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.
Brock Turner, Moral Outrage, and Natural Law: This essay uses a highly publicized rape case at Stanford and a new book, After the Natural Law by John Lawrence Hill (Ignatius Press, 2016), to examine the relationship of our moral intuitions and current inconsistencies in public practice and beliefs. Students will be able to grasp the […]
Americans Love God and the Bible, Are Fuzzy on the Details: This LifeWays survey confirms the expected: inconsistency and confusion about basic Christian doctrines. Examples include Americans think God likes all religions; personal salvation takes work; and everybody sins but it’s no big deal.
Christian university expels student after racial social media post: This case study is an opportunity to examine the use or non-use with students of valid Christian discipline, Mt. 18, the 10 Commandments, and our actual goals when working with students.
The Political Magic of C.S. Lewis: This op-ed column presents an overview of several themes from Lewis that intersect with perennial issues in politics and religion. Student can agree or disagree with the columnist while considering the views. The article also cites the new book, C.S. Lewis on Politics and the Natural Law by Dyer […]
Lund and the Quest for Christian Unity: Baptist scholar Morris West has noted a question to be answered: “Should not our Churches ask themselves whether they are showing sufficient eagerness to enter into conversation with other Churches–and whether they should not act together in all matters except those in which deep differences of conviction compel them […]
Exodus: Why Americans are Leaving Religion—and Why They’re Unlikely to Come Back — A lack of belief in teaching of religion was the most commonly cited reason for disaffiliation. Among the important motivations in leaving their childhood religion are: they stopped believing in the religion’s teachings (60%), their family was never that religious when they were […]
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, […]
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 […]
Religious Accommodation, Religious Tradition, and Political Polarization: (one free download) What happens when a liberal democracy loses its common source or sources for its existential convictions and its raison d’tre? The practice of religious accommodation from government agencies now generate difficulties that aggravate the political polarization they were intended to reduce. This essay focuses on […]
Brief of Amici Curiae Former Justice Department Officials in Support of Petitioners: (one free download) The argument here is that if a party sincerely holds moral objections to conduct compelled by civil authorities, this looks a lot like the legal doctrine of criminal complicity (facilitating a scheme to some, even slight, degree with knowledge of […]
