Items included for this subject area 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.
Distance, Tolerance, and Honor: Six Theses on Romans 13:1–7 — The intent of this article from James Prothro is not to resolve contemporary ethical and political questions, which would require addressing and evaluating various matters of policy and casuistry. This article is also not meant to encourage or discourage voting for any particular candidate or […]
Fairness for All: Evangelicals Explore Truce on LGBT and Religious Rights — The two-kingdoms doctrine is essential for weighing current issues in religious liberty. Meanwhile, American evangelicals await the prospects for the tense back-and-forth between religious liberty and LGBT rights. In recent months, the CCCU and the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) have discreetly led the […]
The Christian Lawyer — Faithfulness in a Changing Legal Landscape: This article (p. 23) by practicing attorney Renee Carlson offers a mainstreet lawyer’s perspective on the church and the law. “I was reviewing some internal organizational documents for a Christian school client and was surprised to…noticed the school had acquiesced to language that may have precluded […]
“Man of Steel” Brings Muscular Message to Oppose Right-to-Die Legislation: in 2014, J.J. Hanson was diagnosed with a quickly growing brain tumor. He was given four months to live. More than two years later, Hanson is still alive. And he has positioned himself as the new face of a movement fighting against legislation that will give aid […]
Most Americans Say Assisted Suicide is Morally Acceptable: Two-thirds say it is morally acceptable for terminally ill patients to ask their doctors for help in ending their lives and that doctors should be able to help terminally ill patients die. Americans want more say over how they die. That’s especially true if facing a painful, terminal […]
Finals Week – Spoken Word by Stefan Vandenkooy: Here is the 3:30 min video from Daniel Robinson making the rounds about the purpose of a college degree. This brief piece might be an item either to close a semester or open a semester. Several related links can found be in a brief search.
Obergefell v. Hodges and Nonmarriage Inequality: (Note: one free download) The author extends the logic of the Obergefell decision to other relationships and communal arrangements. Students can consider this logic, the nature of social relationships, and the role of law and government. The significance of views on some Biblical anthropology will become evident.
Opposing ends of the spectrum: Exploring trust in scientific and religious authorities — This study examines public trust in scientific and religious authorities for information about the risks and benefits of science including values, knowledge, media attention, and trust in religious organizations and scientific institutions. See also commentary, For Some, Scientists Aren’t The Authority On Science.
Why White Evangelicals Are Feeling Hopeful About Trump: Among the many articles decoding the election results, this one may serve as a current catalyst for students when assessing politics and religion in our culture, and using a two-kingdoms perspective to inform that assessment.
The Bible Never Says ‘All Men Are Created Equal’: The New Testament mentions equality once or twice, but when it comes to social relationships, it is far more interested in concepts like oneness, commonness, partnership, union, and joint-inheritance. If you make all those passages about equality, you flatten their meaning. The New Testament presents a better, […]
