“Arthur Carl Piepkorn, Prophet?” Piepkorn did not claim to be a prophet since, as he obviously enjoyed saying, he “was not the seventh son of a seventh son.” This article looks at an article he published in 1937 that, if not prophetic, was remarkably prescient of the problems facing the Church today. To cite just one example: In referring to what he calls “the collapse of conservatism” he says the formula is:
“First the demand for toleration, then the demand for equal rights, finally the use of the eccclesiastical machinery for the disfranchisement and suppression of the dissident orthodox minority.” 1650 words.

Thanks to Carl Anton for the donation of a complete set of the American edition of Luther’s Works! Piepkorn usually cited the Weimar edition and did much of his writing before the American edition came out. This set will enable me to provide cross references to the American edition.

Links to Piepkorn writings have now been posted 
on the “Links to Downloadable/Printable Files” page to the following:”Christ Today: His Presence in the Sacraments,” Lutheran World, 1963. Also in The Church, 1993. 
The Conduct of the Service, revised 1965 edition 
The Survival of the Historic Vestments in the Lutheran Church after 1555 second edition, 1958.

“The Gospel and All Its Articles” was printed in the Fall 2005 issue of Lutheran Forum. Ronald Bagnall should be commended for his efforts to convert its Chicago Style Manual footnotes to the LF style. I am receiving a lot of positive reactions to the article on a MS blog and by email. I will email a slightly revised 9-11-05 version (done after the earlier version was at the printers) to anyone who requests it from me at xxpseckerxx@xsnet.net (remove the x’s). I will also post this version on this website at some point. More below.

Did you know that Piepkorn recommended an informal worship service for what we would call “seekers”? It was a separate service, not the regular service, with Holy Communion, for members. More on this is on the “Worship” page.

“The Gospel and All Its Articles” is in the Fall 2005 issue of Lutheran Forum. One peer reviewer calls it “a watershed article” that contains “a very, very important discovery.” A Missouri Synod District President calls it “a great bombshell.” A retired LSTC professor calls it a “fine article” and recommends people read it. A scond calls it a “very compelling essay.” A third says it is “good” article. A Lutheran University professor of note calls it a “nice article.”

“The Third Temptation” — St. Matthew 4:8-11 
This remarkably relevant sermon from 1968 on ecumenics was printed in Lutheran Forum, 39 (Easter/Spring 2005), pp. 9-11. Digitized by Philip and Karna Secker. Errata: P. 10, Col. A, 10th line from the bottom should read: “The temptation lies in absolutizing ….” In the 11th line of Col. B “face” should, of course, be “fact.”

An article about Piepkorn’s understanding of surd evil (tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.) was printed in the March 2005 issue of the Forum Letter. (There is a “dam” typo in the article–sorry!) The article is posted in its original form on the “Printable Files” page. See also the Tsunamis and Surd Evil page. For Lutheran Forum/Forum Letter subscription information click on “Lutheran Forum” below. If you call Donna at ALPB she may let you begin your subscription two issues back so you can get earlier articles about Piepkorn.