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.
The Higher the Dome, the Closer to God: This interview with photographer Lisa Auerbach explores how the architecture of megachurch buildings represent the faith and community of that faith community, but also the individualism, capitalism and personal agency represented by small businesses. The piece includes 15 photos and could be used in classes on liturgical arts, […]
The Distinctiveness of Religion in American Law: Rethinking Religion Clause Jurisprudence by Kathleen M. Brady (Cambridge, 2015) — Religion’s traditional distinctiveness under the First Amendment has been challenged by courts and scholars. As America grows more secular and as religious and nonreligious convictions are increasingly seen as interchangeable, many have questioned whether special treatment is still […]
Innate Religious Identity: (Note: one free download) This volume of essays is devoted to predicting the direction sexuality law will take after the Obergefell ruling. My essay continues my interrogation of legal attentiveness to children’s identity development in custody disputes. LGBT advocates and parents benefited from science that promoted understanding of sexual orientation and gender […]
Absolute worst newspaper: Why this one goes on ‘Shame List’ for journalism malpractice — Campus Pride, an LGBT advocacy group, released its annual Shame List, highlighting “The Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth.” GetReligion offers an assessment of news coverage on this story, what is news, what is not, and what is sound journalism. Could be […]
Churches & Political Activity – The Call to Repeal the Johnson Amendment: students and others interested in politics and the church can assess this effort to explain a long-debated issue. One of the two-kingdoms concerns: Who gets to decide what is “religious” and what is “political,” and how would that be done?
From Meilaender’s book, Neither Beast nor God: To be human is to learn to live and love within limits—the limits of our embodied, mortal life, the limits of those whose being opens to God. It is to acknowledge, honor, and esteem the particular place—between the beasts and God—that we occupy in the creation. One need […]
Why Give Alms? It is unlikely that the solutions relevant to the particularities of ancient circumstances could be simply adopted for our world. Those ancient efforts might, however, inspire our own efforts to help others. Historians Peter Brown and David Downs demonstrate the timeless importance of heated discussions of this responsibility in all of its […]
Why Do We Judge Parents For Putting Kids At Perceived — But Unreal — Risk? This extensive discussion examines changing cultural norms and perceptions about protecting and over-protecting children. Using some recent research, the article includes moral analysis, which students can assess with various ethical theories including a Lutheran ethic.
Does Religion Matter In Determining Altruism? For some years, a dispute has continued about the role and necessity of religion to the virtue of altruism. This brief commentary continues that discussion, reluctantly allowing that religion does predispose people to altruistic (2nd great commandment) behavior. The links and an additional search will add more resources to […]
The Altar of Sport: The Olympics as a kind of religion — This brief discussion of a recurring topic may be new to students and could serve as a useful example of the intersections of religion and culture, civil religion, and two-kingdoms issues.
