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Honorius
Guest
I was wondering what the policy of some of the larger Lutheran denominations (ELCA, LCMS, etc.) on clergy holding political office.
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Allegra
Guest
Kinda seems like a strange place to ask such a question.
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Jon_S_1
Guest
Lol
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Honorius
Guest
Well, I was just wondering about it.
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Jon_S_1
Guest
Don’t be embarrassed, it was just funny, since nmost everyone here is CatholicWell, I was just wondering about it.
There are some Lutherans around here so hopefully they can answer it for you. I’m curious to know the answer too.
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Stilldreamn
Guest
I have never known a Lutheran pastor that held a political office but since I don’t know every single Lutheran pastor I suppose there could be an exception. Being a called & ordained minister “is” their vocation and usually much more than a full-time job. The pastors I have known are generally careful not to become embroiled in politics.
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Oldtimer_7
Guest
The answer is found in the Augsburg Confessions, number XVI On Civil Affairs:
Of Civil Affairs they teach that lawful civil ordinances are good works of God, and that it is right for Christians to bear civil office, to sit as judges, to judge matters by the Imperial and other existing laws, to award just punishments, to engage in just wars, to serve as soldiers, to make legal contracts, to hold property, to make oath when required by the magistrates, to marry a wife, to be given in marriage.
Of Civil Affairs they teach that lawful civil ordinances are good works of God, and that it is right for Christians to bear civil office, to sit as judges, to judge matters by the Imperial and other existing laws, to award just punishments, to engage in just wars, to serve as soldiers, to make legal contracts, to hold property, to make oath when required by the magistrates, to marry a wife, to be given in marriage.
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steido01
Guest
There have already been some good answers here. The Confessions are the best place to start. As previously noted, Article XVI clearly encourages laypersons to hold public office. It is our Christian duty to love our neighbor and “render unto Caesar…” There are currently Lutherans in Congress. But this is also balanced with Article XXVIII which cautions against what the reformers saw as abuse in the Roman Catholic church at the time; namely:
I have not known a single Lutheran pastor to hold public office while simultaneously serving a parish (that does not mean exceptions haven’t existed). And from a practical point of view, it’d be nearly impossible for a pastor to juggle political office with the needs of his parish (trust me, my father is a Lutheran pastor so I know first-hand how little time he had!).
Moving beyond the Confessions to more recent history, the Lutheran church in America has developed some idiosyncrasies that stem back to its cultural beginnings. These tendencies sometimes make for a stark difference between the ELCA and the LCMS when it comes to involvement in political issues. Basically, the LCMS tends to be rather hands-off of politics, while the ELCA is sometimes more of a political force than a religious body. I could bore you with hours of history for “why,” but instead I’ll share a relatively unbiased link:
calvin.edu/henry/research/symposiumpapers/Symp08Walz.pdf
Times may be changing for the LCMS, however. As the secular government encroaches more and more on religious freedom, we’ve rather been forced into action. The current LCMS President, Matthew Harrison, has necessarily been more active politically and ecumenically (he stood with Roman Catholics and others in opposition to the HHS Mandate and testified before Congress, among other things). It’s a fun time to be Lutheran, and it appears the next few years should be too: firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2013/07/12/president-harrison-the-lcms-and-ecumenical-dialogue/
In other words, Lutherans have feared that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. So, we observe the distinction between the “Two Kingdoms” - ecclesiastical and pastoral duties on the one hand, and secular, governmental powers on the other.
I have not known a single Lutheran pastor to hold public office while simultaneously serving a parish (that does not mean exceptions haven’t existed). And from a practical point of view, it’d be nearly impossible for a pastor to juggle political office with the needs of his parish (trust me, my father is a Lutheran pastor so I know first-hand how little time he had!).
Moving beyond the Confessions to more recent history, the Lutheran church in America has developed some idiosyncrasies that stem back to its cultural beginnings. These tendencies sometimes make for a stark difference between the ELCA and the LCMS when it comes to involvement in political issues. Basically, the LCMS tends to be rather hands-off of politics, while the ELCA is sometimes more of a political force than a religious body. I could bore you with hours of history for “why,” but instead I’ll share a relatively unbiased link:
calvin.edu/henry/research/symposiumpapers/Symp08Walz.pdf
Times may be changing for the LCMS, however. As the secular government encroaches more and more on religious freedom, we’ve rather been forced into action. The current LCMS President, Matthew Harrison, has necessarily been more active politically and ecumenically (he stood with Roman Catholics and others in opposition to the HHS Mandate and testified before Congress, among other things). It’s a fun time to be Lutheran, and it appears the next few years should be too: firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2013/07/12/president-harrison-the-lcms-and-ecumenical-dialogue/
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