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.
Governing God’s House: The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) has asked board members and church staff from more than 500 churches how their congregations are governed. This summary offers several insights about practices and patterns that seem to be effective. (We may further inquire: can we / should we educate our boards and, if […]
When does faith become fraudulent? Philip Jenkins asks, Should truth in advertising laws apply to religious claims? Should governments be in the business of defining authentic miracles? Which pastors are genuine, and which are fakes? Every society has its own versions of Elmer Gantry, people who use religious deception as a money-making tool. The question then arises of […]
Streaming Church Services: “We are looking at the popularity of Facebook Live, Snapchat and Periscope, so churches want to be there where they can reach people,” says DJ Chuang, consultant and leading expert on social media, the Internet and the church. This 8 min. video clip and transcript looks at the pros and cons.
To Serve God and Mammon: Hucksterism in the church dates back at least to Phineas and Hophni (1 Sam. 2). This review of The Money Cult: Capitalism, Christianity, and the Unmaking of the American Dream,by Chris Lehmann (Melville House, 2016) can serve as an intro to the sub-culture of American prosperity religion. Students can assess the […]
The Tech-Christian Apologoist Who Demolished Gawker: This column offers a profile of Pay-Pal billionaire Peter Thiel that students can assess for point-of-view, gay activism, money and power, and personal agendas. “In coverage of the Hulk Hogan business, Thiel’s Christianity has mostly been a bemused sidenote. But Thiel’s statements about faith illustrate the way that techno-utopianism […]
Full Faith and Credit: Christian Groups Unite Against Predatory Lending — A diverse coalition of Christians that unites conservative churches with liberal ones opposes predatory lending. One of these umbrella campaigns, Faith for Just Lending, includes, among others, groups of black Baptists and Latino evangelicals, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Salvation Army, […]
The Future Of AI: Is Something Different This Time? For classes in computer science, religion and ethics, business, and mathematics: the biggest shift in AI research has come through two developments. The first is the new capacity for machines to learn for themselves. The other development driving this wave of excitement is the ubiquity of Big […]
The Empty Brain: “Like a computer” continues to be the current common brain analogy. This comparison fails on several levels (as have previous analogies across the centuries). Robert Epstein, senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, explains why in this very readable in-depth article. Recommended for students and all readers.
Arbitration by Faith: This 10 min. video clip considers interviews a Christian attorney and arbitrator as well as a law professor at Pepperdine on the issue of Christian arbitration, now required in a growing number of business and employment agreements. Some individuals who want to take legal action are bound by their agreements to engage in Christian […]
Microfinance is big business in Colombia: In developing countries like Colombia, microloans — loans of $25 to $1,500 or more — are big business. The idea is to give loans to people who can’t get credit and who can’t get access to traditional financial services offered by banks. Elizabet Abella received her microloan from Opportunity International, a Christian […]
