Our website: www.justandsinn... This is a talk that I gave at Our Redeemder LCMS in Smithfield, RI for Reformation Day. I discuss trends in the church, and why Lutheranism answers the needs that people have today.
As a "under 30 male" I have to say Orthodox and Catholicism did look attractive to me for a while in this chaotic anxiety filled world but not enough to abandon sola scriptura. Ironically I think part of the attraction of Catholicism and Orthodoxy is a symptom of "modernity" due to the anxiety and relativism so prevalent today
If Lutheranism provided sola scriptura that would be one thing. Yet the church seems to prompt pastors who advocate removing the cross from church in favor of not offending those of other faiths.
I personally joined orthodoxy, because of what you stated. I was tired of American churches. In fact I was pretty angry about it. Then I stumbled on orthodoxy. And my thought process was wow a non Americanized church. It's so different. It must be right. Sadly, I did give up sola scriptura, for the sake of "tradition". It worked for a few years. Until I started to read the Bible again more seriously. And I could no longer justify how much scripture I had to ignore to keep some of their traditions. It was definitely appealing. However, once you take the blinders off, or for me, my hatred for American church, you'll see that different does not mean better. I'm grateful for the experience, but more grateful to learn that the Lutheran Church exists. It's where tradition and scripture meet. Where tradition is filtered by scripture, instead of scripture filtered by tradition. Best of luck on your journey brother
@@markdayton3186 one of the biggest criticisms I've seemed from Orthodox and Catholic thinkers against American evangelicalism is the rampant individualism, but the reformed Church I currently attend has an immense emphasis on community which I've found to be quite refreshing. Although Lutheranism does look very attractive for the reasons you said
Cradle Catholic. I had a profound conversion experience during my senior year of high school after reading St. Augustine’s Confessions. I ended up in college with a burning love for Jesus but completely rudderless and lost theologically. I wandered in desert places for some time but I ended up stumbling upon Luther. Right around the end of my freshman year in college I read the Smalkald Articles online and I was absolutely smitten. I had finally found something I could say was true, lined up with what the scriptures said and had a historical pedigree. It was the defining moment of my adult life to discover Confessional Lutheranism. I proceeded to devour the rest of the Book of Concord and church history, NT Greek, etc. We are a humble movement in the grand stream of Christian history, but we teach the scriptural truth along with a strong appreciation for the catholic heritage handed down from the ages. Lutheranism has great treasures to give the modern world. I often say, Lutheranism is the best kept secret in Christianity.
I can identify with some of your life story as I also was a cradle Catholic who discovered Luther and Lutheranism. I also read Augustine's Confessions, but in my case after I discovered Luther, and was impressed by his conversion. I later read the Book of Concord and agreed with it, except that when I read The Bondage of the Will and discovered that Luther wasn't in agreement with the FC position on single predestination, I became convinced that he was correct and Chemnitz and others were wrong. That's still my belief. I agree with Luther that Scripture teaches that God has from eternity willed, foreknown and predestined everything that takes place, and therefore I can't subscribe unconditionally to the Formula of Concord. I don't accept that the FC with its denial of predestination to hell is representative of genuine Lutheranism. I'm convinced that Luther didn't interpret Article 5 of the Augsburg Confession as teaching the universal operation of the Holy Spirit in the means of grace as this would contradict his position in The Bondage of the Will, which is a book which he always highly valued as one of his best productions. I agree with Luther that Paul in Romans 9 is teaching double predestination. I live in England where Lutheranism is even more unknown than it is in your country. However even if there were confessional Lutheran churches in abundance I would find it impossible to attend one given their opposition to double predestination and their rejection of it as a Calvinist error.
I was definitely attracted to the Orthodox faith and visited a local Serbian Orthodox Church for a Sunday service; I even dragged my wife there. However, I could not entirely get on board because of the sola’s of Protestantism. I’ve talked to a friend who converted to Orthodoxy and he was worried that it was just a trend. There was much in Lutheranism that attracted me; much that had good balanced theology without going either too logical or too mystical while being really consistent with what the Bible said.
For demographics I am a 66 year old white male. I've had post grad education but I am not an intellectual. I've listened to a lot of Dr. Cooper's vids and many are over my head but this is one of the most approachable vids he's done. Much appreciated.
Fresh college grad here. You nailed some points on why I chose to go to a Lutheran church instead of my other options: 1. Has the church tradition, but you can question them if they seem to contradict. 2. Liturgy. I can't take contemporary services and sermons seriously and they don't put me in a pious mood. 3. As a natural skeptic, the theology of the cross gave me an answer on how do I know God prefers anything and what can I know about God? It also doesn't become overly ambitious to give an answer to literally anything beyond what scripture says. A lot of young guys are looking for something that can bring out their full potential and something they can take seriously. Also thanks for writing your book Baptized Into Christ. It was my intro to Lutheran theology and helped me feel comfortable with getting baptized since I felt like I knew what I was signing up for better.
Background: I haven’t yet left my Baptist church, but am wholly a paedobaptist at this point. Comment: the answer/monologue to the communion frequency / rituals question hit so close to home. The Baptist attitude towards “rituals” was the Baptist thing I began to seriously doubt. You have knocked me off the fence here. Very persuasive & I’m convinced
Great presentation,You look good brother Christ our Lord And Cornell should be very glad.I got accepted to Cornell way back, so long ago 3 days of exams my friend Dr.Fred Pfaff jr. A grad there passed away aT 33. It was so long ago.the yr.they dropped Basket ball ,that's a ways back.. there is Glory in our Lord And great Comforter..Amen
The reformed doctrine of predestination where God chooses only certain people to save whilst passing over others who are consequently predestined to be damned is the doctrine that Luther taught in The Bondage of the Will. He argued that this is the teaching of Scripture particularly of Romans 9. However he rejected that Christ atoned only for the sins of the elect and held that Christ's atonement is universal in scope. Luther's position was that true doctrine must be maintained because it's the only way to be saved and that if doctrine is compromised in any way by false doctrine it all becomes useless for salvation as Paul taught. (Galatians 5:9). I agree, which is why I oppose the Formula of Concord's rejection of double predestination. The idea that predestination is only a single predestination to salvation is both unscriptural and illogical. Scripture and logic teach that God is omnipotent and has willed, foreknown and predestined everything that happens as Luther explained is the case. It's tragic that those who claim to be Lutherans have rejected the truth on God's sovereignty and have been deceived by false doctrine.
Before converting to Anglicanism in my late 30s, I was Catholic, and in my youth I was very much a Latin Mass guy. One reason to be in that camp, which I think you missed in your analysis, is purely aesthetic, or literary in a way. As a rule, it takes a poet of no mean talent to translate poetry well; and liturgy is poetry of sorts. So if you are a poetry nerd (which not so few young people are), the modern translations of the Latin liturgy often sound mechanistic to you ear; and it does not help that the translation commissions are usually packed with anyone but poets. Add to this the arrogance of a young academically gifted mind ("how hard can it be to learn a bit of Latin?!") and there you go. Cranmer had his drawbacks for sure, but he had an ear and a hand for liturgical language; and the creativity with which he approached his material, effectively producing something both rooted in centuries of tradition and altogether new, recognizable, and lovable in its own right, is a testimony to the complexity of the task.
As a cradle Catholic, I longed for the Latin mass until I finally experienced it and found it off putting-even the sound of spoken Latin felt cold, harsh, and, well, imperial! I’ve been tempted by Orthodoxy primarily for the liturgy, but thankfully I stumbled upon High Church Anglicanism. Cranmer’s cadences, the Daily Office, ad orientem liturgy, solid Reformation theology, a Benedictine spirituality for everyman-if I hadn’t found this, I’d definitely be Lutheran. I mean I’m already Lutheran on the Supper anyway-which, as an Anglican, rumor has it is allowable.
I am in a similar place denominationally: my theology is probably closer to Lutheran than to anything else, but I like how it all fits into Anglicanism.
@@AntonBryl I appreciate the precision of both Lutheran and Reformed theology. As an Anglican, I also appreciate that I can be more or less committed to either one and still participate comfortably in the sacramental life of the church. English pragmatism does have some upsides.
LOL! 😂 I'll be 70 in a month. What does that say about me? I may not be searching for personal answers to the degree I was when younger. But our culture has lost its way and, regardless of age, we're all affected. I know many people my age who are giving up on their faith, since they feel it's not relevant to them or society anymore.
Unfortunately, because I know modern church history, I can see how communism comandeered the Orthodox church (which looks a lot like ours today right before they had to head underground) and from the past... the Catholic church's failings in the medieval era. None of those completely discredit those churches but suddenly the Nazi's and the Communist comandeer the protestant churches and they are all suddenly void? I am drawn to Orthodoxy but I cannot base it on the communist comandeering the churches alone.
I agree that we dont do a good job of letting ourselves be known. I've noticed that over the years people will see that the early church believed in Real Presence and Baptismal regeneration they automatically go to Rome or Orthodoxy.. they skip right past Lutheranism..it's a sad reality
Converted from agnostic first, non-denom, then gotil into calvinism through RC Sproul and Driscoll lol.. then reformed.. then I discovered Lutheran theology. It resonated with me. I have not turned back. I agree it is exactly what we need today. I'd note that Driscoll is part of the downfall of the New Calvinism. The problem with the new calvinism is it has little grounding in history, barely any tradtion and no confession to hold it together.
Ha 62 year old female here and the only other one I personally know that listens to you is a 60 something male Pastor, are you sure they have your demographic information correct? I'm thinking prince of the power of the air.
I'm an 18 year old male and I listen to Cooper. I know some other guys who do too. Maybe as a 62 year old woman, you're just not talking to a bunch of 18 year old Lutheran converts lol. But the demographic data he's citing is absolutely true. He has access to his channel demographics you know.
I'm not sure where this is coming from, but I'm 21 and listening quite often. I appreciate Dr. Cooper's work, and I hope you would not be so quick to cite demonic influence in great Christian pastors.
@@BiblicallyDestiny hmmm well sorry to offend but I do think electronic info is manipulated by him, English Standard Version "We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." I am not sure what you have learned but being a great Christian Pastor does not make you immune to the enemy quite the opposite just study Job, Paul and even Martin Luther himself it is precisely that very reason (Dr Cooper being very good at interpretating scripture and communicating well) that I look for how the enemy will through a spanner in the works I am not saying anything negative about Dr Cooper he is doing a real good job 💯😇🥰
@@kale1410 I definitely am not I do read the comments and many of the comment makers articulate in a manner that seems older mostly by there references.
RU-vid and other social media sites gather a lot of information on their users including age, sex, and geographic region. RU-vid makes some of this info available to creators allowing Dr. Cooper to know what his average viewer is like.
I am Eastern Orthodox (former Southern Baptist, former Roman Catholic) and I believe that Dr Cooper does understand Eastern Orthodoxy insofar is anyone who has not been immersed in the face for years. He makes a very valid critique of some Orthodoxy defenders that I have been saying to my fellow Orthodox for years. To say that the church Fathers were in agreement from the beginning is factually untrue and easily proven. In fact they could not even get past the first century without hissing and spitting in all kinds of cat fights going on! However, I believe that what has stood the test of time and come down to us to the present day is that which is true. Some of us in Orthodoxy make a distinction between Big T Tradition and little t tradition. Big T is that which is necessary to the faith, little t is that which enriches and clarifies the faith that is not forbidden in scripture.. True, as an Eastern Orthodox communicate some of what Dr Cooper said in this talk irritated the dickens out of me spot on the hole that did not detract my enjoyment of his talk. I will say that I was disappointed to hear that he had visited Orthodox services and the main issue was that he did not hear Jesus in the service. That has not been my experience, especially when attending Pascha Services (Easter), during which the main hymn sung incessantly throughout the service is " Christ is Risen from the dead trampling down death by death and upon those in the tombs bestowing Life!" And I do agree with him that if you come to Eastern Orthodox services and all that you can comprehend is its beauty pale on you. You must comprehend the message being transmitted by the beauty in order for you to have found a home. Dr Cooper although I have said that from time to time you really irritate me, however I truly believe you have a wonderful ministry and may God continue to bless you and your ministry.. Tikhon (I am unable to proofread this post but hopefully it is at least marginally intelligible)
This is what I think when I think of the RC Matthew 23 1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 "Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries [1] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them `Rabbi.' 8 "But you are not to be called `Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth `father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called `teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.
@@Jaden.mp3 not gonna be my efforts - the Holy Spirit has a claim on the Baptized regenerate. Does anybody notice this Minister’s tick whenever he mentions Orthodoxy and then Catholicism - he always does a kind of verbal stutter step - bit of a tick. Very telling. I get it though - why Ignatius or Francis De Sales when you could . . . MARTIN LUTHER?!?!? Bigamy was a trend - pride is a trend - God has use for him though, and I pray for his soul.
In any event - Merry Christmas to my beloved Lutheran separated brethren - we have so much in common - which I think is providential, and your continuation of the great deal that was good in Luther and in liturgical worship is going to play a role in softening the hearts of prideful rebels and resentful loyalists (to Christ and his Bride) alike. Just remember: we must be one, and, as a historical, ecclesiastical and doctrinal matter, the Church Nazarene Godman founded can’t “come back” to the groups the Naz - I mean - non-Jesus defrocked sinner tried and failed to found.
Your misrepresentation of Catholicism is starting to lack a plausible defense of ignorance. @Reason&Theology should watch and comment. Read the Fathers in whole - nobody could say they all agree or teach fully developed doctrine - you’re not getting it - but you’re too smart to plead not guilty on the shorthand. Also - Per my stutter step comment below “Eastern *Orthodoxy* and Rome” the Holy Spirit is living rent free, brother. Forensic penal substitutionary atonement is not a way around black and white. We remain dung under Luther’s heresy - it’s a dung gets called snow, but it’s a trick m’thinks! And we the sinner doesn’t get better while remaining a sinner - just a paper work trick!
I get the reasons for being upset, but let’s keep those punches a little higher before they go below the belt. There’s a lot to respect from Orthodoxy and Catholicism. I’ve spent the past year listening to days worth of content on those two doctrines, including Reason&Theology. They do some dam good work. Regardless, there simply isn’t enough space in a comments section to discuss the Swiss cheese aspects of Catholicism nor what you may perceive as lacking in Lutheranism (LCMS and the likes, not ELCA, ELCA is more instep with the guy commenting on Zoroastrianism). I’m looking into Lutheranism and it’s been rewarding. Might have found my doctrinal home at last. Merry Christmas 🎁
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people- 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler-not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church[b] whom you are to judge? 13 God judges[c] those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” The Catholic Church moved priest around gave all their compassion to their priest and none to child and continue to put other children in harms way. This came from on high so it wasn’t isolated it was systemic, not to mention all the homosexual priest 1200 page report and orgies at the Vatican.
No, the world needs to readdress the religions that Christianity largely copted and diminished, namely Zoroastrianism, Christianity's daddy, and the other ancient Indo European religions. We need a reformation but it isn't "Judeo Christian." Have a kule Yule and a happy Yalda.
Thanks for making me aware of Zoroastrianism, never heard of it before. I kinda have in someways actually, but I think I’ll stick to Christianity. I’d encourage others to do the same.
@@IvanGonzalez-mp4xh Christianity is related to Zoroastrianism. Those three wise men in the Nativity, are Zoroastrian priests, Magi. It was the main religion in the area before the time of Jesus and Romans, it influenced Judaism as well and Jesus, if real, would have been a Nazarene, a sect of Jews heavily influenced by Zoroastrianism notions of a coming savior and a coming apocalypse. In my view God is much bigger than any religion so I wish you well in however you find the divine in Life.
The problem with people like you is you spout half truths with such arrogance that it just ends up causing confusion. If anything takes away from Jesus as son of God and savior of mankind it's from the enemy.
@@dave1370 The truth is an ultimate virtue. Any religion that demands one lie to comply or converts by the sword is not the truth. On Jesus stories specifically you can find the story of Zarathustra being tempted by the proto devil "Angra Mainyu", who offers him the world and the sage rejects him. This is only one example of syncretism, with the older monotheism, in Judaism and Christianity. That's the truth. Don't forget the Magi in your Nativity and have a good Saturnalia.
