September 2004, from Pastor Gregory Fryer

Dear Bishop Bouman:

I am grateful to you for your latest round in our ongoing discussions of theology. I am honored by how earnest and hardworking you are.

I have been pondering your ideas, and have sketched out in my mind my answers, but before I turn to that, I would like to have your permission for something. I would like to share this latest round of our debate with my great teacher, Robert W. Jenson. He is a friend of New York City and of our Metro New York Synod. He would not mean us harm, but only good.

I would like to share this round with Jenson in hope that he might help me see the forest for the trees. I think that I can answer you paragraph for paragraph, and I can read or reread the texts you recommend, but I feel that somehow I am spinning my wheels. In fact, I am somewhat dumbfounded. I fear that you and I are in profound disagreement concerning not only Lutheranism, but also the faith of the Church.

You might hesitate for me to bring in Jenson, out of a sense that our debate is a work in progress and not polished enough for others to see, but I can explain all that to Jenson and he would understand. Still, for the sake of the truth and for the sake of the Church, I would be glad for his thoughts.

And if you are unwilling for me to share our recent round with Jenson, I will honor that and go ahead without him. It's just that I think it would be even better with his insight.

Yours in Christ,

Greg