Replatformed Again: Erik Herrmann’s Editorial Role at Verba Vitae
By Iris Lennox
This week, I was made aware that Erik Herrmann is now listed as an Academic Editor for a new academic journal called Verba Vitae, published by ILT Press. The journal is focused on the “ontology of life” and is led by Dennis Bielfeldt, who is listed as General Editor.
The full editorial team can be found here:
https://promissio.ilt.edu/index.php/pj/about/editorialTeam
At first glance, this might seem like a routine academic appointment. But for those familiar with the context, it raises serious concerns.
Erik Herrmann quietly resigned from Concordia Seminary in June 2023. He was, at the time, still listed on the LCMS clergy roster and teaching future pastors. His resignation followed the exposure of an extramarital affair with me, an affair that included emotional, spiritual, and physical entanglement, all while he remained in public ministry and under ecclesiastical authority.
Since that time, I have written about my experience in detail: what happened, what I’ve learned, and what I believe the church must confront when it comes to silence, secrecy, and the quiet reinstatement of spiritual leaders after moral failure.
When I asked Dennis Bielfeldt directly whether Erik had disclosed the reason for his resignation or been vetted before being brought onto the faculty at Christ School of Theology, he said no. The board had not known. And yet now, Erik holds a position of influence once again, not just teaching, but helping to shape the direction of theological scholarship through editorial oversight.
For those who continue to say, “He was accountable. He resigned,” I offer this:
Accountability without transparency isn’t accountability.
Resignation without repentance isn’t restoration.
And replatforming a fallen leader without acknowledging the cause of his fall doesn’t promote healing. It perpetuates harm.
At its core, this is a matter of integrity, both personal and institutional. It concerns the health of theological education, the safety of those under pastoral influence, and the cost of silence when the truth remains unspoken.
I chose the affair. I’ve taken responsibility for my part in it. But I didn’t choose the larger story, the silence, the re-platforming, and the way institutions quietly restore men who were never publicly called to account.
Once I understood the imbalance of power and the way Erik was willing to shift blame onto me while preserving his own image, I chose to report him for sexual misconduct to Lee Hagan, president of the Missouri District of the LCMS. That was in May 2023. By January 2025, he was already teaching at a new seminary.
What I have chosen since Erik reappeared in a leadership role at Christ School of Theology, and when I saw him re-platformed by CMPL at the Best Practices in Ministry conference in February 2025, is to keep telling the truth publicly.
The truth is: Verba Vitae has given editorial power to a man who disappeared rather than take responsibility, and who continues to benefit from a system willing to hold his silence for him.