March / April 2009

Book End, Fitly Spoken Words

 
Joseph Sittler
Fitly Spoken Words
The life of Joseph Sittler (1904-1987) — pastor, theologian, and author — was dedicated to the high-energy pursuit of explaining the Gospel in light of contemporary culture, especially as it related to religion, ecology, and the arts. First a parish pastor in Cleveland, Ohio, he then began a long career teaching seminarians at the Lutheran seminary in Maywood, the University of Chicago’s Divinity School, and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. With a deep love for both the Gospel’s Word and language, he taught and wrote clearly and imaginatively. “Those of us associated with Joseph Sittler during these past 50 years considered him a spokesman,” said Conrad Bergendoff (1895-1997). “And with what splendor he spoke — of a Lutheranism that will face today’s philosophy, today’s morals, today’s destiny, and will seem relevant to an age of unbelief and reckless license” (The Lutheran, Jan. 28, 1988, pp. 23). Visit the Joseph Sittler archives for text, sound, and video files at www.josephsittler.org, a cooperative venture of the ELCA and LSTC. (ELCA Archives, 1979 photo)

This article appeared in the March / April 2009 issue of Lutheran Partners (vol. 25, no. 2)