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 New Culture Of Cooperation In Academia Is Emerging: Students can gain a big-picture perspective from this brief essay. “Questions that span the curriculum (for a wide sample, go here) are essential to both scientific and humanistic research, having broad social implications. To a large extent, they are at the core of a liberal arts curriculum, […]
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.
Research Fraud: the Temptation to Lie — Most scientists and medical researchers behave ethically. However, in recent years, the number of high-profile scandals in which researchers have been exposed as having falsified their data raises the issue of how we should deal with research fraud. We need to start to look more deeply into who engages in […]
The factors driving the growth of religious ‘nones’ in the U.S. — While it appears the U.S. is becoming less religious, some contend that’s not necessarily the case. Instead, the growth of the “nones” may simply indicate that people who are not religious are becoming more willing to say they have no religious affiliation. Do survey data support […]
What’s U.S. Religion Worth? $1.2 Trillion, Says one Demographer: This article can help students realize the scope and ripple effect of religion throughout culture and society. Religion is big bucks according to a new comprehensive study. Comparatively, religion is the 15th largest national economy in the world, ahead of 180 other countries in terms of value, and […]
A Museum of Us: Museums can provide a neutral, public space for reflecting on the role of religion in human experiences. Many people don’t regularly interact with those of differing religious traditions, much less visit their mosques, temples, churches, and synagogues. They rarely have the chance to see, smell, taste, and touch the elements of other […]
Skip the Endorsements in Church, Say Most Americans: Eight in 10 (79 percent) say it is inappropriate for pastors to endorse a candidate in church. Three-quarters say churches should steer clear of endorsements. Yet fewer than half want churches to be punished if they do endorse candidates. This survey can serve as an intro to the complicated […]
Why the bedrocks of L.A.’s civil rights movements won’t embrace Black Lives Matter: Black churches in Los Angeles, and the traditional African American clergy who lead them, have kept a decided distance from the new breed of activism represented by the Black Lives Matter movement. In many ways, the division is generational. Black Lives Matter is […]
This Sceptic Isle: Britain is unusually irreligious, and becoming more so. That calls for a national debate, says a recent article in the Economist. Religion in Britain may or may not be a harbinger. Students can consider this situation, the future of Christianity, and its relation to direct or indirect assistance from the governing authorities. […]
