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The legacy of Augsburg Seminary

August Weenaas, founder of Augsburg Seminary, spoke of the "ambitious plans" for an expanded educational program at Augsburg brought by the younger theological professors who joined the faculty in 1873-74. Their goal, Weenaas suggested, was to bring about a significant reform of theological education which would affect not only Norwegian-American church life but also the patterns of church life in Norway.

It cannot be claimed that Augsburg Seminary achieved such lofty goals. It did, however, make valuable contributions to Norwegian-American Lutheranism. It also represented ideals which continue to be of importance to the broader Lutheran fellowship.

In the final issue of The Lutheran Messenger, the official organ of the LFC, Bernhard Christensen spoke of the possibility of the LFC realizing its ideals in the larger fellowship of the American Lutheran Church. He maintained that as long as Lutheranism exists in America there will be need for upholding the ideal of the free congregation, struggling to build a witnessing congregation in which every believer finds ways to share the faith, and the ongoing need for educated Christian leadership. These were ideals to which Augsburg Seminary committed itself and Christensen was convinced that it was a legacy worth sharing with the broader Lutheran fellowship.

During its 93-year history, Augsburg Seminary graduated 710 men, an average of seven to eight each year. Although the numbers may not be large, their contributions were not without effect. Most of them served as Lutheran pastors, missionaries, chaplains and professors.

Augsburg Seminary ended its separate existence shortly after what Sydney E. Ahlstrom called "the Placid Decade" [the 1950s]. Throughout a good deal of its history, Augsburg had functioned with a sense of being distinctive, even unique. By 1963, it was ready to contribute its tradition to the heritage of Luther Seminary.

In doing so, the school, which its early supporters had proudly called, "the oldest Norwegian seminary in America," was in a sense rejoining elements from which it had been estranged many years earlier.

This section written by James Hamre '53, is reprinted with permission from Thanksgiving and Hope, a collection of essays chronicling the history of Luther Seminary. Paul Daniels '79, Luther Seminary archivist and curator, was honored for this publication with an award from the Concordia Historical Institute for making a "unique contribution to Lutheran literature".

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