutheran Free Churches, Bible criticism, stubbornly advocated false doctrines, unbiblical practice and false ecumenism have gained the upper hand. For this reason, the Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel congregation in Steeden is independent.”

The basis of these Steeden congregations, old and new, is essentially the same.  May European Christianity (German, French, Russian languages!), and Lutheranism be benefitted by their bold testimony to the truth.
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For Loehe, Neuendettelsau, Romanizing,
not Brunn, true Lutheranism

      Today Concordia Theological Seminary-Ft. Wayne honors Wilhelm Loehe in many ways more than C.F.W. Walther.  They may attempt to explain their basis for this, that he supplied many men for the ministry to the Missouri Synod.  If that reason was actually true, they would be honoring Friedrich Brunn just as much or more, for Brunn of Steeden supplied over 200 men!  But they rather honor Pastor Loehe for the errors he held to, his errors on Church and Ministry, especially his Romanizing tendencies.  Today they do not honor Brunn.  But it was not always that way – about 50 years ago, in the December 1971 issue of Concordia Theological Quarterly, Prof. E.F. Klug wrote a glowing essay and book review that spoke of the service of the dear Pastor Friedrich Brunn.  Although it can be read directly from the CTS-FW Media Resources online copy, yet I want to re-publish a quality text version here with some images added from the book he reviewed..  —  The next blog continues Hochstetter's History, Part 18, Chapter 13b.

The Springfielder — December 1971 — Volume 35, Number 3

“Triumph of Truth” —

A footnote to the History of Concordia Theological Seminary, Springfield, Illinois

E. F. Klug

Associate Professor of Systematic Theology (1960-  )

… Friedrich Brunn was not a mountain climber, but a man who moved mountains. The story of his remarkable life and service in the church is briefly and interestingly told by his grandson, Rev. August F. Brunn [† 1994 Find-A-Grave], who now lives in retirement at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Triumph of Truth, published during Epiphany, 1971, is a translation and adaptation from a German version, Zum Gedenken an Pfarrer Friedrich Brunn, compiled by a great granddaughter, Mrs. Gertrud Eikmeier Rücker. Printed in mimeograph form this memorial booklet marked the 150th birthday observance of Friedrich Brunn, in 1969, at Steeden (Saxony), Germany. [Balance of essay after Read More section below...]