Luther on Justice — This brief essay examines Luther’s perspective on justice from his early writing in the Heidelberg Disputation to his work in Bondage of the Will: “Luther knows that the question about God’s justice (that is, about the apparent lack of God’s justice in our experience of this fallen and incomplete world), rages […]
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.
"Open Book" by R. Marxhausen: the Bible, the book open to us all
Notre Dame, Ave Maria, and a Professor’s Case Study on Natural Law with Students
Notre Dame, Ave Maria, and a Professor’s Case Study on Natural Law with Students — The writer uses his students’ analysis to take a position in the dispute over the Diocese of San Francisco’s asserting Catholic doctrine on sexuality: “The poor and the children of the poor need champions for their cause, and rescue from […]
The Trans-Human Techno-utopian Vision
The Trans-human Techno-utopian Vision — This column by Ross Douthat reviews a dialogue in Edge.com with Yuval Harari and Daniel Kahneman about re-engineering human nature: “In terms of ideas, in terms of religions, the most interesting place today in the world is Silicon Valley, not the Middle East.” It’s in Silicon Valley that people are […]
The Millennials: Institutionalizing Ethics as Subjectivism and Emotivism
The Millennials: Institutionalizing Ethics as Subjectivsm and Emotivism — For most millennials morality is all about personal circumstances, said Robert Jones, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute (funded by the Ford Foundation) The new PRRI research looks at the views of U.S. adults ages 18 to 35 on issues such as sexual behavior, gender identity, […]
How the U.S. Compares With Other Countries on Religious Restrictions
How the U.S. Compares With Other Countries on Religious Restrictions — The U.S. has moderate levels of both restrictions on religion and social hostilities toward religious groups, ranking somewhere in the middle range of the nearly 200 countries analyzed in the report.
An Essay on Emotivism and Natural Law
An Essay on Emotivism and Natural Law — A current theme in assessing the culture wars examines the philosophical tradition of natural law (Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas) and how this concept may inform discussions on race, sex, inclusion, identity, and other dimensions of human nature. Some find this theme compelling; some do not. This essay […]
A Case Study on the Governing Authorities and Systemic Sin
A Case Study on the Governing Authorities and Systemic Sin — The Ferguson, MO, unrest has prompted a point/counterpoint exchange among two widely followed Christian sources. Franklin Graham has posted an obedience position on his FB blog, and Sojourners has responded with a perspective that says such matters are not that simple. Christianity Today offers […]
Religion and Culture: Leading or Responding?
Religion and Culture: Leading or Responding? — In this interview, Mark A. Smith argues that religion in American politics is best understood as responding to changing political and cultural values rather than shaping them. Smith considers five contentious issues in America’s history: slavery, divorce, homosexuality, abortion, and women’s rights.
An Essay on Reason, Theism, and Culture
An Essay on Reason, Theism, and Culture — One criterion by which a culture’s attainments are assessed is the extent to which it gives scope to man’s capacity for reason. Less appreciated, however, is the extent to which a society’s capacity to embrace full-bodied conceptions of reason depends upon its dominant understanding of the Divine.
Interview with Nancy Pearcey
Interview with Nancy Pearcey — This 1 hour interview with Nancy Pearcey explores her background and work in Christian apologetics from a Reformed perspective, including her recent studies in modern secularism. Could be useful in the arts, theology, literature, and communication studies.
