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.
A Solstice Devotional for the Faithless in Trump’s America: Students can read this secular homily from a former Christian as a testimony of concerns, appeals, and petitions for the kind of society for which a notable demographic in today’s world hopes. Compare and contrast the themes with a traditional Christian narrative and hope.
Becket Fund Helps Clergy Intervene In Parsonage Lawsuit: This somewhat breezy column discusses the minister of religion housing allowance and may serve as an example of how this 60 year-old congressional action is perceived by some. Plainly, a two-kingdoms topic.
The Spiritual Crisis of the Modern Economy: The main source of meaning in American life is a meritocratic competition that makes those who struggle feel inferior. This essay can help students explore how value is assigned to persons and whether and how the concept of grace might be applied (or misapplied) to themes in sociology and […]
Are millennials leading the way in rejecting Gideon Bibles? Students can use this brief commentary and analysis to consider issues in journalism, customer service, culture shift, evangelism, and other ways in which religion and society intersect. “When more people than ever are objecting to any sign of religion in the public square, a well-known hotel […]
Bridging the digital divide, company gives churches free websites: Students can consider the pros and cons of digital tools for local ministry. TicketNetwork executive Don Va started Grace Church Websites to meet a need he discovered while talking to his friend, the Rev. Boise Kimber of New Haven, Conn. “We had purchased a website for […]
The Surprising Theological Possibilities of Virtual Reality: “What has Silicon Valley to do with Jerusalem?” Why should Christians care about this new wave of technology, and what are we to think of it? How do Christians, who are both consumers and creators of culture, react to this new medium?
Create Freely: The ADF legal society has published this guide for artists, musicians, designers, artisans, and other creative professionals who seek guidance on managing the current tension between religious liberty and some forms of civil rights activism. See its p. 22 for “Five Practical Steps” every creative artist can take to protect themselves.
What endures in Wittenberg: Despite its nearness to arms-producing factories, Wittenberg was largely spared the bombing that destroyed so many other German cities during World War II. Ordinary American Lutheran soldiers, it turns out, pleaded with their generals to go easy on the geographical source of their religion. Even for Protestants, supposedly free of saints and […]
Jerusalem as a Place of Desire and Death, at the Metropolitan Museum: Medieval Jerusalem was a busy market town at the nexus of trade routes. From combat to shopping, this show offers 200 objects from 60 international collections, a few spectacular but most fragile, everyday, and ordinary. If “next year, Jerusalem,” perhaps this year, the Met.
Converting Churches to Condos Brings Logistical, Social Challenges: As congregations move to the suburbs and property values soar, increasing numbers of religious institutions are selling their properties in the city. Some of the churches are demolished, but those with architectural merit are often adapted by developers for new uses, usually residential.
