Fire and the Staff: Lutheran Theology in Practice

by Klemet I. Preus

- Continues the tradition establshed by J. H. C. Fritz and C. F. W. Walther of fine works on practical ministry
- Shows pastors how to carry out ministry on the basis of confessionally Lutheran theological principles
- Stories and personal experience lend immediacy to the discussion
- Unique in its presentation and content

Genres: Christian, Theology, Christianity, Religion, Nonfiction, Christian Living

480 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2005

Reviews

[Abigail Burdett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really more like a 2.75 but I’ll be generous.
I’m discovering that I am just extremely picky with the religious and doctrinal texts I read and I am increasingly hard to please. There are very few “churchy” books I come away from reading thinking, “ah, that was refreshing”.

This book was very difficult for me, not because I disagreed with the doctrine the author proposes and pleas readers to return to, but rather because of the rather elitist voice he composed it in. In my opinion, it just read kind of like crusty church conservatism, which, don’t get me wrong, I’m usually all for crusty church conservatism, however this was just too crusty. I like the author’s general foundation, that we should honor, cherish, and uphold church doctrine and traditions, and that they should never be discarded or exchanged merely for the sake of bringing in more members, entertaining, keeping up with the Jonses etc etc. however, some of the points he had were just incredibly nit-picky and very confusing. Like when he talked about music in the church I was literally thinking, “where is he getting this info about musical structure? This man has never been to music school”.

I think I just about lost my mind when towards the end of the book, the author claimed that we should refrain from using the “American Evangelical term” of “witnessing” as a way to express sharing the good news of Christ to others because, in his words, “to witness involves the appointment to see and report something to a specific group of people. You and I are not witnesses. The apostles were witnesses because they saw and spoke of the things they saw. That’s what witnesses do…if you have used the word witness in an improper way, you have not sinned…you have just used the word incorrectly.”(387) well thank goodness it’s not a sin🤪this drove me up the wall. Isnt this like saying “we’re not followers of Christ because we don’t walk literally directly behind Him”?. It’s just the little things like that sprinkled all throughout that really got me annoyed. My husband and I rarely argue but I can think of probably 5 solid arguments we had about this book in our kitchen 😆

Overall, I think there was a lot of good info in here and I don’t necessarily think it was a bad book at all. The overarching message of keeping church traditions is a good one, one I could probably write a thesis on at this point honestly. Really, it wasn’t a bad book, but I am a stubborn girl and when someone rubs me the wrong way, I just tend to have a bad after taste of what they write. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Leonardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for my church’s study group.

While the text can be belaboring at times, this is a very useful book. I also find it to be rather prescient as the very things Pastor Preus warned against at the time did indeed turn out to be fads now twenty-two years later. The content of this book is centered around Lutheran practices specifically, but I believe every denomination which wishes to remain faithful to God’s Word as it has been handed to them can benefit from this lesson: the easiest way to change doctrine is by changing the traditions. The call for historic, confessional churches to “modernize” and “get with the times” is probably even stronger now than when this book was written. But this is a trap, as even innocuous-seeming departures to “fit-in” with American Evangelicalism around it can bring a departure from the doctrines of the Bible. This book encourages pastors to stay in the church traditions given to them by two means which interweave in the text. Firstly we follow the history of the Western Catholic Church as Martin Luther seeks to shed the practices which support unbiblical teachings before following the Lutherans who flee the Prussian Union for America in the 19th century as the Kaiser sought to force his people to unify without dialogue by enforcing specific practices. Secondly we follow the advent of American revivalism through the great awakenings and into the 20th century with the modern day church growth movement. It is in this section of history that seems like the book was written a few years ago as opposed to two decades ago. C. Peter Wagner is specifically named as someone to avoid, here though it is in his role advocating for churches to forget their traditional practices and adopt more Pentecostal ones in a bid to make church more exciting. We watched this play out as churches pulled from “contemporary worship” to replace a sermon with the Gospel at its heart with a pedantic TedTalk-tier message and discard old, theologically rich hymns for shallow and vaguely spiritual soft-rock songs. Here is where I believe this book is applicable for more than just Lutherans. This is part of what I call “the great homogenization”. If all churches abandon what makes them unique, then there is no true path to unity. Subscribing to the quaint “relationship over religion” creed so typified by the mega church means ultimately abandoning the Gospel for that which is corporate and safe. Guard your practices because they guard your doctrines. Talk to those in other denominations about their practices, and so learn about their doctrine. Be uncomfortable, if it means letting go of your post-modern presuppositions, and experience the ancient practices of the church. Find the true church by the congregation which guards the Bible’s teachings by their practices.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strong rebuke of American evangelicalism, revivalism and the Church Growth Movement. Doctrine follows practice, he strongly asserts, and it has a negative affect on the assurance of our faith. I agreed with a lot of what he said, and other parts I'll have to think about.

[Jared Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and solid.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Klemet Preus��� book, ���The Fire and the Staff,��� is about the basic idea that doctrine and practice have a reciprocal relationship. Obviously doctrine drives the church���s practice, but Preus argues that a change in practice can actually bleed back into doctrine and influence one���s theology.

More specifically Preus seems to narrow in towards the practices of Modern Evangelicalism that are displayed most visibly by many mega-churches in America. He discusses the historical background of these practices in order to show that many of these practices are not rooted in the divine scriptures, but rooted in methodologies that have sprung forth from certain time periods and contexts. Thus he makes the appeal that when a conservative confessional Lutheran church body incorporates a Modern Evangelicalism���s practice it is essentially and inadvertently introducing new theology into the parish and its statement of faith. In simplistic terms, Modern Evangelicalism has practices that are not derived from scripture, some that are essentially anti-sacramental and anti-monergistic. Therefore, when a confessional Lutheran church embraces one of these practices, not for theological reasons but for pragmatic reasons, it is then allowing the practice to bleed false truths back into the church���s theology. Preus argues rightly that practice and methodologies are not neutral. Practice contains theological presuppositions. If practices are changed, the doctrine will be changed. If doctrine is changed, practice will be changed.

The main thesis of Preus��� book is certainly true. Doctrine not only provides knowledge to one���s epistemological framework, but practice is also a source of knowledge for one���s epistemological framework as well. They are connected and it is vital for the church to understand this. Simply saying that form is neutral, while embracing different methodologies for pragmatic reasons, will certainly jeopardize the Lutheran church���s theology. This may also create an environment for an epistemological crisis or cognitive dissonance to occur for parishioners. Thus Preus��� book is one that every pastor should soberly consider.

[Jim B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to really love this book. The author writes in a fresh way and uses contemporary and personal illustrations. I have no doubt that there are Lutheran pastors and young people who love this book, which is about how what a church does (its "practice") has an affect on what you teach (its "doctrine")

For me, it got to be work to pick up this book. It's hard for me to put my finger on it. Matthew Harrison writes in a similar way, yet I never get tired of his joyful voice. This book seemed to be a fresh polemic for Lutheranism, and while I'm a Lutheran and agree with his viewpoint, I'm not into reading a polemic for my own viewpoint. I've kept the book for its vivid illustrations.

[Mark Matzke · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are Lutheran, please read this and let's discuss.

[Barbara Ruuska · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book isn't for everyone. As a confessional Lutheran, this book is the book that I should have read 15 years ago. I'm going to write a segment on each chapter. I'll still only be scratching the surface of the precious doctrine taught. At times, I laughed and I cried while reading this book.

I've been lost in "Lutheran" churches that have fallen away (ELCA) and churches that really don't want to be Lutheran (AALC). If you aren't sure where you are theologically, this book gives an excellent understanding of Lutheran theology in practice.

These are the notes that I've highlighted from the book. These are Rev. Preus' words.
Chapter 1 - Doctrine
"Ask yourself, whom would you rather have as your preacher? Would you like a pastor who believes that nothing he says about God could be 100 percent correct? Or would you like a pastor who believes that he speaks the truth of God?" (Page 45).
The marks of successful ministry are the Gospel (the Word), Baptism and Holy Communion. Doctrine belongs solely to God.

Chapter 2 - Justification
" . . . our righteousness before God consists in this, that God forgives us our sins by sheer grace, without any works, merit, or worthiness of our own, in the the past, at present, or in the future, that he gives us and reckons us to the righteousness of Christ's obedience and that, because of this righteousness, we are accepted by God into grace and regarded as righteous." (Page 59)

This is not something we "feel" in our heart. Our heart is a dark, evil place and our righteousness/justification comes from outside of us, from Jesus. "God imputes to us the righteousness of the obedience and death of Christ."

"Objective - something is analyzed and evaluated apart from its effect on you.
Subjective - something is analyzed and evaluated only as it affects you." (Page 64)
Whether in the liturgy or hymns, the objective truths of the Gospel is the most important aspect of worship. Not how it makes you feel.

Passive/Active Faith
We do nothing to get to heaven. "We are saved by faith alone, but faith is never alone. Good works always follow true saving faith. Faith is always accompanied by love and hope." (Page 75)
We are to follow God's Law through the three uses: curb, mirror and guide.

Chapter 3 - Word and Spirit
So many people mistakenly think that the Holy Spirit comes from somewhere inside of them. "The Holy Spirit is active wherever the Word of forgiveness in Christ is spoken. The Holy Spirit can be found only and always through the Word of Christ." (Page 79)

"There can be no wordless Spirit and there can be no Spiritless Word." (Page 82)

This entire chapter rightly explains how the Spirit works in (and only in) the Word.

Chapter 4 - Doctrine and Practice
This chapter is a good basic understanding of doctrine and practice. Explanation of Ordinaries (the same from week to week) and Propers (seasonal) parts of the Divine service. The service in all it's parts is catholic (the entire church). "When pastors or churches misuse, abuse, or don't use these catholic blessings, they are depriving themselves and their children of the undivided heritage that is ours by the grace and guidance of God." (Page 129)

Chapter 5 - Worship in the Lutheran Church
In this chapter we learn about the worship service and who is acting and who is talking and then who is acted upon and spoken to during the service. (Page 137)
Music is a key part of the divine worship and learning and memorizing solid Lutheran hymns can help you learn theology (Lutheran doctrine and practice) and share your Christian faith with others. "Salvation Unto Us Has Come" with all 14 stanzas became a central theme in this chapter and later in the book.

Chapter 6 - Good Works
Good works means we need to do something and act according to our vocation (station) in life. God doesn't need our good works but they help other people whether we want to do them or not and they are valued by Jesus Christ. (Page 187 and 211)

Chapter 7 - Word and Spirit Separated
People who say that they can find the Spirit outside of the Word are like bees "swarming" and making lots of noise but never really listening. (Page 213)
Here we get a good understanding that the only true way to receive the Spirit is through the Word.

Chapter 8 - The Excitement of American Christianity
Here we read about village and camp churches. The village church is steeped deep in the boundaries of doctrine and practice. The camp church is an emotionally charged venue with spontaneity and intense religious experiences. (Pages 249-250)
In defense of Closed Communion. The Nicene Creed, letters of transfer, church fellowship, and the pastor examining those who wish to commune. These are the practices that define Closed Communion. It is extremely unpopular, but we should not partake in communion if we only seem to agree on some points of doctrine but not all. (Page 266)
We all seem to want to be included at the Table (or Communion Rail) when we may not even understand or agree with what a church preaches, teaches or confesses.

Chapter 9 - The Dynamism of American Christianity
This chapter discusses what is or what it means to be a dynamic church. It is the Gospel that is dynamic and not the preacher or the people in the pews. What are the roles of men and women in the church. "Practice reflects doctrine. If we want to teach our doctrine, then we must be concerned about our practice." (Page 301)

Chapter 10 - American Worship Ideas
Dwight Moody - In the 1800's he developed some innovative ways to market/sell the church. Billy Graham carried Moody's innovation of the "altar call" into the 20th century. Go to church not to make yourself feel good, but to receive the forgiveness of sins. (Page 341)

Chapter 11 - Confessing the Faith
Here we have some guidelines for sharing our faith and a right understanding of worship. I've had my own experience with "[w]hen a congregation adopts practices that are completely different from those of other churches or when it rejects the stated doctrine of [their own church association], then that congregation is not acting like the royal priesthood. Rather, it is a group of renegade priests who seem to believe that they can do as they please." (Page 363)
"God never asks us to witness. He asks us to confess." (Page 391)
"Confess by pointing to Christ, by speaking back what you have learned, and with the church." (Page 389)
With the Bible and the Small Catechism we have the tools to help us learn how to confess the true doctrine of Christ.

Chapter 12 - Change in the church
"Five fundamental principles of change in the church are apparent in Luther's Wittenberg Sermons.
1. Change must be required by the Gospel.
2. The Word, not force, should effect change.
3. If it isn't broken, don't fix it.
4. Don't let yourself get pushed around.
5. Always yield to the weak." (Page 401)

"Change was required because the saving work of Christ was denied in the private sacrifices of the Mass. Change is always required when Christ is denied." (Page 403)

Remember that change is never easy and the bullies are the weakest ones in the congregation.

My husband and I recently joined an LC-MS congregation that does exactly this:
The Church is the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered.

Amen!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book focuses on doctrine and practical theology in the Lutheran church.
Why should Lutheran churches stick to traditional liturgy? Why be cautious using praise songs for worship? What problems can arise when churches adopt the principles of the church growth movement?

Preus begins with a look at biblical doctrines and how those influenced (and still do) influence the practices of the church. Doctrine and worship are always intertwined, and when one is changed, the other will change too.

This is a long book, but worth the read if you are looking at an in-depth look of doctrine and practice in the Lutheran church.

[Albert Meier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theology and Practice are related. What you believe informs how you worship and live. How you worship and live forms what you believe. Preus makes the case for an unapologetic use of historical Lutheran practice as a style that flows from the gospel and a style that proclaims and confesses the gospel. He avoids legalism or setting down rules, but is winsome as he demonstrates how such practices serve God's people and proclaim the saving truth to unbelievers in a superior way to methods and styles adopted from American Evangelicalism.

[Laurie Sand · Rating 1 out of 5]

My issue with this book is Preus's insistence that the truths of the Bible are self-evident. I simply cannot take his fixation on "pure doctrine" seriously when his basic argument is "The Bible is true because it says it's true, and anybody who talks about the Bible is automatically telling the truth." This is, to put it mildly, idiotic. Has this guy honestly never heard the term "circular argument"??

[Richard Bicknase · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd give this 4.5 stars if that were an option.
The topic and core argument of the book is excellent and much needed. I have experienced first-hand the problems with a shift in mindset toward a more subjective thinking and practice that de-emphasizes doctrine, teaching, and the Sacraments.
I would take half a star off because of some of the illustrations used, but this doesn't take away from the fact it is a worthwhile and valuable read.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read about half this book in a book club years ago, but I never finished it. This year, my church book club read it, and I did finish it. For the most part, this is a great book. We could quibble over a few examples he gives, especially in the last chapter, but let's not. Great book. Worth the read.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

an excellent book on why we are Lutheran and should hold fast to what our forefathers taught. because it keeps us focused ever on Jesus

[Paul Willweber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good defense of historic Lutheranism in the face opposing theologies.

[Matthew Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Klemet Preus’ book, “The Fire and the Staff,” is about the basic idea that doctrine and practice have a reciprocal relationship. Obviously doctrine drives the church’s practice, but Preus argues that a change in practice can actually bleed back into doctrine and influence one’s theology.

More specifically Preus seems to narrow in towards the practices of Modern Evangelicalism that are displayed most visibly by many mega-churches in America. He discusses the historical background of these practices in order to show that many of these practices are not rooted in the divine scriptures, but rooted in methodologies that have sprung forth from certain time periods and contexts. Thus he makes the appeal that when a conservative confessional Lutheran church body incorporates a Modern Evangelicalism’s practice it is essentially and inadvertently introducing new theology into the parish and its statement of faith. In simplistic terms, Modern Evangelicalism has practices that are not derived from scripture, some that are essentially anti-sacramental and anti-monergistic. Therefore, when a confessional Lutheran church embraces one of these practices, not for theological reasons but for pragmatic reasons, it is then allowing the practice to bleed false truths back into the church’s theology. Preus argues rightly that practice and methodologies are not neutral. Practice contains theological presuppositions. If practices are changed, the doctrine will be changed. If doctrine is changed, practice will be changed.

The main thesis of Preus’ book is certainly true. Doctrine not only provides knowledge to one’s epistemological framework, but practice is also a source of knowledge for one’s epistemological framework as well. They are connected and it is vital for the church to understand this. Simply saying that form is neutral, while embracing different methodologies for pragmatic reasons, will certainly jeopardize the Lutheran church’s theology. This may also create an environment for an epistemological crisis or cognitive dissonance to occur for parishioners. Thus Preus’ book is one that every pastor should soberly consider.

[Ben Weis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second read-through and much needed. What a fantastic reminder of why Lutherans believe what we believe and do what we do. In an age of blurring distinctions and subjectivity, we need to stand on our distinctive and historic beliefs and practices. The objective nature of the Gospel and the means by which God “bespeaks us righteous” tie directly into the historic liturgy and practices of the church.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book explaining the importance of the relationship between Doctrine and practice. Klemet Preus provides an interesting read showing how the American Evangelical and Church Growth movements are leaking into the Lutheran Church and breaking the bond between Doctrine and practice.

[Edward Durand · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found The Fire and the Staff, to be an enjoyable read. It ignited a desire in me to continue to study the Confession of the Church and it's doctrine. It has helped me understand where the Church Growth Movement came from and it has strengthen my stand on the practice of Church and it liturgy.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of theology/alphabet soup

[Brian Yamabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lex orandi, lex credendi.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great great readon on Lutheran theology. Easy to understand and fun to read. I love his stories. He gets the point across without being boring.

[Philski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on Lutheran theology and the errors of the Church Growth Movement from a Lutheran perspective.