Hirtenbrief

Abstract

This translated edition of Johannes Andreas August Grabau’s 1840 “Hirtenbrief” offers a foundational document in the history of American Lutheranism, particularly in the context of ecclesiastical order and pastoral authority. Written in response to lay-led worship among German Lutheran immigrants in Wisconsin, Grabau’s letter emphasizes the necessity of a proper divine call (rite vocatus) for administering Word and Sacrament. Drawing from the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles, and traditional Lutheran Kirchenordnungen, Grabau outlines the theological and procedural requirements for ordination and pastoral ministry. His insistence on doctrinal purity and ecclesiastical structure sparked decades of controversy, especially with the Missouri Synod, culminating in a synodical split. This translation, accompanied by historical context and commentary, provides valuable insight into early Lutheran church polity in America and the tensions between confessional fidelity and frontier pragmatism. —Abstract prepared by Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4)