Christian Cyclopedia

Adopted 1875 by the majority of the Ev. Luth. Syn. of Iowa* and Other States, to clarify its doctrinal position in view of const. changes made 1873. Held (1) the Iowa Syn. does not follow any school, but declares itself loyal to the Luth. Confessions, permits differences in theol. views only as long as the views are within confessional bounds, and repudiates doctrinal development (Fortentwicklung) which militates against the confessional basis; (2) by making the doctrines of the Confessions binding it is not changing position, since it had formerly not excluded any doctrine; (3) it adheres to the amended form of the doctrinal par. in the const. because it is simpler, less ambiguous, and less offensive; (4) it accepts the statements of the Luth. Confessions on the ministry, but regards the Missouri doctrine (without judging its correctness) neither as a confessional doctrine nor as a doctrine of faith and hence does not regard it as divisive; (5) it accepts the judgment of the Luth. Confessions regarding the antichristian character of the papacy but does not regard as an art. of faith the statement “the pope is the Antichrist” (as the final and complete fulfillment of the prophecy in 2 Th 2); (6) it acknowledges the doctrine of the Last Things as found in the AC but does not reject details from prophecy as long as they are in harmony with basic Luth. doctrines; (7) in the doctrine of Sunday the point concerning which the older Luth. dogmaticlans disagreed (whether 1 day of the week must be selected for worship in harmony with the order of creation) is not an art. of faith; (8) “open questions” is synonymous with “nondivisive questions.”

J. Deindörfer, Geschichte der Evangel.-Luth. Synode von Iowa und anderen Staaten (Chicago, 1897); G. J. Fritschel, Quellen und Dokumente zur Geschichte und Lehrstellung der ev.-luth. Synode von Iowa u. a. Staaten (Chicago, n. d.).