LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 153

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THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS 153

2. Renunciation of unionism and syncretism of every descrip-
tion, such as:

a. Serving congregations of mixed confession, as such, by
ministers of the church;

b. Taking part in the services and sacramental rites of hetero-
dox congregations or of congregations of mixed confes-
sion;

c. Participating in heterodox tract and missionary activities.

The varying interpretations of the paragraph and the differing
definitions of what constitutes “unionism” and “syncretism” have
caused destructive conflict for our Synod and harmed the Gospel
ministry of many of its congregations, pastors, teachers, professors,
district presidents, and service organizations. Whatever its good in-
tent may have been in the past, this section of the Constitution has
now become a tool for creating distrust, difficulties, and dysfunc-
tion for congregations, professional church works, districts, and the
Synod itself. Congregations, professional church workers, districts,
and the Synod itself can be trusted to use prudent judgment under
Article II (Confession) and Art. III (Objectives), especially para-
graph 1, which reads: “Conserve and promote the unity of the true
faith [Eph. 4:3-6; 1 Cor. 1:10], work through its official structure
toward fellowship with other Christian church bodies, and provide
a united defense against schism, sectarianism [Rom. 16:17], and
heresy” and to act in responsible manner to give good witness to
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Resolved, That concerns about unionism—a term based on the
Prussian Union of 1817 that brought together Lutherans and
Calvinists at the Lord’s Table without sufficient doctrinal agree-
ment—be restudied in light of agreements on Christ’s sacramental
presence that have been reached through recent interconfessional
dialogues between Lutherans and other Christians; and be it fur-
ther

Resolved, That concerns about syncretism be restudied with ref-
erence to the Synod guidelines, “Cases of Discretion,” in the report
of the CTCR, R3-01, Convention Workbook, 2001, pp. 50-51; and
be it finally

Resolved, That paragraph 2 dealing with unionism and syn-
cretism of Article VI be amended by deletion according to provi-
sions for amending the Synod’s Constitution therein prescribed.

Resurrection
Coronado, CA

3-19

To Adopt Statement on Syncretism

WHEREAS, The LCMS Constitution and Bylaws require that a
doctrinal statement be submitted to the district in convention so that
it may be reviewed and approved and then sent through the proper
channels to be considered for approval the next time the Synod
meets in convention (Bylaw 1.6.2). This statement is being sub-
mitted in the hope that it “may be adopted for the information,
counsel, and guidance of the membership” (1.6.2 [a]); therefore be
it

Resolved, That the following statement and canons be submitted
to the Indiana District in convention in June 2006 for review, ap-
proval and submission to the 2007 LCMS convention in the hopes
that it may be “adopted for the information, counsel, and guidance
of the membership” (1.6.2 [a]).

Avoiding Syncretism

Syncretism is here defined as a union between Christian and
non-Christian faiths. Such union is most frequently identified in the
context of worship activities. Syncretism is also used at times as a
synonym for unionism, which is the joining together of different
Christian faiths, thus compromising doctrine.

If the Trinity is denied, then one ceases to have the true God. If
one does not have the true God then one is not saved, and con-
versely if one is not saved then he/she does not have the true God.
Thus the Athanasian Creed begins, “Whosoever will be saved, be-
fore all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which

faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled without doubt
he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic! faith is this, that we
worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity.” The doctrine of
the Trinity is neither incidental nor accidental, but it is essential to
the Gospel. The Holy Trinity is the one and only God to be wor-
shiped. Though we as Christians may speak of worshiping the Fa-
ther at one time and of worshiping the Son at another time and of
worshiping the Holy Spirit at another time, yet at each of these
times the doctrine of the Trinity is implicit and remains essential.
The triune God is God.

There is a natural knowledge of God. From this natural knowl-
edge pagans may possess a blurred understanding of God as they
perceive His design and law (Rom. 1:20; 2:14, 15). From observing
design and law, non-Christians can truly perceive a god, and since
there is but one God, it can be said that their vision of a god is a
blurred vision of the true God. Without Christ, such a blurred vi-
sion always results in idolatry. Similarly, without the Holy Spirit,
such a blurred vision always results in idolatry. Without Christ,
there is no salvation or mediation between God and man, and thus
there can be no worship of God. Without the Holy Spirit, there is
no revelation or saving faith in the true God. Without Christ or the
Holy Spirit there is no Trinity. The result is that the worship of the
blurred god perceived from nature (design and law) is always idol-
atry. The blurred god is essentially an idol; it is not merely a stage
in coming to know the true God (see attached canons). Though this
is true, it cannot be denied that the pagan’s natural knowledge of
God can prudently be used as a beginning for evangelism. In such
evangelism we do not want to insult non-Christians, but we desire
to speak the truth in love. However such pagan belief should never
be condoned or placed anywhere near the worship of the Holy
Trinity.

Worship of God (or a god) involves communion with Him.
Such communion is expressed particularly through four elements
that can be found together or separate:? (1) Most frequently, prayer
is integral to such communion. Here a deity is identified and/or his
name is invoked; (2) Communion with a god is found when there is
participation in a sacred meal; (3) The communing of worshipers
frequently involves the public reading and/or explanation of a sa-
cred text; (4) Communion with God (or a god) is usually led by a
recognized cleric or religious representative. This leadership often
differentiates public worship from private/personal communion
with God (or a god).3 The first two communion elements are the
most foundational and ancient when considering the worship of a
god.

Syncretism is when any of these four Christian communion el-
ements are allowed to stand with pagan communion elements. We
here define Christian and non-Christian elements to stand with each
other when they are in the same setting, with the same status ac-
corded to them.‘

A person who watches or listens or eats in relation to worship
activity we here define as an observer. The Christian pastor must
always question what observers perceive, not necessarily what
might be intended. If a pastor’s actions or words give credence to
another god, creating the impression that such a god is a valid deity,
that pastor has performed a most serious evil. (Consider the sin of
Balaam, Num. 31:16.)

When a Christian pastor stands with a pagan leader in prayer, or
stands with a pagan leader in eating a sacred meal, or stands with a
pagan leader in reading/explaining a sacred text, the god of that
pagan leader is validated; that god is given, at the very least, tacit
approval for an observer. Because an observer can be misled to
validate a god other than the Holy Trinity, such communion must
be absolutely avoided.

When an observer has had another god validated and he/she
then trusts that god, that observer either has become polytheistic
(holding to the validity of more than one god, perhaps including
the true God as one of these), or that observer has totally moved
from believing in the true God to believing in another god.° Either
way, that observer has lost his/her eternal salvation, as the
Athanasian Creed rightly declares. Such an observer can begin ei-
ther as a Christian, whose faith is then destroyed, or as a pagan, in
which case he/she remains in paganism.