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 May Forgive Ads That Offend, but Customers Probably Won’t: The advertising industry typically avoids religion, but some advertisers have made God or prayer a part of their campaigns, albeit very carefully. This high-risk, high-reward strategy, if done right, can inspire religious or spiritually minded consumers to act, but if done wrong, it can alienate an […]
When Corporations Turned on Social Conservatives–the Indiana Affair: a 30 min. video interview with Professor Patrick Deneen who discusses the March 2015 controversy over Indiana’s religious freedom legislation when corporate America weighed in on the controversy. Deneen explains what that sudden partisanship by Big Business means for the future. Students can consider Deneen’s views on conservatism, progressivism, […]
Students can deliberate the pros and cons of market economics and decision making in these cases, one involving food banks, the other involving terrorism. Food Banks’ Pickle: Getting Food To The Right Place At The Right Time (3:30 min. audio clip) discusses an efficient way to allocate food donations where needed most. And in Reviving Payoff For […]
This manual from the Church & Tax Store “clearly presents comparisons on key compensation components for 15 church positions from choir director to pastor to administrator. Based on national survey results, the compensation profiles are classified by part-time, full-time, church size, income budget, and geographical setting.”
A Different Kind of Street Ministry: Local leader Richard Parker asked Hunting Ridge Presbyterian Church to consider providing a peaceful presence in his Baltimore neighborhood. Congregation members were eager to find a way to be engaged in the community. Pastor Deborah McEachran and others gathered every Friday at a street corner known for drug dealing and […]
“The New Scientist: Jack of All Trades,” raises the issue of how and why resources are allocated for and in the sciences. “The claim that science needs to focus more on societal needs originates from politicians and is disseminated by intermediate bodies between politicians and scientific institutions such as national or regional funding agencies. Such […]
This essay, “Hope in a Jar,” asks, Why would a brand see theological language as rich ground for advertising? Perhaps because theology and advertising share the same root: desire. Theology is mediated to us through our everyday encounters with consumer products. The theological is right there in the everyday, staring at us in the labels on […]
Welcome to the first global Christian hackathon, where programmers speak of transformational love and pastors wield code. In 13 cities, 800 Christian coders, developers, programmers, designers, pastors, and artists gathered together for a 48-hour simultaneous hackathon. They scripted, designed, collaborated, and competed to develop new apps and websites for global and local adherents to the […]
“What Religious Freedom Isn’t” is an op/ed from the editors of Christian Century which questions the opposition of Duquesne University to adjunct faculty organizing for a union. Pacific Lutheran University has also recently moved through adjunct union activities and review from the NLRB. Among the issues are matters of institutional shared governance by full-time […]
From The New York Times: It’s as if Jesus’s parable about the workers in the vineyard—where latecomers got the same pay as those who worked all day—has come to life. Earlier this year, Dan Price, a graduate of Seattle Pacific University and CEO of Seattle-based Gravity Payments, made headlines nationwide after announcing plans to raise […]
