I was interviewed by the good folks of the world's greatest Lutheran talk radio program, Issues, Etc. Wednesday afternoon regarding the topic of my May 3 Gottesdienst Chicaco presentation in Brookfield, Illinois (which I have yet to blog about): Are the Lutheran Confessions Prescriptive or Descriptive?
Click here to listen.
In other words, by describing required conduct, they are only prescriptive. You are just using the word descriptive to mean prescriptive.
ReplyDeleteWhen a document expressly addresses and outlines rules for changing ceremonies, and then applies those rules to describe current changes to practice, there is a descriptive element and a prescriptive element. For example, the constitution has rules for the size of the house of representatives, and then describes its initial make up. If you said it describes the house as it should be, and ignore the stated rule permitting changes, you are doing violence to the language and intent and common understanding of the document.
We do this all the time, even with Scripture. If you don't do this with Scripture, you can't be Lutheran, as our confessions expressly make this distinction when interpreting scripture. For example, service times, head coverings, and blood sausages.
It's ridiculous to claim the confessions do not in some places describe practices that are not prescriptive for the whole church at all times.