“Moving Forward in Faith”

Rev. Dr. Philip D. W. Krey

The 5th anniversary of the Luther Rose Lectures welcomes keynote speaker the Rev. Dr. Philip D. W. Krey. He is a renowned speaker with a special interest in the history of the interpretation and spirituality of the Bible in the early and medieval church, including the Reformation. Each of the two lectures will focus on historical grounding as well as contemporary relevance. Today’s church must always be reforming. 

Dr. Krey has authored 15 non-fiction books, was the past president of ELCA Philadelphia Seminary (1999-2014) and presently serves as senior pastor to St. Andrews Lutheran Church, Perkasie, PA. 

Lecture #1: Luther's Spiritual Disciplines as Resources for Today

There is little agreement among scholars about the timing of Martin Luther’s “breakthrough, reorientation, turning point, or rebirth” as it is called variously among Luther scholars. I will attempt to argue in support of those who see a gradual transition from the rigorous late-medieval monk and scholar to the reforming champion of justification by faith through grace and other proposals for the church catholic and society in 1520 and following. By using examples of his spiritual writings throughout his career, in this presentation I will attempt to support scholars who do not look for a radical break in Luther’s spirituality or a discontinuity between the spirituality of the reforming monk and the Reformer.

Lecture #2. The Protesting Catholic Luther as a Model for Twenty-First Century American Lutherans. 

As we prepared for and observed the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, many of us welcomed the way Lutherans and Roman Catholics were observing the Reformation together and in two publications, The Catholic Luther (Paulist Press, 2016) and Reformation Observances 1517-2017 (Wipf and Stock, 2017), I highlighted that Luther is increasingly seen as a Doctor of the Church by Roman Catholic leaders. How do we balance the evangelical, protesting Luther with the catholic Luther? 

If Martin Luther was a part of a long-standing history of reform in the church catholic, then we are part of a tradition that must always be reforming. Where in our own Lutheran church should we look for places that need reform and how does Luther serve as a model for us? With a careful analysis of Luther’s commentaries on Psalm 82 and 117, we will look at Luther’s call to reform the office of bishop/pastor in relationship to the church, state, the world, and especially the poor. We will ask what that means for our reforming a church in a world that is growing increasingly nationalistic, hostile to the poor, and destructive of the very creation God has asked us to steward.