Einstein’s Universe Turns 100 — One hundred years ago, Albert Einstein presented the complete formulation of the General Theory of Relativity to the Prussian Academy of Sciences. Perhaps the greatest lesson from Einstein and his theories of relativity is that reality is not what it seems. What we perceive as real is a distortion, a […]
Christ, Culture, and Thinking About Secularism
Christ, Culture, and Thinking About Secularism — Near Eastern Studies Professor Michael Brown looks back at the prescient essay on an advancing secularism written by Lutheran theologian Wolfgang Pannenberg twenty years ago: “In a secular milieu, even an elementary knowledge of Christianity, its history, teachings, sacred texts, and formative figures dwindles. It is no longer […]
An Amicus Brief on the Public Purpose of Marriage
An Amicus Brief on the Public Purpose of Marriage — From the Ruth Institute, this brief to the Supreme Court seeks to distinguish public purpose, prevailing interest, and personal affect and commitment, arguing that the courts have largely confused these concepts in recent rulings. May be useful for helping students learn the themes and concepts.
Anabaptists Work on Unity Over Same-Sex Differences
Anabaptists Work on Unity Over Same-Sex Differences — In the first nine months of 2014, 10 churches left the Mennonite Church USA. Meanwhile, Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) voted to delay a formal position on its policy against same-sex relationships, effectively allowing faculty to indefinitely violate the current policy. Meanwhile, the larger denomination is seeking ways […]
Te Q Conference: the Christian Debate on Sexuality
The Q Conference: the Christian Debate on Sexuality — The Q Conference did not mirror the debates common on cable news networks, but they may more closely resemble the national conversation in many homes, workplaces, and churches about topics ranging from the connection between spirituality and sexuality to Americans’ attitudes on religious freedom laws, and […]
Religion Complicates Calif. Vaccine Debate
Religion Complicates Calif. Vaccine Debate — The issue of religious exemption for vaccinating children has become a key theme in current legislation on the senate floor in Sacramento.
Newsfeed of Fear: An Editorial on New Editing
Newsfeed of Fear: An Editorial on News Editing — The news media’s addiction to spectacular violence might not be so insidious if it were accompanied by the kind of empathy and compassion that serve to reduce violence in the real world. Editors may feel caught in a system that has to balance public interest with […]
Biblical Archaeology’s Top Ten of 2014
Biblical Archaeology’s Top Ten of 2014 — CT’s list of the broad variety of institutional and salvage excavations taking place in the lands of the Bible including the tomb of Stephen, the temple at Tel Burna, the “stone rejected by the builders,” and more at Herod’s temple. Students benefit by understanding an historically informed faith.
An Articulate Lutheran Small Business Owner on Same-Sex Marriage
An Articulate Lutheran Small Business Owner on Same-Sex Marriage — NPR has a series on same-sex marriage views in North Dakota. This 7 min. audio clip can offer students a clearly expressed view from a thoughtful layperson with which they can agree and/or disagree.
Is Writing From a Muslim Perspective an Appropriate History Assignment?
Is Writing From a Muslim Perspective an Appropriate History Assignment? — A Wisconsin high school teacher faces criticism for assigning a five-paragraph point-of-view essay to her sophomore world history class in which the students were instructed to write from a Muslim perspective.
