Behind the Language Curtain
The following reflections have been prompted by conversations with Rev. Zelwyn Heide. It goes without saying that Martin Luther preached in German, catechized in German, translated the Scriptures into German, and gave the church hymns, sermons, and theological writings in German. For centuries, German became one of the chief languages of Lutheran theology, devotion, hymnody, and church life. And so, when many Lutherans came to America, they brought this German theological world with them. This was especially true of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. The early Missouri Synod was German in worship, education, publishing, preaching, and theological formation. German was not merely a cultural preference. It was the language through which the Synod received and preserved much of its Lutheran inheritance. This began to change in the early twentieth century: German began to decline. For a time, German and English stood side by side. Many congregations used both German and English. Some...
