Transmutation And Stick:Research On Lutheran Church Unity(1913-1949)

The movement of church unity plays an important part and effect in the history of the Church of Christ in China, although it becomes a rather influential movement in the early twentieth century, brewing for some time. It dues to the movement of church in China directly, and affected by the three missionary conferences and so on. The movement of Lutheran church unity is a part of church unity in China, reflected and promoted by the movement of Christian Federation of China, but Lutheran church stresses its faith and doctrine, and consider the doctrine of Lutheran church is objective only, so Lutheran church doesn’t agree with the idea of federation that abandons the sectarian difference in the Church of Christ. The movement of Lutheran church unity is considered as change and response to the idea of Federation. Lutheran church adheres to theological education as central strategy, not only is rectify to the movement of Christian Federation, but also laid the foundation for the self-support of Chinese church. To some extent, the process of Lutheran church unity is the process of self-support of Chinese church. But from the1930s, regardless in China and Europe are in the period of enormous change, especially the outbreak of two world wars in Europe, result in the collapse of social order, church can’t deal with the challenge of political and social, and can’t meet the spiritual need of people, moreover, democracy and the church revival movement have been taken place, freedom of religion becomes possible, interdiction of religions relative to break, the idea of ecumenical puts forward seasonably, it is the adjustment and response to the challenge that the change of social and political bring about. In addition, in the post-war China, the primary task of Lutheran church is reconstruction the church that suffers loss heavily, the strategy of unity adjusts seasonably, expecting can occupy a place in the future of society, the situation of upheaval provides an excellent opportunity for missions "Remodeling China" in China. In the post-war, the practice of the idea of ecumenical breaks the image of Lutheran church isolates itself, and enhances the influence and reputation of Lutheran church in China, but the modernism and universalization tendency that it brings, causes conservative Lutheran church’s guard, the practice of the idea of ecumenical and the debate among the Lutheran churches, manifest how Lutheran church adapt and stick between preserve the sectarian independence and contextualization in the times change in the situation, also refract how Lutheran church accomplish balance between preserve its faith and doctrine and localization.