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.
How to Make Liberal Democracy Safe for Religion: J. Judd Owen’s Making Religion Safe for Democracy challenges both secular and religious thinkers. As Owen argues, the ascendant form of philosophical liberalism, with its tenuous claims to be a space without any religious commitments, is “not well equipped to confront a world of resurgent religion, particularly […]
Why humans find it hard to do away with religion: A summary and critique of current explanations for religion from evolutionary psychology — “The belief that we live under some kind of supernatural guidance is not a relic of superstition that might some day be left behind but an evolutionary adaptation that goes with being human. […]
Taking War Captive: This CTQ article by Joel P. Meyer examines several views on the just war theories, including John Howard Yoder, Robert Benne, and Martin Luther, in an assessment of Daniel Bell’s book, Just War as a Christian Discipline (Brazos Press, 2009).
Hating the Way Jesus Hates – Why more believers need the courage to get angry at sin: Students in psychology, literature. the neurosciences, political science and other disciplines may find this interview applicable to the proper role of affect in Christian vocation. Aristotle defines “inirascibility,” as a deficit in anger which means not being angry when you should […]
Alberta Gets Transgender-friendly Schools: What can parents expect from new laws in Alberta, Canada, about accommodating the needs of transgender people? Will they affect primary and secondary education? Because the provincial government pays the bills for all public, charter, and religious schools, it also calls the tune.
Is Sports Gambling Moral? You Bet, Americans Say: Nearly two-thirds of Americans disagree that it’s morally wrong to bet on sports. Yet 49 percent think sports betting shouldn’t be legalized nationwide. Opposition runs highest among religious Americans. Almost 60% evangelical beliefs say sports betting should not be legalized throughout the country, and 57 percent believe daily fantasy sports […]
ISIS obliterates oldest Christian monastery in Iraq: Published at Crux (The Boston Globe), this is the AP’s thorough coverage on the destruction of the St. Elijah Monastery by ISIS. The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been reduced to a field of rubble, yet another victim of the Islamic State group’s relentless destruction of ancient cultural sites. […]
Thou Shalt Not Toss Food: Enlisting Religious Groups To Fight Waste: Separation of church and state? When it comes to fighting food waste, the U.S. government is looking to partner with the faithful. The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday launched the Food Steward’s Pledge, an initiative to engage religious groups of all faiths to help redirect the […]
What is to be done about the death penalty? This set of four essays on the current death penalty debates include a from natural law scholar, Pope Francis, an African-American community activist, and a Mormon studies expert. These concise articles may be useful as a single introductory reading or for a brief unit series of […]
Four Recent Books on Killing, War, and the Pre-Constantine Church: church historian Ronald Sider reviews these books in order to distinguish speculation from historical fact. Two of these books argue that early Christians held widely divergent views. The other two argue that the historical record contradicts the view that the teaching of the early church on killing […]
