Unionism and Syncretism: What are they really?

By Bruce A. Cameron

When I joined the Missouri Synod at my ordination in 1979, I signed its Constitution. By doing this, I renounced “unionism and syncretism of every description.” I did not agree never to speak, work, or pray with other Christians. I did not agree never to appear in public at any event that might include representatives of other religions.

The Missouri Synod’s first constitution, in 1847, rejected the “mixing of churches and mixing of faith” [Kirchen-und Glaubensmengerei], which was translated into English as the renunciation of “unionism and syncretism.” The Synod’s founders did not have in mind events that would “seem” or “give the impression” of a mixing of confessions; they had real, declared, intentional syncretism and unionism in their view. Look at the examples they cited: “serving congregations of mixed confession by a minister of the church; taking part in the divine service and the administration of the sacraments of false-believing [heterodox] or mixed congregations; taking part in any false-believing tract distribution and missionary activities.” In 1847 there were “united” congregations in the German communities, where Luther’s Catechism and the Calvinist Heidelberg Catechism were both in use; the church members simply “agreed to disagree.” Such “unionistic” congregations and their pastors were forbidden to join the Missouri Synod.

Syncretism Is A Statement of Faith

Likewise with syncretism—the mixing of religions. Whether we look back to Georg Calixt (and his 17th-century proposal for uniting Lutherans, Catholics and Reformed under supposed “consensus of the first five centuries”), or to more ancient or more modern mixing of confessions or religions, there is a long line of syncretists who have been proud to express their amalgamated synthesis-of-all-religions. Syncretism is more than physical proximity; it is a statement of faith. And there are those who will be perfectly pleased to make a combined, mixed statement of faith their own.

Both unionism (“We agree to disagree”) and syncretism (“We’re all saying the same thing”) are religious statements. The problem is, their message is one of indifference to the truth. As such, unionism and syncretism are the enemies of the Gospel. To proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ—as we have it in the Scriptures, as we express it in our creeds, catechisms, sermons and hymns—is to speak the truth,  to proclaim the One who is our Truth. Any approach that suggests, “Here is the truth, but it really doesn’t matter,” fights against the truth and undercuts any evangelistic or mission outreach.

The Gospel As Antidote

The opposite is true as well. The proclamation of the Gospel is the antidote to unionism and syncretism. A pastor or congregation who is actively bringing the scriptural Gospel of Jesus Christ to people of other faiths has not fallen into syncretism. A pastor or congregation (or a District of Synod) that is proclaiming the truth of the Gospel, as we have agreed that it is explained in the Lutheran Confessions, has not fallen into unionism.

The controversy of the last year has shown us that we do not agree on how our rejection of unionism and syncretism works in practice. When some of us saw or heard what Pastor Dave Benke did on September 23, 2001 at Yankee Stadium, we were immediately sure that he had done the right thing for that place, that time and those people. When other members of the Synod saw or heard what he had done, they were immediately sure that he had done the wrong thing. That so many members of the Synod jumped—immediately!—to conflicting conclusions tells us something about the state of our Synod.

Cases of Discretion

It tells us that our Synod, meeting in convention two months before September 11, was correct in affirming a statement on “Cases of Discretion” in a description of the Lutheran understanding of church fellowship. This statement (prepared by the Commission on Theology and Church Relations and the Office of the President, when Gerald Kieschnick was Chairman of the CTCR and A.L. Barry was President of the Synod) says: “Pastors may have honest differences of opinion about whether or to what extent it is appropriate or helpful to participate in these [i.e., “an inauguration, a graduation or a right-to-life activity”] or similar civic events. In these cases charity must prevail.”

Also, “Offering prayers, speaking, and reading Scripture at events sponsored by governments, public schools, and volunteer organizations would be a problem if the organization in charge restricted a Christian witness….without such restriction, a Lutheran pastor may for valid and good reason participate.”

And one more quote: “There are also ‘once in a lifetime’ situations… These situations can be evaluated only on a case-by-case basis and may evoke different responses from different pastors who may be equally committed to LCMS fellowship principles. The LCMS has always recognized this.”

St. Louis Observances            

An example of how the LCMS has “recognized this” in the past may be helpful. In May of 1945, the Mayor of St. Louis sponsored a V-E Day program. During the planning of this program, Missouri Synod representatives “made clear to the mayor that the Lutheran pastors of the Missouri Synod could not be represented in a service of worship or of prayer, but that they could participate in a civic gathering.” When the day came, this was the program: the Invocation was given by a Catholic priest. The mayor and others gave speeches. Several religious representatives spoke—a Catholic, two Protestant clergymen, and a Jewish Rabbi. The closing prayer and Benediction were given by an LCMS Lutheran.

However! When V-J Day arrived, the committee in charge of the St. Louis celebration overruled the requests from the Missouri Synod and arranged for a “religious service” in some respects different from the V-E Day festivities. The Missouri Synod (and the Roman Catholics) did not participate. In other words, as the old saying says, “The devil is in the details.”

How we live out our faith; how we are “among” others, but not always “of” them; how we decide when to participate, and when not to—these are not always easy questions.

Caution is in order. We have no right, in our religious life, to “combine unlike and disparate elements in the interest of a false union” (a Lutheran Cyclopedia [1954] definition of syncretism) and we don’t want to give the impression of doing so.

Boldness also is in order. Freedom can also be a part of our witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As Martin Luther said, “Something must be dared in the name of Christ” [Formula Missae, 1523].

Clarity is in order. We need to express our message in language people will clearly understand, so that the message we convey is actually the message we intend to convey.

And finally, Charity is in order. We will not all come to the same decisions, nor will any of us come to the identical decision on every occasion. It is neither possible to accept all invitations in advance, nor to decline all invitations in advance. “Charity must prevail.” (It is not by accident that the great chapter on love, I Corinthians 13, was written to a divided and contentious congregation.)

Part of My Work As A Pastor

I think of my own history: invocations and prayers at Memorial Day services; a benediction at the North Carolina Right-to-Life convention; prayer and benediction at a St. Louis Vietnam Veterans service; Scripture reading at the Sparta Habitat for Humanity groundbreaking; message and closing prayer for the Randolph County Domestic Violence Awareness program—almost all of these with other clergy participating. I considered these things part of my work as a pastor. In recent weeks, I have been recruiting churches for what we hope will be a January declaration on behalf of every church in Sparta, IL, that “We pledge all the available resources of our churches from our churches, organizations and agencies to every woman of any faith, or no faith, who chooses life for her child rather than death by abortion. We assure all pregnant mothers in need: we will do our best to help you with any financial, medical, or social service problem that is a danger to you or your unborn child.” Yes, at the  event that announces this commitment, there will be messages and Scripture reading and prayers. No, it will not be unionism or syncretism.

The Message of Jesus Christ

You see, when I joined the Missouri Synod at my ordination in 1979, I renounced “unionism and syncretism of every description.” This is still my commitment. I did not agree never to speak, work or pray with other Christians. I did not agree never to appear in public at any event that might include representatives of other religions. I did agree that the message of Jesus Christ—found in the Scriptures, explained in the Lutheran Confessions—will be my only message to anyone who asks me for an explanation of the hope and the joy I have been given.