Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary is located in Clayton, Missouri, an inner-ring suburb on the western border of St. Louis, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train clergy for the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS).
Concordia Seminary is the oldest seminary of the LCMS, and the largest Lutheran Seminary in the United States. Founded in 1839, the seminary initially resided in Perry County, Missouri. In 1849 it was moved to St. Louis, and in 1926 the current campus was built. Concordia shares the duty of clerical training for the LCMS with Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The St. Louis institution was at one time considered the "theoretical" (i.e., academic) seminary of the LCMS while Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne was considered the "practical" seminary, although those distinctions are no longer widely recognized. Concordia Seminary currently offers a Master of Divinity degree leading to ordination, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Sacred Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The seminary is considered theologically conservative, as it does not train women for ordination, and also promotes a Historical-Grammatical interpretation of the Bible. It is an accredited member of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
KFUO Radio has its studios and transmitter tower on the campus; for many years the nationally-broadcast Lutheran Hour originated from this LCMS radio station.
The Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus
Dedicated on November 15, 1992, The Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus serves as the house of worship for the Concordia Seminary community.
Concordia Seminary Library
Concordia Seminary Library has the capacity to house 250,000 volumes and to seat over 300 people, providing study space for divinity students and carrels for graduate students and scholars. The book collection numbers over 245,000 volumes. Included are the personal libraries of many of the founding fathers of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod and its theologians like C. F. W. Walther.
Luther Tower
Luther Tower was completed in 1966. It its base is a small chapel, the Chapel of the Holy Apostles and its crown contains a 49-bell carillon. The bells are dedicated to the memory of all Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod pastors. The largest bell weighs 2 1/2 tons and the smallest weighs 17 pounds.
The Seminex controversy
Concordia Seminary became a focus of national media attention in 1974 when 45 of its 50 faculty members, together with the vast majority of students, walked out to form a rival institution known as Seminex, or Concordia Seminary in Exile. The Seminex walk-out was undertaken in protest of the suspension of the seminary's president, John Tietjen, who faced charges from the more conservative Synodical president, Jacob Preus, of allowing the teaching of false doctrine. More specifically, the charges alleged that Tietjen had permitted the teaching of Historical-Critical Methods of Scriptural interpretation, the focus of which is primarily upon the process of canon-formation with reference to historical and social context, rather than upon Scripture as the inerrant word of God (see Biblical inerrancy).
As stated above, Concordia Seminary has since returned to its former status as the largest Lutheran seminary in America. As of October 2004, enrollment stood at 827 students.
External links
- Concordia Theological Quarterly Volume II 1898
- Concordia Theological Quarterly Volume VI 1902
- Concordia Theological Quarterly Volume X 1906
- Concordia Theological Quarterly Volume XI 1907
- Concordia Theological Quarterly Volume XII 1908
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