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Surviving the Storms: Memoirs of David P. Scaer
Like a memoir, it contains the memories of David Scaer; like a biography, much of the reflections are supported by a documentary corpus assembled by him, primary source material, secondary sources and memoirs of his contemporaries. In some places, he teaches, explaining concepts in the study and teaching of Biblical exegesis and systematic theology. More than anything else, it is the telling of his story—that of a professor of theology during difficult days in the history of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
475 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 23, 2019
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About the author
David P. Scaer
42 books24 followersDr. David Scaer is a professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament and holder of the David P. Scaer Chair of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN. At the seminary since 1966 he serves as editor of the Concordia Theological Quarterly (1969-1994; 1999- ) and was academic dean (1984-1989). He is currently chairman of his department. Dr. Scaer has written extensively and his articles have appeared in Christianity Today, Lutheran Forum, Logia, Forum Letter, the Lutheran Witness, Modern Reformation, Cresset, the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Grace Theological Journal and Issues in Christian Education. His Christology (1990) was the first volume to appear in the Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics, and is in its fourth printing. A second volume in this series, Baptism, has been published by the Lutheran Academy. For the same series he is also authoring the volumes of Law and Gospel and the Sacraments. Twice he was awarded the prestigious John W. Behnken Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award by AAL for study in Europe (1969,1986).
A parish pastor serving congregations in Gillespie, Illinois and Rockville, Connecticut, he also taught for ten years as a part time instructor in religion at the University of Illinois (Champaign) (1966-1976). He is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Institute for Biblical Research, the Alliance of Confessional Evangelicals and the Christianity Today Institute, for which periodical he also serves as a research scholar. Dr Scaer was a member of the composing committee for "Evangelical Affirmations 1989" and a contributor of essays published for the May meeting (1990). He is listed as a contributing editor for Logia and Modern Reformation. His Latin Ecclesiastical Glossary , a dictionary of Latin terms for Lutheran seminary students, is regularly used with Pieper's Christian Dogmatics. Professor Scaer's interest in New Testament studies is shown in his James: The Apostle of Faith (Concordia Publishing House) which demonstrated this epistle's close connection to the preaching of Jesus and its basic unity with the Pauline epistles. His interest for some time has been in the area of Gospels and their order and interdependency.
His Sermon on the Mount was published by Concordia Publishing House. He has written in the area of the Lutheran Confessions and co-edited a volume in honor of the 450th anniversary of the Small Catechism, Luther's Catechisms - 450 Years (1979) and contributed to a volume honoring the 400th anniversary of the Book of Concord, Getting into the Story of Concord (1977). His articles have appeared in the Concordia Theological Quarterly, the Concordia Journal, Christianity Today, Affirm, Lutheran Witness, Lutheran Forum, Theology Today and Philosophy and Theology. He is a contributor to Contemporary Theology, The Baker's Dictionary of Christian Ethics, and The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Among his other books are What Do You Think of Jesus?, The Apostolic Scriptures, and The Lutheran World Federation Today. Along with eighteen other recognized theologians, he is a contributor to Doing Theology in Today's World, a festschrift in honor Kenneth Kantzer, one time editor of Christianity Today. His contribution is entitled "How do Lutheran Theologians Approach the 'Doing of Theology Today.' " He has written two essays analyzing the theology of Dr. Francis Pieper. The first appeared in Baker's Handbook of Evangelical Theologians and the second in The Pieper Lectures: The Office of the Ministry, published by the Concordia Historical Institute.
He has served as the organizer of the annual on-campus Symposium on the Lutheran Confessions since 1978. His essays have also appeared in festschrifts for Professor Kurt Marquart, Dr. Charles Manske, Dr. Glen Zweck and Bishop Jobst Schoene. In 1999 his "The Doctrine of the Sacraments in the Theology of Johann Gerhard," appeared in Protestant Scholasticism.: Essays in Reassessm
A parish pastor serving congregations in Gillespie, Illinois and Rockville, Connecticut, he also taught for ten years as a part time instructor in religion at the University of Illinois (Champaign) (1966-1976). He is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Institute for Biblical Research, the Alliance of Confessional Evangelicals and the Christianity Today Institute, for which periodical he also serves as a research scholar. Dr Scaer was a member of the composing committee for "Evangelical Affirmations 1989" and a contributor of essays published for the May meeting (1990). He is listed as a contributing editor for Logia and Modern Reformation. His Latin Ecclesiastical Glossary , a dictionary of Latin terms for Lutheran seminary students, is regularly used with Pieper's Christian Dogmatics. Professor Scaer's interest in New Testament studies is shown in his James: The Apostle of Faith (Concordia Publishing House) which demonstrated this epistle's close connection to the preaching of Jesus and its basic unity with the Pauline epistles. His interest for some time has been in the area of Gospels and their order and interdependency.
His Sermon on the Mount was published by Concordia Publishing House. He has written in the area of the Lutheran Confessions and co-edited a volume in honor of the 450th anniversary of the Small Catechism, Luther's Catechisms - 450 Years (1979) and contributed to a volume honoring the 400th anniversary of the Book of Concord, Getting into the Story of Concord (1977). His articles have appeared in the Concordia Theological Quarterly, the Concordia Journal, Christianity Today, Affirm, Lutheran Witness, Lutheran Forum, Theology Today and Philosophy and Theology. He is a contributor to Contemporary Theology, The Baker's Dictionary of Christian Ethics, and The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Among his other books are What Do You Think of Jesus?, The Apostolic Scriptures, and The Lutheran World Federation Today. Along with eighteen other recognized theologians, he is a contributor to Doing Theology in Today's World, a festschrift in honor Kenneth Kantzer, one time editor of Christianity Today. His contribution is entitled "How do Lutheran Theologians Approach the 'Doing of Theology Today.' " He has written two essays analyzing the theology of Dr. Francis Pieper. The first appeared in Baker's Handbook of Evangelical Theologians and the second in The Pieper Lectures: The Office of the Ministry, published by the Concordia Historical Institute.
He has served as the organizer of the annual on-campus Symposium on the Lutheran Confessions since 1978. His essays have also appeared in festschrifts for Professor Kurt Marquart, Dr. Charles Manske, Dr. Glen Zweck and Bishop Jobst Schoene. In 1999 his "The Doctrine of the Sacraments in the Theology of Johann Gerhard," appeared in Protestant Scholasticism.: Essays in Reassessm
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 17, 2019
I loved it, but I'm a bit biased... I'm the editor. ;-)
April 19, 2024
Great look at so many things that impacted the history of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. So many connections and light bulbs that go off. A wonderful way to make history personal.
November 10, 2019
David Scaer’s memoirs would always be a runner. No question. Not just for an outsider like me, but for anyone interested in the workings of the biggest confessional Lutheran church today. It sure is a insider’s version and I'm so grateful that DS has tabled this – with a little help of his friends as he notes right from the start.
I bought this at the last symposium and got DS to sign it straight away. Now, Ive found the time to read it - and it was worth it. Every cent and dollar.
For someone, who heard from his student colleagues back in the mid eighties, that CTS Ft.Wayne was heaven on earth and that for serious Lutheran theology, you'd better get there, this book is the next best thing to being there myself. Yes, I would have really wanted to continue with doctoral work there, but things didn't work out that way. Who knows, I might have even landed on the wrong side of things. Many did. So it’s probably a good thing to look at this paradise from afar – the promised land is still ahead of us.
DS still knows the old confessional movers and shakers in Germany, although I was surprised, that he mentioned Roensch more than Hoffmann, and Gottfried Wachler – not Gottlieb (! Pg.209) critically. Perhaps, that's partly self-explanatory as DS continually harps on his differences with Kurt Marquart. Wachler on all counts was probably as Old Missourian i.e. CFW Waltherian as Marquart was. Gottfried Hoffmann had also kept us updated on the trans-Atlantic proceedings, because he as thoroughbred “Missiourian” saw global Lutheranism being promoted by the confessional Preus-alliance and its ensuing demise by their detractors as a catastrophe. Thank God, this too has passed – and DS was able to tell the story.
DS also describes the origins of the ILC Seminaries convocation – in Oberursel, Cambridge and then Seoul. My father, Ernst Alfred Wilhelm Weber, under E.Weber (Pg.110) had shared those highlights with us back in South Africa. It was good news that Sasse, Preus and Oesch/Hoffmann found a platform to share confessional orthodoxy – and were no longer silenced in exile. Although these efforts surfaced repeatedly.
I am impressed, by DS’s ability to tell the story without falling into the trap of self-defence and denigrating his detractors – although he obviously was hard done by – false accusations, salary deductions, being side lined from teaching and kept from filling out meaningful positions and even withheld from synodical printing projects. It’s hard to fathom, but admirable to hear, how he kept going on in CTCR, writing, publishing – with others – and going about his calling as he should – even though others tried their very best to keep him out.
In some parts it was really funny, but much less than I had anticipated. I think, that shows how deep the hurt actually went and how serious the battle actually was. I must say, that I am grateful to God, but also to men like DS, who have dedicated their lives, that we confessional Lutherans still have a church to call home – and have not been put out to pasture in the modern Protestant wilderness. DS goes a long way to keep us young horses from whining, but buckle down and take up the fight that is expected of us – our calling and mission. This is a pastoral master-piece written with buckets full of “Herzblut” (heart blood). It goes far to prove, that our Christian lives are not just in words and printers ink, but rather biographical experience under divine providence.
I bought this at the last symposium and got DS to sign it straight away. Now, Ive found the time to read it - and it was worth it. Every cent and dollar.
For someone, who heard from his student colleagues back in the mid eighties, that CTS Ft.Wayne was heaven on earth and that for serious Lutheran theology, you'd better get there, this book is the next best thing to being there myself. Yes, I would have really wanted to continue with doctoral work there, but things didn't work out that way. Who knows, I might have even landed on the wrong side of things. Many did. So it’s probably a good thing to look at this paradise from afar – the promised land is still ahead of us.
DS still knows the old confessional movers and shakers in Germany, although I was surprised, that he mentioned Roensch more than Hoffmann, and Gottfried Wachler – not Gottlieb (! Pg.209) critically. Perhaps, that's partly self-explanatory as DS continually harps on his differences with Kurt Marquart. Wachler on all counts was probably as Old Missourian i.e. CFW Waltherian as Marquart was. Gottfried Hoffmann had also kept us updated on the trans-Atlantic proceedings, because he as thoroughbred “Missiourian” saw global Lutheranism being promoted by the confessional Preus-alliance and its ensuing demise by their detractors as a catastrophe. Thank God, this too has passed – and DS was able to tell the story.
DS also describes the origins of the ILC Seminaries convocation – in Oberursel, Cambridge and then Seoul. My father, Ernst Alfred Wilhelm Weber, under E.Weber (Pg.110) had shared those highlights with us back in South Africa. It was good news that Sasse, Preus and Oesch/Hoffmann found a platform to share confessional orthodoxy – and were no longer silenced in exile. Although these efforts surfaced repeatedly.
I am impressed, by DS’s ability to tell the story without falling into the trap of self-defence and denigrating his detractors – although he obviously was hard done by – false accusations, salary deductions, being side lined from teaching and kept from filling out meaningful positions and even withheld from synodical printing projects. It’s hard to fathom, but admirable to hear, how he kept going on in CTCR, writing, publishing – with others – and going about his calling as he should – even though others tried their very best to keep him out.
In some parts it was really funny, but much less than I had anticipated. I think, that shows how deep the hurt actually went and how serious the battle actually was. I must say, that I am grateful to God, but also to men like DS, who have dedicated their lives, that we confessional Lutherans still have a church to call home – and have not been put out to pasture in the modern Protestant wilderness. DS goes a long way to keep us young horses from whining, but buckle down and take up the fight that is expected of us – our calling and mission. This is a pastoral master-piece written with buckets full of “Herzblut” (heart blood). It goes far to prove, that our Christian lives are not just in words and printers ink, but rather biographical experience under divine providence.
May 22, 2020
As close as I could
I will say that I read this book in as close to one sitting as any man who is in the OHM and has 3 small children.
To have Scaer as a professor is one thing, and an interesting thing at that. To read this book helps make sense of many things. I'm glad he wrote it. I'm glad I read it. And I'm impressed with the graciousness he used when recounting certain events.
Check the Kindle editing though, because an excuse is is repeated.
I will say that I read this book in as close to one sitting as any man who is in the OHM and has 3 small children.
To have Scaer as a professor is one thing, and an interesting thing at that. To read this book helps make sense of many things. I'm glad he wrote it. I'm glad I read it. And I'm impressed with the graciousness he used when recounting certain events.
Check the Kindle editing though, because an excuse is is repeated.
March 13, 2019
If you know the man, this book explains much that has been unsaid. Having sat at Dr. Scaer’s feet for many of my seminary classes, I understand better much of what was going on by knowing the past.
No church body is perfect, but it is a shame that churchmen cannot behave more honorably when power is on the line.
No church body is perfect, but it is a shame that churchmen cannot behave more honorably when power is on the line.
February 4, 2021
The author is a clergyman of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). He served congregations as an ordained pastor but he is best known in ecumenical church circles as a theologian and professor of New Testament and Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, IN. Scaer has had a lengthy, adventuresome, distinguished, and prolific teaching, preaching, and writing vocation. Usually, people would write the word career instead of vocation, but Scaer understands his work as fulfilling a call from God.
These memoirs cover memories of his childhood, marriage to his wife Dorothy, the raising of their children, congregations he has served, and church and theological controversies he has been enmeshed with. Scaer has served as pastor to congregations, professor and academic dean in the seminary, and a member of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
I found his accounting of events fascinating. He has lived through being accused of teaching false doctrine, threat of being removed from his teaching position, a church split through the events of the other seminary in the LCMS in the 70's, a dismissal of a seminary president that he supported, a successor seminary president who wanted to vacate the seminary and sell the seminary property to a neighboring nursing home.
Scaer tells his story from his point of view. They are, after all, his memoirs. He names friends and foes alike.
I personally know and have heard of a number of people that he talks about. I found Scaer's story engaging. In the future, when church historians are trying to understand the phenomenon known as the LCMS and its controversies from the 1950's - 2017, Scaer's memoirs will be consulted.
These memoirs cover memories of his childhood, marriage to his wife Dorothy, the raising of their children, congregations he has served, and church and theological controversies he has been enmeshed with. Scaer has served as pastor to congregations, professor and academic dean in the seminary, and a member of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
I found his accounting of events fascinating. He has lived through being accused of teaching false doctrine, threat of being removed from his teaching position, a church split through the events of the other seminary in the LCMS in the 70's, a dismissal of a seminary president that he supported, a successor seminary president who wanted to vacate the seminary and sell the seminary property to a neighboring nursing home.
Scaer tells his story from his point of view. They are, after all, his memoirs. He names friends and foes alike.
I personally know and have heard of a number of people that he talks about. I found Scaer's story engaging. In the future, when church historians are trying to understand the phenomenon known as the LCMS and its controversies from the 1950's - 2017, Scaer's memoirs will be consulted.
June 15, 2024
While the book provides an incredibly insightful look into the history of CTSFW, it is something of an editorial mess. I respect both Dr. Scaer and Bob Smith, but the manuscript could have used one or two more passes to iron out wrinkles and make it more presentable. Nevertheless, I can’t help the conclusion that it should be recommended reading for those in the synod and in seminary, especially CTSFW.
October 9, 2020
**Winner of the 2019 Concordia Historical Institute Award of Commendation**
December 22, 2024
Dr. Scaer has some well-earned enemies for his stalwart orthodoxy, but yet, he has outlived them, giving hope to the rest of us.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews