Description
Book SynopsisIn Pursuit of Religious Freedom is the story of Martin Stephan, a religious leader whose life was filled with both personal and spiritual crises. Born into a family whose fifteenth_and sixteenth_century ancestors twice fled their homes due to religious persecution, Stephan was orphaned as a teenager and he too was forced to flee his homeland when the family was discovered to be underground Lutherans. He eventually settled in Germany, where he was educated and ordained, and developed a successful ministry in Dresden. Although his reputation for preaching and compassionate counseling increased, Stephan began to be targeted by various groups: other pastors, parishioners, and the state-run church. He was charged with improper teaching, embezzlement, inappropriate socializing, and even sexual misconduct. Eventually, Stephan led the 1838 Saxon Emigration to Missouri. After a difficult journey, the seven hundred Lutherans he took with him found establishing their new home even harder. Disputes over money, authority, and style peaked within six months, until Stephan was exiled at gunpoint. He settled in Illinois, where he built up a new ministry and served until his death in 1846. His burial plaque calls him ''the first Lutheran in America.''
Trade ReviewThis is a fascinating book. It challenges standard assumptions about Martin Stephan by inviting the reader to consider his vision as well as his personal behavior. In doing so, it raises the continuing specter in so-called mainline denominations—namely that when faced with a fresh approach to faith, we fall into the abyss of personal credibility rather than engage in serious conversation about structures and images of faith. -- Thomas M. Carson, United Church of Christ Clergy, Retired
Displays a tremendous amount of research, including travel to the important sites in the life of Stephan. * Christian News, January 2009 *
The story of the beginning of the 'Missouri Synod' and its first leader deserves a renewed look simply because that church is the second largest Lutheran church body in America. Philip Stephan, the great-great-grandson of Martin Stephan, gives us that look through the lens of his great-great-grandfather's life and work. . . . In this book Philip Stephan attempts to set the record straight by delving into the theological, social, ethnic and family background of his forebear. It is a contextual narrative that he presents. The author does not gloss over the moral weaknesses of Martin, nor is he defensive about them. On the other hand, his research has brought out heretofore unknown (or at least unpublicized) life and theology. -- Rev. Arthur Preisinger
Accessible and readable account of Martin Stephan and his ministry. * Lutheran Quarterly *
Table of ContentsPart 1 Foreword Part 2 Preface Part 3 Introduction Part 4 Part One: Sunrise Chapter 5 Chapter One: Landing in the New World Chapter 6 Chapter Two: Saxon Emigration Society Origins Chapter 7 Chapter Three: Ancestral Roots and the Reformation Chapter 8 Chapter Four: Stephan's and the Underground Church Chapter 9 Chapter Five: The University Years Part 10 Part Two: Sunshine and Growth Chapter 11 Chapter Six: Martin's Family and Early Ministry Chapter 12 Chapter Seven: Martin as a Preacher Chapter 13 Chapter Eight: Martin as a Pastoral Counselor Chapter 14 Chapter Nine: Martin as a Defender of the Faith Part 15 Part Three: Noon Heat and Conflict Chapter 16 Chapter Ten: Condition of the German Lutheran Church Chapter 17 Chapter Eleven: Disputes with the Saxon State Church Chapter 18 Chapter Twelve: Legal Charges—1837 Chapter 19 Chapter Thirteen: More Legal Charges and House Arrest—1838 Part 20 Part Four: Exodus Chapter 21 Chapter Fourteen: Final Preparations Chapter 22 Chapter Fifteen: Farewell and Delay Chapter 23 Chapter Sixteen: Journey at Sea Part 24 Part Five: Arrival in America Chapter 25 Chapter Seventeen: Establishing Governance Chapter 26 Chapter Eighteen: Dissension Grows Chapter 27 Chapter Nineteen: Settling In Chapter 28 Chapter Twenty: Establishing a New Home Chapter 29 Chapter Twenty-one: Reprise by the American Press Part 30 Part Six: Deposing a Bishop Chapter 31 Chapter Twenty-two: Rogate Sunday Sermon Chapter 32 Chapter Twenty-three: Pastors Plan the Deposition Chapter 33 Chapter Twenty-four: The Deposition Process Chapter 34 Chapter Twenty-five: The Colony Struggles Chapter 35 Chapter Twenty-six: C.F.W. Walther's Leadership Emerges Part 36 Part Seven: Sunset Chapter 37 Chapter Twenty-seven: The Bishop's Family in Germany Chapter 38 Chapter Twenty-eight: Stephan in Exile Chapter 39 Chapter Twenty-nine: Martin in his Own Words Chapter 40 Chapter Thirty: Justice Delayed Chapter 41 Chapter Thirty-one: Stephan's Last Days Part 42 Part Eight: Afterglow Chapter 43 Chapter Thirty-two: View from the Twenty-first Century Chapter 44 Chapter Thirty-three: Bishop Martin Stephan's Legacy
