The Death Of Mysticism And Conventional Wisdom; The Findings Of "The Becoming Lutheran" Follow Up Survey


A follow up survey for The Becoming Lutheran Research Project was conducted January 4, 2014 to January 15, 2014.  The survey was conducted among those who participated in the initial Becoming Lutheran Research Project. 

The follow up survey was intended to flesh out how former American Evangelicals derived their data and knowledge about: God, the meaning of being human, the world, the church, the nature of truth/reality, etc... while in Evangelicalism compared to where they derived their data and knowledge within Confessional Lutheranism.  The survey allowed for input in the areas of: 

From the 156 responses, there is a clear indication that while the respondents journeyed from American Evangelicalism into Confessional Lutheran thought, they experienced a drop in their use of Mysticism and Conventional Wisdom as a means of gathering data and knowledge about God, self, the world, the church, the nature of reality/truth, etc…  More specifically, there was a 73.03% decline in the use of Conventional Wisdom and an 85.71% decline in the use of Mysticism upon entering Confessional Lutheranism.

Though only 29% of respondents indicated that Pragmatism was a means of gathering knowledge and data within American Evangelicalism, this category too declined in use to only 10% of respondents affirming Pragmatism within Confessional Lutheranism. 

Thus, according to this follow up survey, there is a clear indication that when entering Confessional Lutheranism from American Evangelicalism there is a decline in the use of Conventional Wisdom and Mysticism, while there are slight increases to the use of Logic/Reason (17.19% increase) and Revelation as expressed in God’s Word (10.68% increase).

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