Richard C. H. Lenski

This article is about the Lutheran theologian. For the evolutionary biologist (his descendant), see Richard Lenski.

Richard Charles Henry Lenski (September 14, 1864 – August 14, 1936) was a German-born American-naturalized Lutheran pastor, scholar, and author who published a series of Lutheran New Testament commentaries.

The Reverend Richard C. H. Lenski
Born	Richard Charles Henry Lenski (1864-09-14)September 14, 1864 Greifenberg, Brandenburg-Prussia
Died	August 14, 1936(1936-08-14) (aged 71)
Education	Capital University
Children	Lois Lenski
Church	Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio
Ordained	1887
Writings	New Testament commentaries
Congregations served	Baltimore, Maryland; Trenton, Springfield, and Anna, Ohio
Offices held	President of Western district of Joint Synod of Ohio; theology professor at Capital University

Life

Lenski was born on September 14, 1864, in Greifenberg, Brandenburg-Prussia (now Gryfice,^[1] Poland). In 1872 he emigrated to the United States. He was educated at Capital University and its Theological Department, which were institutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio. He was ordained as a pastor in that synod in 1887, and served congregations in Baltimore, Maryland, and in Trenton, Springfield, and Anna, Ohio.^[2][3]

He was editor of Die Lutherische Kirchenzeitung for twenty years, beginning in 1904.^[4] In 1911, he became a professor of theology at Capital University and its theological department. He also served the Joint Synod of Ohio as president of its Western District for a number of years.^[2]

Lenski died on August 14, 1936.^[3]

Publications

Lenski's major work was a 12-volume series of commentaries on the New Testament, published originally by the Lutheran Book Concern. Each contains a literal translation of the Greek texts and commentary from a traditional Lutheran perspective.^[5] Some of the volumes were published after his death.

Other works include The Active Church Member, The Eisenach Gospel Selections, The Eisenach Old Testament Selections, The Epistle Selections of the Ancient Church, The Gospel Selections of the Ancient Church, The Sermon: Its Homiletical Construction, and Saint Paul.^[3]

Descendants

Lenski was the father of the author Lois Lenski,^[1] grandfather of the sociologist Gerhard Lenski, and great-grandfather of the evolutionary biologist Richard Lenski. Lenski’s descendants have attended Capital University for six generations.^[6]

Theology

As a Lutheran, Lenski shows little sympathy for Reformed theology in his commentaries.^[7] Lenski had sometimes distanced himself from the Calvinism-Arminian debate.^[8] However he practically adopted the main distinctive tenets of the Arminian soteriology.^{[9][10][11][12]} Though not using the exact terminology, he held to conditional election,^[13] unlimited atonement,^[14] prevenient grace^[15] and conditional preservation of the saints.^[16]