Baptism, Lutheran Confession and ecumenical relations: three contexts Текст научной статьи по специальности «Философия, этика, религиоведение»

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J. Makela

Baptism, Lutheran Confession and Ecumenical Relations: Three Contexts

B aptism was a topic ofmajor controversy during the Reformation era. For the Lutherans and the Roman Catholics baptism was not a topic of serious disagreements, but certain differences existed. The most serious disputes were with the Anabaptist movement. the modern Baptist, conservative Evangelical, Pentecostal, Charismatic and Independent Churches share the Anabaptist understanding of baptism. These churches have been growing fast.

Baptism has been a topic in the official contemporary ecumenical dialogues. the Lutheran World Federation has hosted a Lutheran, Mennonite, Catholic Trilateral Dialogue Commission on Baptism. the second meeting of the Commission was held in Strasbourg, 26-31 January 2014. the general topic of the dialogue is "Baptism and Incorporation into the Body of Christ, the Church". The annual meetings of the commission are planned until 2016, after which the commission is expected to submit its final report to the Lutheran World Federation, the Mennonite World Conference and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity1.

The World Council of Churches published in1982 a Faith and Order document called "Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry". It was born in a long process of consultations and representatives from almost all confessional traditions including Roman Catholics took part in its formulation. the text concentrates on those aspects of the theme that have been related to the problems of mutual recognition. the main text demonstrates the major

1 Trilateral Commission. Lutheran, Mennonite, Catholic Trilateral Dialogue Commission on Baptism Strasbourg, 26-31 January 2014, URL: http:// www.lutheranworld.org/sites/default/files/Trilateral_Commission_Com-munique2014.pdf (дата обращения 6.10.2014).

rn areas of theological convergence. In addition to the multilateral u dialogues, there have been various bilateral dialogues on baptism | (World Council of Churches, 1982)2.

q In spite of convergence, the basic different concepts of baptism

are part of the contemporary ecumenical relations. In the following o I will investigate three different contexts which I know personally & to some extent. First is my native church, the Evangelical ^ Lutheran Church in Finland (ELCF). From 1979 until 1999 I was « working in dfcd Thailand as a missionary, altogether for 15 years. tn After that I have been a visiting lecturer at the Luther Seminary ^ of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand (ELCT). I have been c^ a visiting lecturer at the Theological Institute of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia (ELCI) since 2001. Since I am not able to speak Russian, these courses have been held with an interpreter. I use my experiences in these contexts. I know that my understanding in the Russian context is limited, and therefore concentrate more on the Finnish and Thai contexts.

Baptism is important for ecumenical relations in two ways. First, Lutherans confirm that they are part of the Church Universal and accept baptisms by other churches. It is also a practical question since Lutheran Churches occasionally receive as members Christians who have been baptized earlier. Second, baptism is an important part of their local ecumenical relations.

1 study Ecclesiastical Acts, Constitutions and other official documents of the above mentioned Churches which deal with baptism. Only the ELCF has had official bilateral theological dialogues with churches which draw from the Anabaptist tradition. I refer to documents born from these dialogues. Concerning Thailand, I refer also to my own research and observations.

All three Churches are members of the Lutheran World Federation. In their local ecumenical context and relations they differ from each other. the ELCF is a majority church which has official theological dialogues with Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and other Protestant churches. These include Pentecostals, Baptists and Methodists. For the ELCI, the most important relations are to the Russian Orthodox Church. the Evangelical

2 Kaste ehtoollinen ja virka. Faith and Order Document 111. Suomentanut Olli-Pekka Lassila. Kirkkojen maailmanneuvosto. Geneve. 1982. P. 5-9.

Lutheran Church in Thailand is a member of the Evangelical a

Fellowship in Thailand, one of the two government-recognized i

main Protestant organizations. the other members include g

conservative Evangelical, Baptist, Pentecostal and Independent l

Churches. The ELCT is thus a member of an organization where h

most of the other members draw from the tradition going back E

to the Anabaptist movement. a

In the ELCF, accepting baptism of other churches has been q

more or less a theoretical question, since most of the persons joining §

in it are its former members who are returning to its membership. e

Increasing immigration makes the question more practical. For i

the ELCI and the ELCT baptisms of other churches are clearly also § practical questions because in addition to baptism, they receive

members who had been baptized in another church earlier.

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1. Lutheran churches in different contexts c

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The above-mentioned three Lutheran churches represent i three different contexts. the Lutheran churches in the Nordic £ countries are majority churches which in recent years have been R losing members. In Russia, the Lutherans are a historical minority L in a country where the majority ofthe population identify themselves t as Orthodox. In Thailand the Lutherans live in a double minority. the Christians are a minority in a predominantly Buddhist country, . and the Lutherans a minority among Christians. Both the ELCI and the ELCT are growing churches. the fourth context could be fast growing new churches. As examples could be mentioned the Lutheran Churches in Ethiopia and Tanzania.

Finland

In Finland, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF) is a majority church. In 2012 76,4 percent of the population was members of the ELCF. In 1990 the number was 87,6. Part of the decrease in percentage is caused by immigration. the ELCF has succeeded in inviting only a small portion of immigrants to its membership. Between 2009 and 2012 little more than 53 000 persons joined the church while 214 000 persons left the church3.

3 Tilastollinen vuosikirja 2013 ja 2012: Kirkon tilastollinen vuosikirja 2012. 4. Kirkkoon liittyneet ja siita eronneet vuosina 1990-2012. (Statistical

Russia

^ The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia (ELCI)

►i celebrated its 400th year in 2011. Originally it was as a church О of the Ingrians, ethnic Finns who migrated to the area called Ingria ^ or Ingermanland (Inkerinmaa in Finnish) around the Southern § end of the Gulf of Finland. During long times of war between н Sweden and Russia, Ingria had become very sparsely populated. ^ It became part of Sweden in 16th century. In the early 18th century § Sweden lost the area to Russia and Peter the Great established я the City of St. Petersburg as the new capital of Russia. the Finnish-щ speaking Ingrian congregations formed a diocese within the mostly German speaking Lutheran Church in Russia which now uses the name the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia and Other States, in German Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Russland und anderen Staaten. It is often known by the German acronym ELKRAS. In the early 20th century, the Ingrian Church became independent. During the Soviet era the Ingrian Church was heavily persecuted. By the end of the 1930s all church buildings were closed, ordained ministers and lay leaders were executed or sent to the prison camps. Ministers who were Finnish citizens were already deported earlier. During and after the Second World War the Ingrian Finns were deported to different parts of Soviet Union. Since the 1950s part of them returned to Estonia, Eastern Karelia and finally also to Ingria. the Church survived in family gatherings and secret meetings often led by female lay leaders. In the early 1970s the first congregations were reopened and later formed a deanery belonging to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Estonia. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Ingrian Church was reorganized in 1992 as an independent church. the membership statistics of the Lutheran World Federation give the membership as 15 000 persons (Inkerin evankelis-luterilaisen kirkon kirkkojarjestys. 2000, 1. (Church Order of the ELCI))4.

Yearbook of the ELCF 2012), URL: http://sakasti.evl.fi/sakasti.nsf/ sp?open&cid=Content240FFA (дата обращения 6.10.2014).

4 On the members of the Lutheran World Federation see: Member churches, URL: http://www.lutheranworld.org/content/member-churches (дата обращения 6.10.2014). the pages give erroneous information by listing the ELCI as a church in Finland. Short introduction to the history of the ELCI in internet pages: Inkerin kirkon historiaa, URL: http://www.inkerinkirkko.fi/ inkerin-kirkko/inkerin-kirkon-historia (дата обращения 6.10.2014); История

Since its early years, the reorganized Ingrian church has been a a multiethnic church. Already in 1995 in St Mary's church in St i Petersburg, 79 percent of the members were ethnic Finns, 19 % g Russians and 2 percent of other ethnic background. Since the 1990s many of the Ingrian Finns moved to Finland, which has reduced the portion of Ingrian Finns in the membership of the ELCI. the student body at the Theological Institute in Koltushi, (old Finnish name Keltto) reflects the situation. Until the early years of the new millennium many of the students had an Ingrian Finn background, and some were able to speak Finnish. In the 2010s some still have Ingrian Finnish ancestry, but do not speak Finnish anymore. Concerning their ancestry, the largest groups have been Ingrian Finns and Russians. In addition there have been a students with Eastern Karelian or German ancestry. As examples a of the growth of the ELCI among other ethnic minorities there have c been students with Mari, Mordvinian, Buriat, Tatar and Jewish g backgrounds5. n

According to a survey done in 2002, 80 percent of the population in

as Catholics and 1 percent as Protestants. the identification as Orthodox

церкви, URL: http://www.elci.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=vie w&id=14&Itemid=31 (дата обращения 6.10.2014). A collection of articles in Finnish on the early years of the re-emerging Ingrian Church, especially Keltto/ Koltushi congregation: Inkerin ihme. Kirkko kohosi Kelttoon / Teksti ja taitto Hilkka Suoanttila. Kustantajat, 2002. On religions during the Soviet era: Turunen M. Faith in the Heart of Russia. the Religiosity of Post-Soviet University Students. (Diss.). Helsinki, 2005. Р. 15-37. On the membership of the reorganized ELCI during its early years: Ylonen K. Inkerin kirkon nousu kommu-nistivallan paatyttya. Kirkon tutkimuskeskus. Sarja A. 1997. N 70. P. 17-42. The internet pages of the ELKRAS (http://www.elkras.ru/).

5 Ylonen K. Inkerin kirkon... Р. 133-136. Author's observations.

6 Makela J. Independent Churches, A Growing Section of Christianity. Reflections on Independent Churches in Russia and Thailand // Религиозная ситуация на Северо-Западе России и в странах Балтии. СПб., 2005. Вып. 2. С. 247-262. Statement is based on following sources: Turunen M. Faith in the Heart of Russia. Р. 34-35. Kaariainen K. Ateismin jalkeen. Uskonnollisuus Venajalla. Tampere, 2004. Р. 95-97, 170, 178. Statistics have also been published by the interdenominational magazine "Isthene". See: Isthene 4/2005. A collection of articles by Finnish and Russian scholars on different aspects of the religious life in Russia in the 1990s: Religious Transition in Russia / Ed. by M. Kotiranta. Helsinki, 2000.

Russia considered themselves as Orthodox, 6 percent as Muslims, 1 % a

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has more to do with being ethnically Russian than with actual beliefs. > Even half of the atheists considered themselves as Orthodox6.

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rn In 2005 I studied critically different statistics on independent

u churches. the World Christian Database claimed that in 2005 there

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tj were 4.9 million members in the independent churches in Russia.

O Orthodox churches not belonging to the Moscow Patriarchate were

^ listed as independent churches. Some Pentecostal groups were listed by

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o the WCD under Protestant churches, but most in Independents. It was g estimated that there were 200,000 people in isolated radio churches ^ and 53,000 isolated Messianic Jews. In summary, it was claimed that 2 there could be 1.9 million members in the organized independent ^ churches not linked to Orthodox tradition. the largest of them was ^ the Russian Unified Fellowship of the CEF with 1 million members7. ^ The official statistics do not support the claim of 1 million

members of the Unified Fellowship of the CEF. According to official statistics, the Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists had 1015 congregations in 2003. the Union of Evangelical Christians (Evangeliskie khristiane) had 645 congregations in 2003. According to the World Christian Database the Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists had 91,000 members in 2005. the membership of the Union of Evangelical Christians can be estimated as 80,000. It is however possible that by Unified Fellowship of the CEF the World Christian Database refers to a loose cooperation between Evangelicals, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians and others. In that case, most of membership of the Unified Fellowship is double membership8.

The Baptist congregations were born at the end of the 19th century as a revival among the ethnic German population at the initiative of German Baptists, and later among ethnic Russians. the Evangelical movement was born about the same time in St. Petersburg in connection to revival meetings led by Lord Radstock from Britain9.

7 MakelaJ. Independent Churches...; World Christian Database, Independents by Country/Russia. Official statistics: Религиозные объединения. Свобода совести и вероисповедания. Нормативные акты и судебная практика. М., 2001. С. 406-407; Kaariainen K. Ateismin jalkeen. Р. 77-80.

8 Религиозные объединения. С. 406-407. World Christian Database, Independents by Country/Russia, Protestants/Russia.

9 On Baptists: Митрохин Л. Н. Баптизм: история и современность. СПб., 1997. C. 188-189; Kaariainen K. Ateismin jalkeen. Р. 80-81.

Thailand a

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand (ELCT) was S

organized in 1994. It is a growing church with a membership of over ,

4000. Its roots are in the ministry ofthe Lutheran Mission in Thailand u

which began in 1976. It is a cooperation of Western Lutheran mission h

organizations and Asian Lutheran churches. It is part of the process r

where the Asian and African churches are increasingly involved ^

in cross-cultural mission outside their own countries10. c

There are different estimations on the number of Christians. n the Thailand Prayer Update's Internet pages estimates the total number of Christians as 372,251, 0.58 % of the population11. the Internet pages of the Overseas Missionary Fellowship quote

statistics of the Operation World: Buddhist 92.34 %, Muslim n

5.24 %, Christian 1.62 %, Chinese 0.4 %, Other 0.4 %12. According E

to Table 3.16 in the Statistical Yearbook Thailand 2013, there U

were 243,795 church-going Christians13. The Internet pages E

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10 The most comprehensive research of the Lutheran ministry in Thailand is С the dissertation of Marika Bjorkgren-Thylin. Bjorkgren-Thylin M. From Pioneer l Mission to Autonomous Church. Lutheran Mission Cooperation and Church r Building in Thailand 1976-1994. Abo, 2009. In 2011 the ELCT and the Luther и Seminary in Thailand published a collection articles in Thai and English written a by some leaders of the ELCT, missionaries who had served in the Church and й researches. My article on the Roots of Lutheran Theology in Thailand is included: ^ Rejoice. Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand 35 years. 2011 Luther Semi- . nary in Thailand (LST) / Ed. by Lilja Kinnunen-Riipinen. Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand (ELCT). 2011. The Lutheran University Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota published 2012 a collection of articles on Asian Lutheran Churches including an article by Pongsak Limthongvirutn on Lutherans in Thailand and

its neighbouring countries: Abundant Harvest. Stories of Asian Lutherans / Ed. by E. Yee and J. P. Rajashekar. the Lutheran University Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 2012. Membership according to Bishop Banjob Kusawadee April 2, 2014. According to the statistics of the Lutheran World Federation the membership is 3524 (Member churches., URL: http://www.lutheranworld.org/content/ member-churches (дата обращения 6.10.2014)). See also: Lahetystyo Thaimaas-sa., URL: http://www.suomenlahetysseura.fi/ls_fi/www/lahetysseura/etusivu/ tyomme/maat/lahetystyo_thaimaassa/ (дата обращения 6.10.2014).

11 Thailand Prayer Update, URL: http://community.benchmarkemail.com/ users/dwimar/newsletter/Thailand-Prayer-Update (дата обращения 6.10.2014).

12 The Overseas Missionary Fellowship statistics, URL: http://www.omf. org/omf/thailand/inside_thailand/country_profile_thailand (дата обращения 6.10.2014).

13 The Statistical Yearbook Thailand 2013, URL: http://web.nso.go.th/en/pub/e_ book/YEARB00K_2013/index.html#/276-277/ (дата обращения 6.10.2014).

га of the Roman Catholic Church give following information и on Roman Catholics in Thailand: 292,000 persons, 0.46 percent

of the population of 63,922,00014. q Apparently, the Operation World statistics include both

¡.q Protestants and Roman Catholics while the Thailand Prayer Update о gives information only on Protestants. the figures of the Operation л World are too high. It is unlikely that there could be over a million ^ Christians. the combined figures given by the Thailand Prayer « Update and the Roman Catholic Church are 664,251 Christians, 1.04 ^ percent of the population, which is most likely close to the reality. ч Since the end of 1990s, the Protestant churches may have doubled л their memberships; the Roman Catholic Church may have grown over ten percent15.

The Catholic and Protestant communities have had few contacts with each other. the distinctiveness is reflected also in terminology. the term khristian derived from English is used for Protestants, while the term khristang is used exclusively for Catholics. Term khristachon is used when referring to the Catholics and Protestants together16.

Prior to the Second World War, most of the Protestant Christians were members of the Church of Christ in Siam, later called the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT). It was established in 1934 as a result of the work of the American Presbyterian Mission. Its administration follows a Presbyterian model, with rather autonomous Districts. One of the founding Districts was Baptist, and later other Baptist Districts with various ethnic backgrounds have joined in it17.

After the Second World War, new mission organizations entered Thailand. Most of these have joined the Evangelical Fellowship in Thailand (EFT), established in 1969. These two above-mentioned organizations have been registered by the Government as the main Protestant organizations, and new groups must join either of these. Since the 1980s mission-established local churches have been organized as national

14 The Roman Catholic Church, URL: http://www.catholic-hierarchy. org/country/sc3.html (дата обращения 6.10.2014).

15 On the membership statistics in 1990s: Makela J. Independent Churches... Р. 27, 43.

16 Makela J. Independent Churches. Р. 25.

17 Makela J. Independent Churches. Р. 32-34, 42.

J. MÀKELÀ

denominations. Simultaneously, new independent churches a

not related to historical Protestants have been established. i

In 1999, the independent churches formed roughly one- g

third of the membership of the EFT and more than ten percent L

of the whole Protestant community18. ^

a

organizations wishing to cooperate with it19. E

The ecumenical relations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand consist of different circles. As a member

of the Evangelical Fellowship in Thailand it interacts with a

the Baptist, conservative Evangelical, Pentecostal and a

The Lutheran Mission in Thailand joined the EFT because establishing an autonomous Lutheran Church was possible only as a member of the EFT. There were discussions in joining the CCT, but at that time the CCT required a full integration of new mission

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Independent churches. There are various cooperative networks c which include all Protestants and in some cases Roman Catholics g for theological seminaries and Bible schools, for diakonia and § for evangelism and mass communication20. n

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2. Baptism in the confessional writings of the Lutheran churches r

The Augsburg Confession was prepared for the Diet of Augsburg > in1530. the Diet was summoned to meet for maintaining internal ° peace in the German Empire, because the Turkish Ottoman . Empire was preparing war against it. Martin Luther was under the ban of the Empire, and could not come to Augsburg. It was Philip Melanchthon who, under the influence of Luther and using the previously accepted Articles of Marburg, Schwabach, Torgau and the Large Catechism, drafted the Augsburg Confession (Confessio Augustana). In 1580, after long series of internal disputes among the Lutherans the Book of Concord was published. Luther's Catechisms and the Smalcald Articles were incorporated. In the Book of Concord, the Creeds belong to the common heritage of all Christians, and the Augsburg Confession is seen as the most

18 Makela J. Independent Churches... P. 45-46, 228; Bjorkgren-Thylin M. From Pioneer Mission to Autonomous Church. P. 66-100.

19 Bjorkgren-Thylin M. From Pioneer Mission to Autonomous Church. P. 81-100. On the member organizations of the EFT: Makela J. Independent Churches. P. 61-65.

20 Author's observations.

fundamental of the confessional documents from the time of Reformation21.

The whole Book of Concord was first published in Finnish in 1849. Editions of Luther's Catechisms and the Augsburg Confession have been published since the 16th century. After the Second World War, translations of individual books included into the Book of Concord were published together with the Latin and German texts. the latest edition of the whole Book of Concord is from the year 1990. In Russian, there are two editions of the Book of Concord published in the 1990s. They differ quite much from each other. So far, only Luther's Catechisms and the Augsburg Confession have been translated into Thai. In addition, Luther's Lectures on Romans (1515 - 1516) have been translated22.

There are six editions of the Book of Concord in English, the latest from the year 2000. the 1959 edition translated by Theodore Tappert and others has been widely used. the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod related Internet pages, however, use the 1921 Bente Triglotta edition. Related texts are available on the Project Wittenberg pages23.

In its confessional base the ELCF mentions the three Creeds from the ancient church, the unaltered Augsburg Confession and other books which have been included into the Book of Concord.

21 Evankelis-luterilaisen kirkon tunnustuskirjat. SLEY-kirjat. 1990, 16-26; The Book of Concord. The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church / Transl. by Theodore G. Tappert in collaboration with Jaroslav Pelikan, Robert H. Fischer, Arthur C. Piepkorn. Philadelphia, 1959. Р. 3-16, 23-24, 463464, 501-508. Thirteenth Printing in 1979.

22 Makela J. Holy Gospel, Life and Work of Martin Luther: A Handbook with a Thai Perspective. Manuscript. Thailand, 2013. Р. 46. Published in Thai and English by Luther Seminary Thailand. Tunnustuskirjat 1990, 7-14. the Small Catechism was published in 1985 by the Lutheran Mission in Thailand. Later new editions have been published. the Large Catechism was published same year as a joint project of the Lutheran Mission in Thailand and the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod. The Augsburg Confession was published by the LMT in 1987. Both Russian editions are used at the Theological Institute of the ELCI. They differ rather much and this sometimes creates discussions in the lectures. Author's observations.

23 Makela J. Holy Gospel... Р. 46. Editions are available online: Book of Concord, URL: http://www.bookofconcord.org/ (дата обращения 6.10.2014); Small Catechism, edition of 1986, URL: http://www.cph.org/t-topic-catechism. aspx (дата обращения 6.10.2014). Project Wittenberg Home page: http://www. iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/wittenberg-home.html.

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the ELCI refers to the three chief creeds and the Book of Concord. a

the ELCT confesses the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed, i

and accepts the unaltered Augsburg Confession and Luther's Small g

Catechism as true expositions ofthe Christian faith (Kirkkojarjestys. L

Ch. 1, § 1; Inkerin Evankelis-luterilaisen kirkon kirkkojarjestys ^

(Kirkon tunnustus); Constitution of the Evangelical Lutheran e

Church in Thailand 1994. Chapter 2)24. a

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Baptism as Sacrament °

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In the Augsburg Confession, baptism and the Holy Communion f

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are presented in Articles 9 and 10. Confession is explained in Article 11. Article 13 deals with the use of sacraments in general. According to Melanchthon in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article 13, the Papal party approved the statement that sacraments n are signs and testimonies of God's will toward us, but they insisted that the Lutherans enumerate the seven sacraments. Melanchthon saw baptism, the Holy Communion and confession as genuine sacraments25. i

In the Catechisms, following Augustine's theology Luther > defined a sacrament as an act which is instituted by God; in which r God Himself has joined His Word of promise to the visible element; l

and by which He offers, gives and seals the forgiveness of sin i

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earned by Christ. Luther numbered the sacraments at two: Baptism and the Holy Communion. In his work Babylonian Captivity of the Church (1520) he still spoke about confession (Penance) as the third. In the closing chapter he, however, states that strictly speaking only baptism and communion are sacraments because only in them there is both the visible sign and the word of promise. Confession simply means a return to baptism. He strongly wanted confession to be maintained and gave instructions on how it should be administered. In the Small Catechism (1529) he spoke of confession in connection to baptism and in the Large Catechism (1529) in connection to the Holy Communion26.

24 The Church Order is in Russian and in Finnish. I use here the Finnish edition. the Finnish term Tunnustuskirjat refers to the Book of Concord (The Book of Concord. P. 463-465, 501-508).

25 The Book of Concord. P. 33-36, 178, 211-214. For the Augsburg Confession, translations for both the Latin and German texts are presented.

26 Makela J. Holy Gospel... P. 63. For Luther's Babylonian Captivity I have used the Finnish translation included in Kirkon aarteita. S.l., 2011 (all editions

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га 3. Baptisms administered in other churches

h The Lutheran churches accept the b aptisms administered in other

If churches. This principle can be found already in the Lutheran confessional writings, and it is dealt with in the Constitutions, и Church Orders and other authorized documents of the Lutheran § churches.

н In the Augsburg Confession, Article 9 it is stated that baptism

^ is necessary for salvation, that the grace of God is offered through к baptism and that children should be baptized. Differences to its к contemporary Roman Catholic teachings and practices were и not emphasized. In the Apology of the Augsburg Confession Melanchthon in the corresponding Article 9 writes that the Papal party approves the statement in the Augsburg Confession27.

According to the contemporary Roman Catholic Catechism bishops and priests can baptize. In case of necessity, any person, even someone not baptized, can baptize, if he has the required intention and uses the Trinitarian formula28.

The Faith and order document Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry of 1982 states that churches are increasingly recognizing one another's baptism as the one baptism into Christ when Jesus Christ has been confessed as Lord by the candidate or, in the case of infant baptism, when confession has been made by the church (parents, guardians, godparents and congregation) and affirmed later by personal faith and commitment. Mutual recognition of baptism is acknowledged as an important sign and means of expressing the baptismal unity given in Christ. Wherever possible, mutual recognition should be expressed explicitly by the churches29.

In Finland, the majority of the persons joining the church are obviously persons who had been baptized in the Lutheran church as a child, had left the church and now returning to the church. According to the Church Order §3, a person can be accepted

of Luther's works published in Finnish and related publications in electronic form). the Catechisms are included in the Book of Concord.

27 Book of Concord. Р. 33, 178.

28 Catechism of the Catholic Church. V. Who can baptize? 1256. Latin text copyright (c) Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Citta del Vaticano 1993, URL: http:// www.christusrex.org/www1/CDHN/ccc.html (дата обращения 6.10.2014).

29 Kaste ehtoollinen ja virkа. Р. 18 (Chapter called Towards Mutual Recognition of Baptism).

30 Kirkkolaki, Kirkkojarjestys, Kirkon vaalijarjestys, Kirkon saados-kokoelma. S. l., 2012. P. 143-144, 148.

31 Kirkkolaki, Kirkkojarjestys, Kirkon vaalijarjestys, Kirkon saadoskokoel-ma. Kirkkohallitus, 2012. P. 143-144, 148; Kirkkolainsaadanto 2008: Kirk-kolain, kirkkojarjestyksen ja kirkon vaalijarjestyksen / Komm. Halttunen M., Pihlaja P., Voipio R. . Helsinki, 2008. P. 296-298, 306-308.

32 Inkerin evankelis-luterilaisen kirkon kirkkojarjestys.

as a member of the ELCF in three occasions: First, a child in a baptism. Second, a person who has been a member of the Lutheran i church earlier and has attended confirmation school, when she/ g he informs that he/she wants to confess the faith of the church. L Third, a person who does not belong to the Lutheran church in baptism after needed instruction or in case if the person has been rightly baptized, when she/he confesses the faith of the church. In §13 it is stated that a person rightly baptized, shall not be baptized ^ again. the emergency baptism is mentioned in § 1430. 0

Commentaries to the Ecclesiastical Act and the Church Order have been published. In the commentary of2008 on Church Order §3 it is stated that the right baptism means a baptism administered in an other Christian church or community by a baptized person a using water in the name of the Triune God. the Bishops' Council a has stated that the following Churches in Finland accept baptism c administered in the ELCF: Orthodox Church in Finland, g the Methodist Church in Finland, the Private Creek Catholic 0 community in Vyborg, the Catholic Church in Finland and n the Anglican Church in Finland (Piispainkokous/09.09.2008 5§. <2008-00482> Kaste ja Suomen evankelis-luterilaisen kirkon e jasenyys. (Bishops' Council on baptism))31. >

The Church Order of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria ° in Russia contains quite similar statements with the ELCF S on membership, baptism and sponsors. Accepting baptism from .. other churches is not only a theoretical question but it has become an important aspect in the life of the local congregations (Church Order 2000, Chapter 1, Paragraph 4, Chapter 3, Paragraphs 1, 2

and 5)32.

During the Soviet era, baptisms were administered by the few ministers who survived the prison camps, in the 1950s by Estonian Lutheran ministers, sometimes by Orthodox priests. Some of the female lay leaders also baptized. In the Pre-Soviet era,

rn confirmation school was an important part of life in the Ingrian

u congregations. Even during the Soviet era confirmation

tj instruction was given by the few ministers returning from

O prison camps and charismatic elderly female leaders. Sometimes

^ confirmation services were held in Estonia where the Lutheran

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o church was in spite of restrictions able to function all the time33. g In the 1970s when the first Lutheran congregations became

^ reorganized, confirmation school got a new function. At present,

5 there are two kinds of confirmation schools. the traditional

s

^ instruction to youngsters has been continued. In recent years joint ^ camps of several congregations have been organized. Second, ^ confirmation school has become a path to church membership for adults. If the candidates have not been baptized earlier, they will be baptized. the number of persons confirmed was, however, in the early years higher than the number of persons who became members. In the early years persons attending the confirmation school were mostly of Ingrian Finn background. Quite soon people from other ethnic backgrounds, mostly Russian joined. They had often been baptized by Orthodox priests34.

The Petrozavodsk Lutheran congregation in Eastern Karelia is one of the first reorganized Ingrian Finn congregations. In 1976 most baptized were children under three years old. In 1989 whole families and individual adults were baptized. By 1994 several adults were baptized. Similar trends were observed in Koltushi (Keltto) and Skuoritsa in Ingria. the gradual increase in religious freedom made it possible also for adults to join the church35.

In the Constitution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand membership is defined as follows: "A member of this Church shall be a person who has received the Sacrament of the Holy Baptism in name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and has been enrolled as a member of a local congregation of this Church, or of a preaching place under the Church Council". In the By-Laws it is stated that a person may be received into membership through baptism, transfer of membership from a congregation of another denomination,

33 Ylonen K. Inkerin kirkon... P. 171-172.

34 Ylonen K. Inkerin kirkon. P. 155-165. Author's observations.

35 Ylonen K. Inkerin kirkon. P. 155-160.

or restoration of membership (Constitution of the Evangelical a

Lutheran Church in Thailand. Ch. 4; By-Laws of the Evangelical i

Lutheran Church in Thailand. Ch. 1)36. g

The Constitution or By-Laws do not mention right baptism, but l

it is seen as self-evident that persons baptized in other churches h

are not re-baptized. the Book of Occasional Services (Khumue E

sasanaphiti) contains, like other Lutheran Churches, a ceremony a

called Confirming of (Emergency) Baptism. It can be used when °

a seriously sick person has been baptized by a lay person and §

has later recovered. In the ELCT, it can be used also in receiving e

a new member from another church. It is seldom used, i

mainly in a situation when there are uncertainties concerning §

the baptism of the candidate, and he/she wishes to be received § into membership more formally than just the usual welcoming information. During my years in Thailand, I participated in such

36 Both documents are in Thai and English.

37 Khumue sasanaphiti. Sapha Khrischak Lutheran nai Prateth Thai. 1996. P. 34-37.

38 Makela J. Independent Churches... P. 76-82, 166, 193-195.

a ceremony only once37. g

Apparently, most Christian groups in Thailand use i

c

the Trinitarian formula, but in the 1960s the actions of the United Pentecostal Church created a major controversy. This faction of the Pentecostal movement administers baptism only in the name Jesus. the representatives of UPC, some Thai leaders originally from other churches and American § missionaries, started to re-baptize persons who had been . baptized using the Trinitarian formula. the emerging Thai Pentecostal movement, which itself was born mostly as a splinter from other churches, was heaviest affected. At one time there were Christians who had been baptized several times. In my dissertation in 2000, I found persons who had been baptized four times. I have heard even higher numbers38.

I have not been able to find official statements concerning baptism in the name of Jesus within the ELCT, but according to my observations the consensus is that baptisms in the name of Jesus should be considered as true baptism because in the Acts baptisms in the name ofJesus are mentioned.

4. Roots of the dispute on Baptism

The Anabaptist movement was born in the 1520s and the Lutherans had to respond the challenges it raised. In the Augsburg Confession Article 9 the teachings of the Anabaptists are shortly rejected. the Latin and German texts differ. In the German text, it is simply stated that the Anabaptists teach that the infant baptism is not right. In the Latin text, it is added that the Anabaptists teach that the children are saved without baptism39.

In the Large Catechism Luther rejects the teachings of some groups who claim that baptism is an external thing and that external things are of no use. Here Luther apparently refers to a spiritualist group led by Kaspar von Schwenkfelt. On Luther's other writings should be mentioned his letter Von der Wiedertaufe an zwei Pfarrherrn in 1528 (Large Catechism, Chapter 4)40.

While the Augsburg Confession and Luther's Catechisms treat the Anabaptists more or less as one movement, the Article 12 of the Epitome of the Formula of Concord roughly fifty years later states clearly that there are many factions of the Anabaptist movement. the Anabaptist movement was from the beginning diverse and groups practicing re-baptisms of persons baptized as infants were born in various locations41.

The question of the legitimacy of infant baptism was first raised in Zurich in 1522. In the beginning the so-called historical argument was central in the dispute. Ulrich Zwingli, who had

39 German: "Derhalben werden die Wiedertaufer verworfen, welche lehren, dass die Kindertauf nict rect sei"; Latin: "Damnant Anabaptistas, qui imbrobant baptismum puerorum et affirmant sine baptismo pueros salvos fieri" (Augsburgin Tunnustus. Suomalaisen teologisen kirjallisuusseuran julkaisuja LXX. Pieksämäki, 1961. Р. 25). This book contains the Finnish translation and German and Latin texts from «Die Bekenntnisschsriften der evangelisch-lutherischen Kirche / 3. verbesserte Auflage» (Göttingen, 1956).

40 Book of Concord. Р. 436-444. On Schwenkfeld: Arfman К. Reformaat-tio vai restituutio. Historiallinen argumentti reformaattoreiden ja kastajaliik-keen väittelyssä lapsikasteen oikeutuksesta // Suomen kirkkohistoriallisen seuran toimituksia Helsinki. 1994. N 167. Р. 129-137; Martin Luther. Von der Wiedertaufe an zwei Pfarrherrn. 1528 // D. Martin Luthers Werke. Bd 26. Weimar: Weimar H. Böhlaus, 1909. S. 144-174. I have used the Finnish translation in the Kirkon aarteet electronic collection.

41 Book of Concord. Р. 498-500. On various groups of the radicals f.e.x.: Durnbaugh D. F. The Believers' Church. the History and Character of Radical Protestantism. Scottdale, 1985. P. 64-93.

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become the leader of Reformation there, stated that the Roman a Catholic Church was teaching against the Bible concerning i

baptism. According to Zwingli, baptism does not save anybody. g Only faith in Jesus Christ is important. Baptism means simply l

commitment to Christ. Zwingli concluded that the early church had h

mostly baptized adults. There could have been children baptized, E

but this was not the main practice. A radical faction emerged in 1523 a

with Konrad Krebel, Felix Manx and Balthasar Hubmaier as leaders. q

Simultaneously Thomas Mützer in Wittenberg had criticized infant §

baptism. the radicals in Zurich were also in contact with Andreas E

Karlstad. the radicals in Zurich saw rejecting infant baptism i as an important part in organizing the truthful church. According §

to them, infant baptism was not practiced in the Apostolic era and § during the early centuries after them. It had gradually become used

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and during Pope Nikolaus I (858-867) it became a rule42.

42 The term historical argument (historiallinen argumentti) is used by Arf-man. See: Arfman K. Reformaattio vai restituutio. P. 19-31.

43 Arfman K. Reformaattio vai restituutio. P. 32-82, 99-101.

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Zwingli came in 1524 to a conclusion that infant baptism was, S.

in spite of the claims of the radicals, a correct practice. He rejected i

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the notion of the radicals that the popes had invented the infant baptism. He also stated that in the Bible conscious faith did not always precede baptism. Crucial for him were the example of circumcision from the Old Testament and the witness of Augustine. the following year Heinrich Bullinger and Johann Oekolampadius in Basel brought o up the witnesses of Origen, Cyprian and Augustine and other . teachers of the early church. the radicals did not accept the historical evidences but insisted that only direct evidences from the Bible can be used43.

As can be seen in the Augsburg Confession and Luther's Catechisms, it became clear quite soon that it was not possible to reconcile the theological differences between the Lutherans and the Anabaptists. In the 1520s and the1530s Anabaptist preachers spread the movement throughout central Europe. Harsh words were used against each other. It is sad fact that the dispute did not remain as a theological confrontation but violence was used against Anabaptists. the Roman Catholics and other Protestants persecuted them in attempts to curb the growth of the movement, although

some leaders did exercise moderation. A book called Martyrs' Mirror describes persecution and execution of Anabaptists in various parts of Europe between 1525 and 166044.

The Eleventh General Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation unanimously approved in July 2010 a statement calling Lutherans to express their regret and sorrow for past wrongdoings towards Anabaptists and asking for forgiveness. the statement is titled "Action on the Legacy of Lutheran Persecution of Anabaptists"45.

Baptism and faith

Luther insisted, against the Anabaptists and Zwingli, that baptism is a sacrament because of God's Word and the water. Applied to infants, this means that even if the infant did not have faith, baptism is still a sacrament. According to the Large Catechism, when the Word accompanies the water, Baptism is valid, even though faith is lacking. "My faith does not make Baptism, but receives it".

Further, we say that we are not so much concerned to know whether the person baptized believes or not; for on that account Baptism does not become invalid; but everything depends upon the Word and command of God. This now is perhaps somewhat acute, but it rests entirely upon what I have said, that Baptism is nothing else than water and the Word of God in and with each other, that is, when the Word is added to the water, Baptism is valid, even though faith be wanting. For my faith does not make Baptism, but receives it (Large Catechism. Baptism, Verses 52-53).

The Anabaptists emphasized that baptism came after faith and had no meaning apart from faith, but Luther insisted that baptism was

44 Violent suppression of the Anabaptist movent begun in Zurich and Basel since 1526 (Arfman К. Reformaattio vai restituutio. Р. 37-39, 83-99). Martyrs' Mirror is available online: Martyrs Mirror of the Defenseless Christians, URL: http://www.homecomers.org/mirror/intro.htm (дата обращения 6.10.2014).

45 LWF Eleventh Assembly asks Mennonites for forgiveness for past persecutions, URL: http://www.lutheranworld.org/content/lutheran-mennonite-dialogue (дата обращения 6.10.2014).; Assembly Participates in Powerful Service of Repentance, URL: http://www.lwf-assembly.org/experience/lwi-assembly-news/news-detail/article/461/8/ (дата обращения 6.10.2014).

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the same whether one believed it or not. the absence of conscious a

faith by man does not nullify the grace of God, nor does faith i

create a sacrament. the Anabaptists made personal faith as a g

precondition for baptism and this way changed baptism from a ^

sign and assurance of God's promise to a sign of man's faith. This h

is stated in the first Anabaptist doctrinal document, the Schleitheim E

Confession in 152746. a

5. Baptism as a part of ecumenical relations 0

46 Schleitheim Confession on Baptism: "Baptism shall be given to all those who have learned repentance and amendment of life, and who believe truly that their sins are taken away by Christ, and to all those who walk in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and wish to be buried with Him in death, so that they may be resurrected with Him and to all those who with this significance request it (baptism) of us and demand it for themselves. This excludes all infant baptism, the highest and chief abomination of the Pope" (Schleitheim Confession on Baptism, URL: http://www.anabaptists.org/history/the-schleitheim-confession.html (дата обращения 6.10.2014)).

47 Reports of ecumenical conferences and theological dialogues, mostly in Finnish, have been published by the Department of International Relation in the journal Reseptio (Teologiset oppikeskustelut, URL: http://sakasti.evl. fi/sakasti.nsf/sp?open&cid=Content42789E (дата обращения: 06.10.14).

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The question of faith and baptism is a part of modern ecumenical discussions. In Finland, the ELCF has taken part in wide range of theological dialogues. the ELCF has since ^ the 1970s had theological dialogues with the Orthodox Church § in Russia and the Orthodox Church in Finland and has participated in the International Lutheran-Orthodox dialogue. the ELCF has c participated in the dialogues with the Roman Catholics as a member g of the Lutheran World Federation and in regional dialogues § in the Nordic countries as well as bilateral relations with the Roman a Catholics in Finland. the ELCF has participated in the dialogues with the Churches of Reformation (members of the Leuenberg l Concordia) and signed the Porvoo Agreement with some Lutheran > and Anglican Churches. Bilateral dialogues have been going on with the Finnish Free Church, the Pentecostal movement . in Finland, the Baptist community in Finland and the Methodist Church in Finland47.

The Pentecostal movement in Finland began as a revival within the members of the ELCF in the early 1910s. Traditionally it has

га kept to the principle of the autonomy of the local congregation

и and has looked with suspicion at all structures above the local

tj congregations. the congregations have been registered as free

q associations, not religious communities. In 2001 representatives

¡.q of the Pentecostal congregations, however, gave their consent

о to a plan to form a religious community and in 2002 the founding

л document of the Pentecostal Church of Finland (Suomen

^ helluntaikirkko) was signed. the Pentecostal movement is now

« divided into the Pentecostal Church of Finland and Pentecostal

^ congregations registered as free associations48.

л A series of theological consultations between the ELCF and

the Pentecostal movement was organized in 1987-1989. Later, regular meetings have been held. In the consultations it was noted that both have influenced each other. Internationally it is noted that the Pentecostal movement in Finland has been influenced by Lutheran theological thinking. This is especially evident concerning the doctrine of justification and the understanding on the Holy Communion49.

According to a concluding declaration (Paatosasiakirja) in 1989 baptism became a topic in which there were disagreements. the Pentecostal party stated that the Pentecostal movement does not accept the infant baptism of the Lutheran churches as a New Testament baptism. the Pentecostal delegates further affirmed that a child is born in the reconciled humankind. He/she does not need baptism until he/she has become responsible in the presence of God and received faith. the birth of faith is called regeneration,

48 Paatosasiakirja Suomen evankelisluterilaisen kirkon ja Suomen helluntai-heratyksen virallisista neuvotteluista 1987-1989. Kirkon ulkoasiain neuvosto. Suomen ev.lut. kirkon keskushallinto. 1989. Sarja D. N 1. P. 14. Internet pages of the Pentecostal Church in Finlad: http://www.suomenhelluntaikirkko.fi/. On its founding see: Suomen Helluntaikirkon perustaminen, URL: http:// www.suomenhelluntaikirkko.fi/info/tietoja_ suomen_helluntaikirkosta/ suomen_helluntaikirkon_ perustaminen (дата обращения 6.10.2014).

49 the Finnish Pentecostal movement is somewhere between Lutheran and Reformed traditions and is removed from the Baptist tradition which keeps the Communion only as a remembrance. See: Luterilainen ja helluntailainen kasi-tys ehtoollisesta — yhteenvetoa Suomen evankelis-luterilaisen kirkon ja Suomen helluntaiheratyksen neuvottelukunnan keskusteluista 2.11.2010 ja 7.3.2011. Kohta 6, URL: http://sakasti.evl.fi/sakasti.nsf/0/215E302C60D9F6FAC2257730004 52F61/$FILE/Yhteenvetoa%20ehtoolliskeskusteluista%202010-11.pdf (дата обращения 06.10.14); Paatosasiakirja Suomen evankelisluterilaisen kirkon... P. 25.

and only this conscious faith gives a person right to be baptized. This is in accordance with the Schleitheim Confession, but this document is not mentioned50.

According to Paatosasiakirja, there are, however, points where there is an agreement: baptism and faith are connected to each other as well as baptism and the forgiveness of sins. When an adult person is baptized, personal faith is required. Baptism obliges every Christian to live in the new life empowered by God's grace. Thus both parties agree with each other that both baptism and faith are needed for salvation51.

The Main Articles of Faith of the Pentecostal Church of Finland were accepted in 2001. They were accepted before organizing the Pentecostal Church in Finland and thus represent the whole Pentecostal Movement. the Finnish Pentecostal movement identifies itself clearly with the Trinitarian Christianity. It is interesting that the Apostles' Creed is mentioned. In 2013 the Committee on Ethics and Doctrines (Eettis-opillinen toimikunta) accepted a more detailed explanation on the Main Articles52.

Article 7 deals with Baptism. "The (Water) Baptism is connected to God's Redemptive work. Baptism is done to a believer at the command of Jesus Christ in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit by immersion in the water. the person baptized is then joined in the local assembly"53.

The Main Articles do not deal with the question of accepting baptism administered in other churches. Rebaptism of members of the Lutheran Church has been one of the main difficulties between the ELCF and the Pentecostal movement. the Articles affirm immersion of adult believers as a norm, but are silent on accepting baptism of other churches.

50 Paatosasiakirja Suomen evankelisluterilaisen kirkon... P. 8, 10, 25.

51 Paatosasiakirja Suomen evankelisluterilaisen kirkon... P. 8.

52 The Main Articles of Faith of the Pentecostal Church of Finland. In the Preamble it is stated: "The substance of the Confession is derived directly from the Bible. However, direct references to the Bible have been excluded due to the briefness of the text." This document is a translation from Finnish Helluntaiseurakunnan uskon paakohdat accepted in 2001 (Suomen Helluntaikirkon uskontunnustus, URL: http://www.suomenhelluntaikirkko. fi/tunnustus_ ja_opetus_2 (дата обращения: 06.10.14)).

53 Helluntaiseurakunnan usko paakohdat 2001, URL: http://www.suomen-helluntaikirkko.fi/tiedotteet/helluntaiseurakunnan_uskon_paakohtia (дата обращения 06.10.14). The online document in Finnish contains a link from the word kaste (Baptism) to the 2013 explanation.

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rn In the 1989 document, the infant Baptism was explicitly rejected, but

o the 2001 and 2013 documents do not deal with the question54.

3 Russia

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Lutherans have been a historical minority in Russia.

m the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia has participated

§ in the dialogues between the ELCF and the Russian Orthodox

w Church. In areas surrounding St. Petersburg the relations are

^ good, but in Eastern Karelia and in Siberia occasional difficulties

§ have been reported. These are mainly due to the fact that Lutheran

s congregations are new in these regions.

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Even though there have not been officially organized theological dialogues with Pentecostals and other groups drawing from the Anabaptist tradition, locally the congregations of the ELCI are in contact with congregations belonging to these groups. These contacts have a history going back to the Soviet era. According to Kaarina Ylonen, Lutherans participated in the meetings of Baptists and others, some may have even joined their congregations. My discussions with students at the Theological Institute of the ELCI confirm that contacts to these groups are still part of the life of the congregations of the ELCI. Mostly these relations are friendly, but often quite distant. It is likely that there are not many members of the ELCI joining Baptist or Pentecostal churches. On the contrary, sometimes Christians and even groups of Christians with a Pentecostal or Charismatic background have joined the ELCI55.

Thailand

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand is a member the Evangelical Fellowship in Thailand (EFT) established in 1969. the Constitution of the EFT says very little about the church. the spiritual unity is acknowledged but nothing is said how about this unity is expressed. Baptism is not mentioned. "There is a spiritual unity of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in this world, which is the body of Christ, the Church"56.

54 Päätösasiakirja Suomen evankelisluterilaisen kirkon... P. 8, 10, 25. Helluntaiseurakunnan usko pääkohdat 2001, 2013.

55 Ylönen K. Inkerin kirkon... P. 297-300. Author's observations.

56 Constitution of the Evangelical Fellowship in Thailand.

The EFT was established for co-operation. There were different needs and purposes. the founding members were some mission organizations and a number of independent churches. the number of national Churches (denominations) is increasing. These vary from loose fellowships to more structured denominations, and groups belonging to the same theological tradition have established separate organizations. Pentecostals are prominent. By 1996 the number of Pentecostal groups had grown to more than 15. the development of national bodies is a fairly recent phenomenon, since most of the mission agencies have begun their ministries in Thailand after the Second World War. the oldest of the denominations is the Gospel Church of Thailand, in co-operation with the Christian and Missionary Alliance organized in 194857 .

Trends leading into different directions can be observed. In the Annual Meetings ofthe EFT and sometimes in other connections, there were voices for strengthening the structure of the EFT. There were people who wanted to develop the EFT in the direction of a national Church. In 1985-1986, a survey was sent to the member organizations about willingness to change the Constitution of the EFT. No changes in the structure took place. It seems that a change in the understanding about the nature of the EFT took place around 1990. Though not clearly expressed, the underlying principle was that the EFT is a co-operative organization for national Churches and various Christian organizations, not a Church itself. the proposed rules for Local Church Registrations in 1991 are indicative. It was informed that the EFT aimed to have the individual local churches join together as fellowships or organizations58.

Since the beginning of the new millennium, attempts to develop the EFT towards a more structured and unified entity have continued. the Internet pages of the EFT in Thai are indicative. the EFT members are functioning in all parts of the country and a district system has been introduced. According to the Constitution (Charter), the General Assembly elects the members of Council (khanakammakarn

57 Mäkelä J. Independent Churches... P. 61-66, 151, 217-218, 220. Constitution of the EFT.

58 Mäkelä J. Independent Churches. P. 219-220. the rules for registering new local churches were finally accepted in 1997.

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g congregations switching denomination have been recorded. ^ On the other hand, there is a popular slogan "mai thue khana nikai". 2 the slogan can be translated as "do not to care for the denominational ^ differences". This slogan was born in the 1950s and 1960s and it became ч a way for Thai Christians to cope with the arrogant foreigners ^ competing with each other that time. Mai thue khana nikai can mean different things. First, it is used among groups belonging to the same theological tradition. It is easily understood that this is a way to deal with the confusion e. g. among the Pentecostals because of the large number of Pentecostal groups. Secondly, it expresses a wish to abolish the borders between different Protestant bodies, and to create unified structures. However, the division to the EFT and the CCT is seen more or less as given. Thirdly, it can be understood as a polite acceptance. It could be translated as: "We belong to different denominations but we are brothers and sisters in Christ"60.

In Thailand, baptism was a topic of dispute in the beginning ofthe Protestant work in the 1830s and 1840s. From the 1860s until the Second World War the Presbyterian tradition was dominant. the Church of Christ in Thailand was established in 1934 mainly as a result of the ministry of the American Presbyterian Mission. However, it includes Baptist Districts. Baptism became a topic of dispute after the Second World War when new mission organizations, especially Pentecostal ones, entered the country. Most of the member organizations of the EFT have their understanding of baptism similar to the Anabaptist tradition61.

Between the years 1958-1973, there were three movements in which re-baptisms became a central phenomenon. These incidents took place before the ministry of the Lutheran Mission

59 Makela J. Independent Churches. Р. 220.

60 Makela J. Independent Churches. Р. 220-221; EFT Internet pages: http://www.eft.or.th/.

61 Makela J. Independent Churches. Р. 25-34, 193.

in Thailand was initiated, but their impact was seen during the early a years of the Lutheran ministry. the first recorded case of a larger i group being re-baptized is the organizing of the first Pentecostal g congregations by the Finnish Pentecostal missionaries (Finnish Free Foreign Mission) in Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand in 1958. These congregations were born after a revival within the Presbyterian

(CCT) congregations. Christians joining the revival were re-baptized >

2|

and organized into five Pentecostal congregations. Their combined membership was close to 400 in the beginning. the baptism given by the CCT was not considered to be a proper baptism62. E

s

The second movement was the establishment of the United Pentecostal Church in the early 1960s. the United Pentecostal Church grew mainly through transfers, and people baptized n

in the name of the Holy Trinity were re-baptized in the name a

w

62 Makela J. Independent Churches. P. 193-194. the number of400 re-baptisms was my estimation based on information given by Jouko Ruohomaki and other Finnish Pentecostal missionaries: Ruohomaki J. the Finnish Foreign Free Mission in Thailand in 1946-1985. A Descriptive History: A non-published Master of Religious Education thesis. Grand Rapids, 1987. P. 76, 79-82, 87, 89-91, 106.

63 Makela J. Independent Churches. P. 194. Smith A. G. Siamese Gold. A History of Church Growth in Thailand. An Interpretative Analysis 18161982. Bangkok, 1982.

64 Makela J. Independent Churches. P. 194-195.

of Jesus. Alex Smith states that 800 baptisms were administered within one year, and the church had more than a thousand members

at the highest. Later the number of members was on the decrease, §

and was 300 in 1978. Reliable statistical accounts are lacking, but n in the end 1990s the United Pentecostal Church had probably f

2,500-5000 members63. E

The third movement was the Church of Christ (non- ° instrumental). the group was growing largely due to transfers from s other churches. It can be estimated that by 1973, approximately 800 members transferred from other churches to the Church of Christ and were re-baptized. There was also a fourth movement, the activities of the Church of God of Prophecy from 1977 to 1984, but the information regarding it is difficult to find.64

Re-baptisms in these three movements between the years 19581973 can be estimated as follows:

га Pentecostals in Chiang Rai — 400

о United Pentecostal Church — 800

и

tj Church of Christ (non-instrum.) — 800

g 2,000

о Including re-baptisms in connection to other transfers, the total

л number of re-baptisms between those years can be estimated to have ^ reached 2500. Between 1953 and 1973, the number of re-baptisms « was about one tenth of the total number of baptisms65. After ^ the rebaptisms in the 1960s and 1970s, baptism has not been a major ч divisive issue. the EFT does not require a certain theological stand л on baptism. Baptism is of course discussed in different situations, especially in theological institutes, but there have not been organized official theological dialogues between churches as has happened in Finland. At the Luther Seminary in Thailand students and staff members have dealt in their theses with questions related to other churches. Because of the division of the Protestant Christianity into numerous groups, organizing official dialogues on baptism would practically be challenging. Some kind of co-existence of different traditions has taken place.

Conclusions

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is a historical majority church with official theological dialogues with Roman Catholic, Orthodox, historical Protestant and Anglican churches and churches influenced by the Anabaptist tradition. the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia is a growing historical minority church in a country where Orthodox churches have been dominant. the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand is a growing minority church in an overwhelmingly Buddhist country. It is also a minority among Christians. In spite of the differences in their contextual settings, all of them share similar stands in questions concerning baptism and ecumenical relations.

In all three cases the Lutheran churches accept the baptism of other churches. This is stated in their Constitutions and Church Orders. This way they identify themselves as part of the Church Universal. Baptism is not usually a problem

65 Makela J. Independent Churches... Р. 195.

in their relation to Roman Catholic, Orthodox and historical a

Protestant churches. i Only the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland has had official g

theological dialogues with churches drawing from Anabaptist L

tradition, but the others interact with churches with this tradition. ^

These interactions are mainly not recorded. Re-baptisms have e

created tension between Lutherans and Pentecostals in Finland. >

§

In Thailand, re-baptisms were a controversy in the 1960s and 1970s ^

prior to the beginning of Lutheran ministry. §

f

a

Информация о статье d

Автор: Якко Мякеля, фонд Тери (Ярвенпяа, Финляндия) о

Электронная почта: [email protected] g

Заголовок: Baptism, Lutheran Confession and Ecumenical Relations: § Three Contexts [Крещение, лютеранская конфессия и экуменические о отношения: три контекста] L

Аннотация: В статье рассматривается отношение лютеранской r церкви к крещению как отражение экуменических отношений. L Евангелическо-лютеранская церковь Финляндии исторически > ведет официальный богословский диалог с римско-католической ° и православной, протестантскими и англиканскими церквями S и храмами, а также находится под влиянием анабаптистской ... традиции. Евангелическо-лютеранская Церковь Ингрии в России представляется церковью исторического меньшинства в стране, где доминировала православная традиция. Евангелическо-лютеранская церковь Таиланда — церковь меньшинства в преимущественно буддистской стране. Представляя собой меньшинство среди других христианских конфессий, эти церкви, несмотря на различия в историко-культурном контексте, занимают сходные позиции в вопросах крещения и экуменических отношений.

Ключевые слова: Евангелическо-лютеранская церковь, Финляндия, Таиланд, Ингрия, анабаптизм

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Data on the article

Author: Jaakko Makela, Teri Foundation (Jarvenpaa, Finland)

E-mail: [email protected]

Title: Baptism, Lutheran Confession and Ecumenical Relations: Three Contexts

Abstract: The article examines attitude of the Lutheran Church towards baptisms as reflextion of the ecumenical relations. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is a historical majority church with official theological dialogues with Roman Catholic, Orthodox, historical Protestant and Anglican churches and churches influenced by the Anabaptist tradition. The Evangelical Lutheran Church ofIngria in Russia is a growing historical minority church in a country where Orthodox churches have been dominant. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thailand is a growing minority church in an overwhelmingly Buddhist country. It is also a minority among Christians. In spite

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