Review Essay: Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche, Evangelisch-Lutherisches Kirchengesangbuch (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2021).

This essay is also available in German - auf Deutsch.

The sister church of the LCMS in Germany is the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche, SELK). They have a new hymnal, entitled Evangelisch-Lutherisches Kirchengesangbuch [“Evangelical Lutheran Church Hymnal”], which is abbreviated ELKG2, to distinguish it from their excellent hymnal of the same name from 1987 (abbreivated ELKG1) (1). The new hymnal is available from the German Bible Society for a very reasonable price (https://www.die-bibel.de/shop/SELK-Gesangbuch/). For a liturgical church, the hymnal is probably its most prominent statement of faith. It is the book from which the next few generations will learn and confess their Christian faith. As Prosper of Aquitaine averred, “Let the rule of prayer lay down the rule of faith” (Lex supplicandi statuat legem credendi) (2), which reminds us of the close connection between the faith that is confessed liturgically and the faith by which people believe unto salvation. Therefore whenever a new hymnal appears, a careful consideration of its contents is called for, to ascertain the faith confessed thereby and to rejoice in the unity of faith if it is found therein.

External form: Regarding language, the German of new book avoids Latinate words, preferring words of German origin (e.g., “lebt und herrscht,” p. 470, instead of the older “lebt und regiert”). Many hymns, especially recent hymns and hymns of anglophone origin, are included with alternate English stanzas. Occasionally Latin stanzas or antiphons are included. The size of the new book is significantly larger (1820 pages vs. 1296 for the 1987 hymnal; 12cm x 18cm as opposed to 10.4cm x 16.4cm in 1987). The accent color is now blue instead of red. Instead of rubrics (red-printed instructions), we now have what I call “bluebrics.” Blue section pages divide the book and make it easier to turn to any of its nineteen sections. The book has a sturdy sewn binding, featuring a blue cover with a new logo. The logo is an abstract cross made up of irregular geometric shapes, which is nowhere explained in the book. The website selk-gesangbuch.de explains that besides the cross form, the geometric shapes do not have any particular meaning. They could be interpreted variously, perhaps as “the unity of Christ and His congregation,” or “the gifts of the Spirit in the body of Christ,” or “the variety of elements needed for forming worship and personal faith.” In my opinion, ambiguity, variety, and diversity characterize not just the logo of the new hymnal, but also its contents.

The Chief Divine Service: ELKG2 presents more musical options than ELKG1 had. The old hymnal had many variants within only one order of Holy Communion. ELKG2 has two “forms” of the service of the Holy Supper. Order 1 is the traditional service of Holy Communion as is known to LCMS readers from LSB Divine Service setting 3. The new general confession of sins (Rüstgebet) confesses lovelessness and temptation, but not that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, as the old confession did. It also omits any mention of our sinful nature (p. 21). Order 2 of the Divine Service with the Holy Supper is the novus ordo, known to LCMS Lutherans from LSB Divine Service settings 1 and 2. The main features here are: no introit, but instead, Psalmody after the Old Testament reading (pp. 36–39). In this order there is an optional epiklese (prayer for the Holy Spirit), an acclamation, anamnese (commemoration of salvation), and a sharing of the greeting of peace among the congregants (pp. 40–43). Noteably, “Order 2” is the same as the order of service in the Evangelisches Gesangbuch (EG) for the mainline territorial churches of Bavaria and Thüringia (3).

 One of the most problematic aspects of the new hymnal is in the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds. SELK congregations now may use the 1971 “altered version” of these creeds—the version altered by the LWF mainline territorial churches. The LWF churches changed the words “niedergefahren zur Hölle” [“descended to hell”] to “hinabgestiegen in das Reich des Todes” [“went down to the realm of death”]. A footnote gives a gloss: “Gemeint ist ein Ort (endgültiger) Gottesferne” [“What is meant is a place of (final, definitive) distance from God”]. The same ambiguous note glosses also the unaltered creed. Even the gloss is a problem. Hell certainly should not be described as a place where the infinite, omnipresent God is absent or distant. What makes hell bad is not God’s absence, but His vindictive presence (Matt. 10:28; cf. Ps. 139:8). The altered version of the Apostles’ Creed also adopts the phrase “Gemeinschaft der Heiligen” [“communion of saints”] as the translation of “communionem sanctorum,” which, while it is in line with the LCMS translation of the creeds, still contradicts Luther in LC II 49. Here again the gloss appears erroneous to me. Luther’s “Gemeine der Heiligen” meant an “assembly of holy people,” not “die ‘all-gemeine Kirche’” [“the universal church”]. And while Luther was aware that communio sanctorum was thought by some to mean “fellowship in the holy things” (i.e., the means of grace, or the Body and Blood of Christ in the Lord’s Supper specifically), he did not think this was the literal meaning of the words (LC II 49–51). Again, the altered version of the Nicene Creed departs from the wording of the Latin tradition and from the Book of Concord, and adopts  the first person plural: “Wir glauben” [“We believe”] instead of “Ich glaube” [“I believe”].

The alternative creeds raise questions. Why would the SELK want to allow its congregations to avoid confessing FC XI and Christ’s descent into the real hell? Are so-called “ecumenical” versions of texts shared with the heretical LWF churches a good enough reason to make the Church’s confession of the descent into hell ambiguous? Why would this be set forth for the SELK to use now, when for a previous generation of the SELK the “alternative” creeds were not approved for use, and when previously their errors had been demonstrated (4)?

Confession and absolution: The tradition of corporate confession and absolution is rich in the SELK. The new hymnal preserves this rich tradition, and LCMS pastors should take note. Corporate confession and absolution is set forth as its own service, normally with multiple hymns, Psalms, and a sermon. The main proposed option is for the absolution to be given individually at the altar under the imposition of hands. A general absolution is also permitted, but not foreseen as being usual. The order for individual confession and absolution is similar to the one in LSB, but omits our lengthy paragraph spoken by the penitent. In ELKG2 the penitent does not have to say, “I have not let His love have its way with me.” The prayer section includes a confession mirror (“Beichtspiegel”), with questions organized according to the Decalog to aid in self-examination before confession. Noteably, the themes of chastity and fornication are missing under the Sixth Commandment (5).

Lectionary: The lectionary in the new hymnal is mostly the same as in the old hymnal. The only lectionary offered is a one-year lectionary, in which the Gospel readings are usually the same as in LSB’s one-year series. However, ELKG2 often does not have the historic Epistles and Introits. The substitutes seem designed to match the theme of the Gospel reading. (Contrast this with LSB, where the historic Gospel, Epistle, and Introit are present, and the Old Testament reading is matched to the Gospel reading.) The new book usually gives only one set of readings, whereas the old hymnal, like the LSB one-year series, sometimes gives both the historic reading and an alternative. The new book sometimes omits the historic reading altogether. For example, on Trinity 14, the historic Epistle is Gal. 5:16–24 (sturdy paraenesis). The new book replaces this with Rom. 8:14–17, leaving out vv. 12–13 (which the old hymnal included), which effectually removes the apostolic threat of death to those who live according to the flesh. Another noteable change in the church year is at Trinity 10 (proper no. 56), where the new book removes Luke 19:41–48 (Jesus’ prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem) and puts in its place Mark 12:28–34, making the Sunday “Israelsonntag: Kirche und Israel” [“Israel Sunday: Church and Israel”], which indicates the opposite of what St. Paul teaches, that the Christian Church is the true Israel of God, but which fits well with interreligious dialogue between mainline LWF Lutherans and Jews. Here the SELK is following the lead of the mainline territorial churches, which have gotten rid of the traditional Tenth Sunday after Trinity and turned it into “Israel Sunday.” As an alternative, the new book offers proper no. 57, which has the Luke 19 Gospel of the destruction of Jerusalem. Thus, different theologies are nested side-by-side in the lectionary, from which pastors and congregations can take their pick.

A new day of repentance with full propers is provided for January 27: “Tag des Gedenkens an die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus” [“Day of Remembrance of the Victims of National Socialism”] (367–368, no. 79). The special services for Holy Week and Easter are in the pew book. Maundy Thursday permits the pastor to perform foot-washing.  

Hymns: The old hymnal usually gives only one option for the hymn of the day, almost always a classic Lutheran hymn from the 16th or 17th century. The new book nearly always gives a choice of two hymns, one of which is usually modern or of non-Lutheran provenance. The hymns in each section begin normally with the ancient or Reformation-era hymns and then are followed by later, more modern hymns, century by century. There are 700 hymns (compared to 561 in the old hymnal); 19 by Luther (compared to 35); 4 by Melanchthon (compared to 6); 39 by Paul Gerhardt (compared to 40); 14 by Nikolaus Herman (compared to 12); 12 by Johann Heermann (compared to 16); 6 by Johann Walter (same as in the old hymnal); 10 by Michael Weisse (same as in the old hymnal); and 13 by Jochen Klepper (d. 1942) (compared to 11). Hymns from the 16th, 17th, 18th, 20th, and 21st centuries are abundant. Hymns from before the Reformation and from the 19th century are far less frequent. The liturgical music section provides an impressive fullness of ancient and modern musical settings of parts of the liturgy (nos. 100–194).

Psalms: The singing of the Psalms is currently being cultivated in both American Lutheranism (6) and the SELK. Besides Gregorian settings of Psalms, the new ELKG2 presents several different kinds of Psalms: antiphonal, responsorial, Anglican, and other styles. The new hymnal’s Psalms are like a compromise between LSB’s simple, universal pointing system that has no prescribed music, and the new WELS Psalter’s method of providing multiple musical settings for each and every Psalm (7). No one can say definitively which method is more effective in putting the Psalms in the mouths and hearts of our people. If a musical setting is too difficult, then the congregation will not sing that Psalm, and may not read it either. On the other hand, a prescribed, unique melody will help the people to learn Psalms by heart, and I am certain that this will lead them to love the Psalms. ELKG2 prescribes one musical setting for each Psalm, but presents many different musical styles. The Introits’ Psalm tones change every Sunday, which likely will make it difficult for congregations to learn. Whereas the old hymnal used four Psalm tones for Introits (I, IV, V, VIII), the new book uses all the available tones for the Introits. New through-composed Gregorian antiphons are provided, with a choice of two antiphons for each Sunday: one more complicated and the other more simple. These will add beauty but also difficulty to SELK services. If the new Introits are too difficult, the hymnal suggests using the same Introit for several Sundays in a row (p. 48).

The Gregorian Psalm tones have changed. ELKG1 used the Germanic choral dialect of Gregorian chant (the musical style that prevailed north of the Alps), which was used by Germans during the Reformation era. The new ELKG2 uses the Roman choral dialect of Gregorian chant, commonly found in Roman Catholic and Anglican liturgical books. (Compare the mediation of tone VIII in the old and new books.) This raises the question: Why would the SELK alter the music of Gregorian chant that is well-known to its congregations and has a strong Lutheran history (8)?

Other Psalms use a responsorial style. Currently LCMS congregations do not make much use of responsorial Psalms, but the examples in the new ELKG2 show how beautiful and beneficial they can be. The choir or cantor sings the verses and the congregation sings a short refrain after each verse. Thereby, the people will have learned a short Bible passage or prayer by heart, and not too much musical skill is required of them. A good example in ELKG2 is Psalm 31 (no. 810), with the response “Meine Zeit in deinen Händen” [“My time in Your hands”].

Liturgy of the Hours: Matins and Vespers in ELKG2 add prayers and responses not found in previous SELK hymnals (nos. 900, 905, 909, 910; 920, 925, 929, and 930). The new Matins has no option to use the Te Deum. The choice of texts seems to make the offices more generic and less doctrinal. Instead of the old Vespers responsory praising God’s Word from Ps. 119:105, there is a more general praise of God’s work from Ps. 92:5. In the old ELKG1, the responsive prayer versicles (a long-standing feature of the Liturgy of the Hours in German Lutheranism) were quotations from Scripture that confess sin and pray for the Church and for missions. The new responsive prayer versicles are nonbiblical quotations, and are very general, focusing not on sin and salvation, but on worldly trouble and relief, peace, and justice (pp. 1468–1469, nos. 929–930). The collects for the days of the week (another long-standing German Lutheran feature) have been changed slightly. The Monday collect removes the mention of “sin” (compare p. 1470 new vs. p. 280 old). The new book also removes the collect that confesses sin at the end of Vespers (old p. 282 vs. new p. 1471).

Compline is now gender-neutral. The old version began: “Brüder, betet um Gottes Segen!” [“Brethren, pray for God’s blessing!”] (ELKG1, p. 283). This is now omitted (no. 933). Likewise “Brüder” [“Brethren”] in the reading from 1 Pet. 5:8 is omitted. The old hymnal provided only for a man to be leading the service. “Wir bekennen Gott, dem Allmächtigen, und dir, Bruder . . .” [“We confess to God Almighty, and to you, brother . . .”] (9). The new book allows a woman to lead the service: “und dir Bruder (Schwester)” [“and to you, brother (sister)”] (p. 1473, no. 934). Compline is also doctrinally weaker in other respects. The second option for confession in the new book’s Compline leaves out the mention of sin and confesses only insufficient love, omitting also the triple confession of guilt. And the prayer asks not to be brought to eternal life, but only “zum Leben” [“to life”] (p. 1473, no. 935). The SELK now has the exact same service as found in the hymnal of the mainline LWF territorial churches, Evangelisches Gesangbuch (10), with only a few stylistic differences.

ELKG2 also has “alternative daily prayer services,” similar in concept to Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer in LSB. These seem designed for occasional use, since pre-chosen Psalms and hymns are printed with the order of service. One is given no choice of Psalms; the same Psalms are appointed for each time the service is used. A hymn is printed in the service, though the instructions give the option for using a different hymn. The prayers at Morgenlob emphasize thanksgiving and praise, not asking God to preserve His Church from sin and the devil (as Luther’s morning prayer does). Mittagslob [Midday Praise] is more like a brief blessing than a service. There is one hymn, no Psalms, a brief reading, the Our Father, and no other prayers. (A more extensive order of midday prayer, meant for personal use, is on pp. 1574–1576.) Abendlob [Evening Praise] is like Morgenlob structurally. The prayers and songs emphasize praise, peace, troubles, and relief, not forgiveness of sins, preparation for death, and angelic protection from Satan (such as Luther’s evening prayer does).

Taizé music and forms of prayer have been incorporated into ELKG2. Prayer According to Taizé consists of songs, responsorial Psalms, Bible reading, and ektenia-style responsorial prayers. The themes include praise, peace, troubles, and relief, not sin, forgiveness, or angelic protection from Satan. This order of service is mostly the same as in the Evangelisches Gesangbuch (11).

The “Advent Devotion” and “Lent Devotion” liturgies are new for the SELK (pp. 469–475), but they appeared previously in the Evangelisches Gesangbuch for Bavaria (12).

Other features: A rich collection of nearly 100 pages of prayers in various forms are presented for all of life’s situations (pp. 1549–1643). A brief church history, especially about worship, is included (pp. 1728–1748). The new hymnal also gives explanations on the theology of worship (pp. 1519–1541), which will be helpful for instruction. The hymnal provides the three ecumenical creeds, the Small Catechism, and excerpts of the Book of Concord, thematically arranged (pp. 1651–1722). In the order of Confirmation, the question about whether the confirmand will remain in the Evangelical Lutheran Church is optional (p. 1528).

The role of women: The new hymnal is designed to be used by female worship leaders. As previously mentioned, the Compline confession gives the option of being led by a woman. Also, the explanations for how to use the hymnal include this instruction: “The terms used in the hymns and forms of worship and devotion for the individual roles (blue font color) are valid for persons of both sexes, insofar as church law permits this (13).” Thus, for the new book, whether or not women lead worship is a matter of adiaphora, not doctrine. The egalitarian view of men and women is also found in the wedding vows, which are identical for both husband and wife (p. 1535), rather than following the differentiated complementarity of Ephesians 5, as LSB does.

Other theologically questionable parts: The new book signals many hymns and texts as “ecumenical” by using the marker ö, which stands for “ökumenisch,” and is defined as an “ecumenical version in the German speaking territory; agreement in text and melody (as of 2021)” (p. 15). But what makes it ecumenical? If the mainline LWF territorial churches use this melody and text? If the Roman Catholic Church in Germany uses it? And why is a melody or text unique to Lutherans thereby given an inferior status? This ecumenical signaling is yet another feature that was taken over from the Evangelisches Gesangbuch. It is found throughout the EG for Bavaria, for example.

A significant problem with striving to adapt SELK liturgies and hymns to “ecumenical” texts is that the modern liturgies, adopted from ecumenical sources, studiously avoid the topics of sin, forgiveness, evil, angels, and devils. Likewise, the Psalm selections of the new hymnal avoid the imprecatory verses. This raises the question: if one intentionally avoids certain themes and verses of Scripture, does this not dilute the theology and in fact distort Scripture’s meaning by hiding its essential features from the people? If the purpose of liturgy is to teach the people faith and fear of God on the basis of the Scriptures (see Ap XXIV [XII] 3), but parts of Scripture are intentionally avoided, how will the people be taught what they need to know (14)?

For people with allergies or alcoholism, the new book explicitly permits communion in one kind (against AC XXII; cf. LW 54:438). While the use of grape juice is not strongly rejected, it is at least discouraged (p. 1532). Who should be communed? A position that might be called “close communion” is described (p. 1532), but the new hymnal seems to allow pastors the option to commune people whose confession of faith they do not know (against AC XXV 1; Ap XV [VIII] 40; Ap XXIV [XII] 1).

Summary: The new ELKG2 has many good parts, but also includes some seriously concerning theology. Its good parts include rich worship music and liturgical settings, Psalmody, and a vast selection of hymns old and new. Its theologically concerning parts can be summarized as: (1) ecumenical priority, from which come the alternative versions of the creeds and theologically weak orders of service borrowed from the mainline LWF territorial churches. (2) Egalitarian feminism. How long can a church use liturgies that reinforce egalitarian feminism before it has definitively rejected what Scripture says about the order of creation and the complementarity of men and women? Already the voices clamoring for women pastors are not disciplined in the SELK (15). Now such voices can appeal to their new hymnal, too. It will be difficult for conservative SELK pastors to teach against what the hymnal says explicitly, such as if they want to teach that women should not lead public worship, or that the creeds used by the mainline LWF territorial churches are heretical and should never be used.

Beautiful and edifying stand beside problematic in this new hymnal. There is too much ambiguity, variety, and diversity. It is a beautiful book, but it would be better to keep the old one in print.

Benjamin T. G. Mayes

Endnotes

1. Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche, Evangelisch-Lutherisches Kirchengesangbuch (Hannover: Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche, 1987).

2. Prosper of Aquitaine, “Official Pronouncements of the Apostolic See on Divine Grace and Free Will,” in St. Prosper of Aquitaine: Defense of St. Augustine, Ancient Christian Writers 32 (New York: Newman Press, 1962), p. 183. Prosper used it to show that Augustine’s doctrine of grace was supported by the liturgical practice of the Catholic Church. It was not, however, his first line of argument. He began by showing how the doctrine of grace had been confessed by popes and councils on the basis of Scripture. Only thereafter does he turn to the liturgy for support. Statuat can mean simply “support,” as opposed to “decide, determine, establish.” Thus Lex supplicandi statuat legem credendi means “Let the law of prayer support the law of believing,” not, as many suppose: “The law of prayer determines the law of believing.” It should also be noted that the liturgical prayer to which Prosper referred was the Lord’s Prayer. Nowadays, however, the phrase lex orandi, lex credendi is a reminder that worship practices affect how we believe, and what we believe should influence how we worship.

3. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern, Evangelisches Gesangbuch: Ausgabe für die Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirchen in Bayern und Thüringen, 2nd ed. (München: Evangelischer Presseverband für Bayern e.V., 1995), 1145–59, no. 679.

4. Gotthilf Döhler, “Altes oder ‘neues’ Apostolikum? Sieghafte Höllenfahrt Christi oder schrecklicher Abstieg in das Reich des Todes?,” Lutherischer Rundblick 21, no. 4 (1973): 210–32; Gotthilf Doehler, “The Descent Into Hell,” trans. Walter C. Daib, The Springfielder 39, no. 1 (1975): 2–19.

5. A better confession mirror is found in Jobst Schöne, Ich bekenne (Berlin: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 1974).

6. E.g., Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Christian Worship Psalter (Waukesha, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 2021); Benjamin T. G. Mayes, The Brotherhood Prayer Book, 2nd ed. (Kansas City, KS: Emmanuel Press, 2007).

7. Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, Christian Worship Psalter.

8. See Otto Brodde, “Evangelische Choralkunde,” in Leiturgia: Handbuch des evangelischen Gottesdienstes, vol. 4 (Kassel: Johannes Stauda-Verlag, 1961), 343–557, especially 474–76.

9. Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche, ELKG, 284.

10. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern, Evangelisches Gesangbuch: Bayern und Thüringen, 1256; Evangelisches Gesangbuch: Württemberg, no. 782.2; Evangelisches Gesangbuch: Anhalt, Berlin-Brandenburg, no. 786.2.

11. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern, Evangelisches Gesangbuch: Bayern und Thüringen, no. 725; Evangelisches Gesangbuch: Württemberg, no. 787; Evangelisches Gesangbuch: Anhalt, Berlin-Brandenburg, no. 789.

12. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern, Evangelisches Gesangbuch: Bayern und Thüringen, nos. 723-724.

13. “Die in den Liedern und Gottesdienst- und Andachtsformen verwendeten Begriffe für die jeweiligen Dienste (blaue Schriftfarbe) gelten für Personen beiderlei Geschlechts, sofern kirchliches Recht dies ermöglicht.” ELKG2, p. 14.

14. LSB is not free of fault on this point. Psalm 95 in Matins and Morning Prayer omits the last half, which is central to the message of the book of Hebrews. Psalm 141 in Evening Prayer omits the imprecations, making a hard, difficult Psalm nice and pleasant.

15. E.g., SELK News on Nov. 18, 2022, advertised a new issue of the pro-women’s ordination YouTube series inFOyer. https://www.selk.de/index.php/newsletter/9037-infoyer-mit-neuer-ausgabe-18-11-2022