“Lutheranism clings to God’s Written Word. Her motto is the Word of God, the whole Word of God, and nothing but the Word of God, not as a prescriptive letter, but as the power of God unto salvation.” – Theodore Schmauk

“[Dr Schmauk] ranks as one of the ablest and most consistent defenders of the Lutheran faith. His catholicity of spirit enabled him to put himself in the place of his opponent and see things from the latter’s point of view… And yet he never swerved from the strong conservative position he always took by making weak or compromising concessions.

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate: Some subject matter knowledge helpful.

There is no man in our Church whose Christian consecration has been more evident, whose deep loyalty to the Church has been stronger, whose full participation in her thought and activity has been wider, whose counsel has been more constantly sought and given, whose influence has been more powerful and helpful than that of Dr. Schmauk.” –Dr. Knubel, The Lutheran

Book Contents

• Preface

• Part 1. Dr. Schmauk On Live Questions And Issues

  • 1 On The Person Of Christ
  • 2 On The Doctrine Of The Trinity
  • 3 On The Freedom Of Will
  • 4 On Negative Theology
  • 5 The Lutheran Conception Of Salvation
  • 6 On Confessionalism
  • 7 Luther And The New Theology
  • 8 On Progressive Conservatism
  • 9 On Lutheran Union
  • 10 On Lutheran Pulpits For Lutheran Ministers
  • 11 On Lutheran Disunity
  • 12 On The Lodge And Pulpit-Fellowship
  • 13 On Un-Christian Societies
  • 14 On Co-Operation
  • 15 Dangers To The Lutheran Church In Cooperating With Revival Movements
  • 16 The Lutheran Church And External Relationships
  • 17 Two Great Lessons Of Providence
  • 18 The Church And Social Problems
  • 19 On Christmas
  • 20 The Tricky Controversialist
  • 21 On Possibilities Of Union

• Part 2. A Biographical Sketch

  • 1 - The Schmauk Antecedents
  • 2 - Birth and Boyhood (1860 to 1876)
  • 3 - A Student at College (1876 to 1880)
  • 4 - Student at Seminary (1880 to 1883)
  • 5 - His Early Pastorate as Associate of his Father (1883-1898)
  • 6 - Literary Activities Begin
  • 7 - As Educator - The Pennsylvania Chautauqua
  • 8 - As Historian - No Traitor To His Blood
  • 9 - Editor and Sunday School Leader
  • 10 - Citizen, Patriot and Public Speaker
  • 11 - Death of his Father (1898-1903)
  • 12 - President of the General Council (1903 to 1905)
    • “The One Conservative Lutheran Body”
    • The General Council’s Attitude Toward Modern Evangelism
  • 13 - The Confessional High-Water Mark (1907)
  • 14 - Administrative Problems
  • 15 - A Trying Convention (1909) Dr. Schmauk and the Swedes
  • 16 - “The Confessional Principle” (1907-1911)
  • 17 - The QuadriCentennial Celebration of the Reformation (1917-1920)
  • 18 - The Closing of a Strenuous Life

• Positions Held in the Church

• Author of Following Books

A review

“I have just finished a rapid examination of your book… It has held me fast all day, except when in church, and for two brief breathing spells. I have read enough to lead me without waiting longer to express my intense delight and most sincere gratitude. You have produced an epoch-making book… You have not left the least shred of an argument against the Confessional position unanswered.” – Henry Eyster Jacobs

Publication Information

• Lutheran Library edition first published: 2018-01-25
• Updated: v6.2021-04-07
• Copyright: CC BY 4.0