Table of Contents

Title Page

1 Introduction

1.1 Examination

1.2 Disputation

1.3 Publication

2 Foreword to the June 2010 Edition

3 Introduction to the June 2010 Edition

4 Conservative Laestadianism

4.1 Spiritual Heritage

4.1.1 Luther

4.1.2 Laestadius

4.1.3 Raattamaa and His Contemporaries

4.1.4 The Keys and Conversions

Laestadius

Raattamaa

Other Early Conversions

The Discovery of the Keys

4.1.5 Mysticism

4.1.6 Schisms

The OALC

The New Awakening

The Apostolic Lutheran Federation

The FALC

The IALC

4.2 The Kingdom of God

4.2.1 The One True Church

Development

Implications

Biblical Justification

No Compromises

4.2.2 Which “True Church”?

The Christian Convention Church

The Churches of Christ

The New Apostolic Church

More Than Conquerors Faith Church

4.2.3 Inside vs. Outside

Separation from the World

Persecution Complex

Caricature and Blame

“Narrow-Minded”

Outreach

4.2.4 The Call to the Kingdom

4.2.5 Conversion

The Proclamation of Absolution

Personal Experiences

4.2.6 Obedience and Humility

4.2.7 Servants of the Word

4.3 The Bible

4.3.1 Creation and the Fall of Man

Adam and Eve

Conflicts with Science

Evolving Doctrine

4.3.2 Noah and the Ark

4.3.3 The Old Testament

Atrocities

Ancient Israelite Laestadianism

Prophecy

The “Wilderness Journey”

Continuity with the New Testament

4.3.4 Inerrancy

4.3.5 Hermeneutics

Textual Issues

Allegory and Symbolism

4.3.6 Value and Limits

4.4 Spiritual Entities

4.4.1 The Father

Omnipotence

Omniscience

Unchanging and Eternal

Omnibenevolence

Hidden

4.4.2 The Son

4.4.3 The Holy Ghost

4.4.4 The Mother

4.4.5 Angels

4.4.6 The Enemy of Souls

4.4.7 False Spirits

4.5 Justification

4.5.1 The Law

4.5.2 Works

4.5.3 Faith

4.5.4 Reason

4.5.5 Doubt

4.6 Sin

4.6.1 Specifics

Primary Motives

Authoritarianism

Asceticism

Appearance

Entertainment

Reading

Sports

Sex

Intoxication

Sins of the Right

Sins Unto Death

Thoughts and Words

Life and Death

4.6.2 Forgiveness of Sins

The Proclamation of Personal Absolution

The Sole Means of Grace

Regular Usage

From Faith to Faith

Public Proclamations

Getting it in Writing

4.6.3 Confession

4.6.4 Rebuke

4.7 The Life of a Believer

4.7.1 Joys and Sorrows

4.7.2 Prayer

4.7.3 Sacraments

The Lord’s Supper

Baptism

4.7.4 Marriage

Divorce

Intermarriage

Courtship

4.7.5 Children

Contraception

Christian Upbringing

4.7.6 Women

Women’s “God-given Lot”

Role in the Church

Obligatory Motherhood

Human Rights Concerns

4.8 Time

4.8.1 Unchanging Faith

4.8.2 Eschatology

4.8.3 Eternity

4.9 The Problem of Evil

4.9.1 An Ancient Dilemma

4.9.2 Soteriology

4.9.3 Predestination

Which is it?

The Calvinist View

Flirting with Free Will

4.9.4 Human Suffering

4.10 Taking Responsibility

4.10.1 Child Sexual Abuse

The Whistleblower

Out in the Open

Fallout

LLC Editorial

Doctrinal Issues

4.10.2 Rethinking the 1970s

5 Martin Luther

5.1 Predecessors

5.1.1 Luther’s View

5.1.2 Problems

Absent Absolution

What They Said (and Didn’t Say)

Confession

Rigorism

Duplicating the Keys

Hiddenness Again

5.2 The Church

5.3 Zwingli and the Real Presence

5.4 Conversion and The Forgiveness of Sins

5.4.1 Voice of Zion Article

5.4.2 Historical Context

5.4.3 Shared Doctrine and Significance

5.4.4 Thorns in the Rose Bed

5.4.5 Lay Absolution

5.4.6 Luther’s Conversion

6 The Old Testament

6.1 Genesis

6.2 Exodus

6.3 Leviticus

6.4 Numbers

6.5 Deuteronomy

6.6 Joshua

6.7 Judges

6.8 First Samuel

6.9 Second Samuel

6.10 First Kings

6.11 Second Kings

6.12 First Chronicles

6.13 Second Chronicles

6.14 Ezra

6.15 Nehemiah

6.16 Esther

6.17 Job

6.18 Psalms

6.19 Proverbs

6.20 Ecclesiastes

6.21 Isaiah

6.22 Jeremiah

6.23 Lamentations

6.24 Ezekiel

6.25 Daniel

6.26 Hosea

6.27 Joel

6.28 Amos

6.29 Jonah

6.30 Micah

6.31 Nahum

6.32 Habakkuk

6.33 Zephaniah

6.34 Zechariah

6.35 Malachi

7 The New Testament

7.1 The Gospels

7.2 Acts

7.3 Romans

7.4 First Epistle to the Corinthians

7.5 Galatians

7.6 Colossians

7.7 Hebrews

7.8 First Epistle of John

7.9 Revelation

8 Epilogue

References

Index