Items included on this page come from a variety of sources. The perspectives conveyed may or may not express a Lutheran ethos. They can serve our instruction as discussion-starters, examples (positive and negative), and illustrations of intersections between God’s two kingdoms, intersections sometimes characterized by tension, sometimes by congruence. Inclusion does not imply endorsement.
God and the genome: A geneticist seeks allies among the faithful: Is the human genome sacred? Does editing it violate the idea that we’re made in God’s image or, perhaps worse, allow us to “play God”? Harvard Geneticist Ting Wu’s Wu is making the case that one of the most visceral scientific debates of our time need not be […]
How Science Became a Weapon in the Mommy Wars: In the shifting battle lines of the mommy wars (nursing, vaccination, gender), scientific studies have become a common weapon. Discerning pseudo-science from bona fide science takes work–research isn’t as straightforward as we might hope. Science is a messy pursuit for understanding, but learning a bit more about the […]
After crash, Hoboken residents ponder God and fate: This article on victim and observer responses to a commuter train wreck presents common views and reactions to tragedy. Possibly useful for courses in psychology, apologetics, health, and technology.
Euthanasia at the Paralympics: Does Belgium have a problem with disability? — This article from the Director of The Anscombe Bioethics Centre in Oxford, England, can help students compare and contrast current differing policies and laws emerging on assisted suicide. The writer links the differences to differing views on disabilities.
Tom Brady, Michael Strahan Produce ‘Religion of Sports’ Show: “OK, so sport is a religion? Well, yeah, it really is.” This six-part series looks at different examples of the cultural and spiritual impact of sports in religions around the world. The show explores the rivalry between soccer clubs in Glasgow, Scotland; the Calgary Stampede rodeo in Alberta, […]
6th Circuit Dismisses Suit Over Catholic Bishops’ Health Care Directives: The U.S. Court of Appeals dismissed the suit against the Catholic Health Ministries by which the plaintiff claims she was inadequately treated when she prematurely went into labor at 18 weeks into her pregnancy. The hospital, complying with the USCCB’s Catholic health care directives, did not […]
Why Give Alms? It is unlikely that the solutions relevant to the particularities of ancient circumstances could be simply adopted for our world. Those ancient efforts might, however, inspire our own efforts to help others. Historians Peter Brown and David Downs demonstrate the timeless importance of heated discussions of this responsibility in all of its […]
For those monitoring the emerging research on the nature and nurture issues of LGBT matters, see the Fall edition of the New Atlantis, Special Report–Sexuality and Gender, and responses such as those from Warren Throckmorton at Grove City College, “The Editor of The New Atlantis Responds to My Critique of the Mayer and McHugh Article.” The […]
The Altar of Sport: The Olympics as a kind of religion — This brief discussion of a recurring topic may be new to students and could serve as a useful example of the intersections of religion and culture, civil religion, and two-kingdoms issues.
Walgreens faces pressure over religious contractors: SSM Health, a Catholic healthcare system based in St. Louis, will open 27 new express health clinics inside Walgreens stores in Missouri and Illinois. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), MergerWatch, and National Health Law Program authored joint letters to Walgreens and SSM to flag the health provider’s religious tenets. SSM adheres to the Ethical […]
