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.
The Geo Grooup, Inc., a private prison and detention business, has been hired by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to hold Central American immigrant families seeking asylum. The work involves electronic monitoring, explaining immigrants’ legal rights and the asylum process, and helping enroll their kids in school. This role traditionally has been filled by […]
Luther scholar and microbiologist Alister McGrath writes, “Like It Or Not, We May Be ‘Meaning Junkies.’” Any philosophy of life or way of thinking about the questions that really matter will end up going beyond science. Why? Not because there is anything wrong with science. The point is that science works so well because it […]
This basic overview, “From Newton to Einstein: the origins of general relativity,” can introduce the non-science student to themes that every educated Christian should know. “To grasp the meaning and significance of general relativity, it is worth reflecting on the state of physics in the 19th century to see how Einstein came to realize that […]
The Katy, Texas, public-classroom dispute abut God between a teacher and a 12-year-old student serves as a case study on the challenge for journalists reporting on religion. On a critical-thinking test, the student declined to give the correct answer, which was that “There is a God” was a statement of opinion, not fact. Why is […]
No “Lions of Gory Mane” (Concordia Journal, Fall 2015): In 1522 Luther wrote, “It is the nature of the divine word to be heartily received by a few, but to be persecuted ruthlessly by many.” Today some voices in the United States are calling for American Christians to make a similar shift in their thinking. The church […]
Christianity Today presents a point-counterpoint exchange with Michael Gerson, Washington Post columnist, and Peter Wehner, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, writing on Christians in a same-sex world, and a response from Rod Dreher, senior editor at The American Conservative, on living in a post-Christian world. Students can assess and consider the contours […]
From Issues In Christian Education, Fall 2015: Christians make ready reference to the image of God. But what should we mean by this expression and to what does it refer? In a time of culture shift and debate about identity, the sources of the self, and the nature of being human, this edition of Issues provides […]
In Religious Arbitration, Scripture Is the Rule of Law: For generations, religious tribunals have been used in the United States to settle family disputes and spiritual debates. But through arbitration, religion is being used to sort out secular problems like claims of financial fraud and wrongful death. This investigative piece examines cases in which the courts […]
Powerful ‘Gene Drive’ Can Quickly Change An Entire Species: Scientists have known for years how to genetically engineer living things. Sometimes, the genetic changes are passed down to offspring. A new technique called “gene drive” could make that happen almost every time. The advance is raising excitement about possible real-world uses, such as fighting diseases. But the approach […]
John Danforth, former senator and ambassador and an Episcopal priest, offers this essay that attends both to God’s left-hand and right-hand kingdoms: “What America needs is many more activists in politics—not activists who work for their own causes, but men and women who are committed to the higher calling of our republic, the fundamental and […]
