A Biography of Adolph Hoenecke with Special Emphasis on the Role He Played in Shaping the Conservative Position of Our Synod

Abstract

Harold Wicke’s essay, A Biography of Adolph Hoenecke with Special Emphasis on the Role He Played in Shaping the Conservative Position of Our Synod, provides a detailed account of Hoenecke’s life and theological influence within the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). Born in 1835 in Brandenburg, Germany, Hoenecke overcame a rationalistic upbringing and, through the mentorship of August Tholuck at Halle University, embraced confessional Lutheran theology. After serving as a tutor in Switzerland, he emigrated to America in 1863 under the Berlin Mission Society and became the first pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Farmington, Wisconsin. Hoenecke’s leadership expanded through editorial work, seminary teaching, and doctrinal writing, culminating in his role as a key architect of WELS’s conservative stance. He championed sola Scriptura, opposed unionism, and guided Synod away from the General Council toward fellowship with Missouri, paving the way for the Synodical Conference. His legacy includes the founding of the Theologische Quartalschrift and his monumental Evangelical Lutheran Dogmatics. Wicke portrays Hoenecke as a theologian shaped by divine providence, whose unwavering commitment to Scripture secured WELS’s confessional integrity. Abstract prepared by Microsoft Copilot (GPT‑4).