Vivaldi’s Business Plan — In the U.S. everyone thinks St. Martin-in-the-Fields is an orchestra. In the U.K. everyone thinks it’s a homeless shelter. The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields is over 50 years old and St. Martin’s today, with 350 concerts a year, offers the fullest concert program in the U.K. Meanwhile the Connection at St. Martin-in-the-Fields […]
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.
Three Views: Is the 17 Trillion Dollar Federal Debt Immoral?
Three Views: Is the 17 Trillion Dollar Federal Debt Immoral? — The debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio sat at 107 percent. The U.S. credit rating had fallen to AA plus, with a negative outlook—the first time our rating has been downgraded. When a country borrows this much in excess, it risks spiritual bankruptcy.
Love, Sex, and Commerce: The Debate Over Prostitution
Love, Sex and Commerce: The Imminent Debate Over Legal Prostitution — Arguments about the ethics of selling sex are taking place just off the main stage of American politics. These arguments pit young evangelicals—who are fleeing the old culture war battlefields for the cause of fighting sexual exploitation—against those who argue for treating sex work […]
Are We Genetically Inclined to Be Materialistic?
Are We Genetically Inclined to Be Materialistic? — New research suggests certain cultures place a brake on what social scientists call “the endowment effect,” whereas capitalistic societies put it on steroids. This 5 min. audio clip might be used to explore a biblical anthropology, the nature of community, or other themes related to human nature.
Megachurch and Money: The House That Steve Built
Megachurch and Money: The House That Steve Built — More than 14,000 people attend Elevation’s six campuses each weekend. The budget for the church will likely top $25 million this year. The problem, though, is that the good Elevation and churches like it do may be undone by financial and organizational controversies.
Justice Bosson and the Prostitution of Religious Belief
Justice Bosson and the Prostitution of Religious Belief — Can merchants with religious convictions be required to conduct business transactions that the merchant believes are contrary to his or her faith? This article-plus-reader-comments can help students explore the extent of the left-hand kingdom’s concern for justice and the extent and ways in which the Christian […]
God and the IRS: What the Bible Can Teach Us About Tax Policy
God and the IRS: What the Bible Can Teach Us About Tax Policy — A brief article as a starter piece for considering two-kingdoms views on Scripture, the church’s message, and government policy.
Churches Attract New Members with Beer
Churches Attract New Members with Beer — With mainline religious congregations dwindling across America, a scattering of churches is trying to attract new members by creating a different sort of Christian community. They are gathering around craft beer.
Putting Good Deeds in Headlines May Not Be So Good
Putting Good Deeds in Headlines May Not Be So Good — When you celebrate what should be ordinary behavior as extraordinary, experts say, it sends a dangerous message. “I do worry about a culture in which people are giving selves credit for not having done terrible things. It sets a really low bar for what […]
Religious Diveristy and Pitfalls Increasing in the Workplace
Religious Diversity in the Workplace — The American workplace, like the rest of U.S. society, is becoming more religiously diverse and that is raising concerns about employer accommodations for believers — and increasing the odds for uncomfortable moments around the water cooler. “There’s a clear sense in the data, especially among white evangelicals, that […]
