Twilight for America’s Elite Intellectual Consensus — George Marsden’s book, The Twilight of the American Enlightenment (Basic Books, 2014) sketches the emerging intellectual establishment following World War II and looks at common assumptions held by those leading cultural analysts writing for middlebrow Americans–assumptions that no longer prevail.
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
Whose Pluralism?
Whose Pluralism? — Tthis essay/review by church historian George Marsden is an example of writing informed by the assorted perspectives on how established faith traditions should or should not relate to their culture. In his measured discussion of its current irreligious contours, Marsden says that higher education now “seems strangely dated and parochially Western to […]
A Teacher Fired
A Teacher Fired — Korey Maas offers some background and context on a religion-in-public-school story about a first-grade teacher who refused to let one of her students share Christmas candy canes with notes about Jesus attached. Maas’ concern is that “conservative and Christian media have made it even more difficult to take seriously the many […]
Religious Rights in a Changing Society
Religious Rights in a Changing Society — NPR’s overview of the issues in play as cultural changes conflict with 1st Amendment rights for churches, church-sponsored agencies, and large and small businesses whose owners assert their religious convictions. This 7 min. audio clip touches on selected examples and some of the main themes.
Dying in the Digital Age
Dying in the Digital Age — An active conversation and a hefty dose of outrage is swirling on social media about the proper boundaries between public and private when it comes to illness and death. Lisa Adams, a stage 4 cancer patient, has been tweeting her experiences with the disease. Writers Bill and Emma Keller […]
Global Hostilities Toward Religion
Global Hostilities Toward Religion — A third of the 198 countries studied had a high or very high level of social hostilities involving religion in 2012. About three-in-ten countries had a high or very high level of government restrictions on religion, roughly the same as in 2011.
What Happens When Schools Cut Denominational Ties?
What Happens When Schools Cut Denominational Ties? — a major new study by the Council on Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) raises questions about what happens when schools with strong denominational ties loosen them. The three-part study, published in the journal Christian Higher Education, surveyed thousands of faculty members and students at 79 evangelical schools.
Celibacy as Political Resistance
Celibacy as Political Resistance — This essay by Grant Kaplan at St. Louis University discusses a two kingdoms view for Christian peculiarity, papal primacy, and clergy celibacy advanced in the 19th century. Agree or disagree, this account prompts reflection on the church’s strategies for in-reach and outreach. (Spiritual descendants of Stephan and Walther may find […]
The Idea of a Christian College Reexamined
The Idea of a Christian College Reexamined — Todd Ream at Taylor University and Perry Glanzer at Baylor University have a new book out, The Idea of a Christian College: A Reexamination for Today’s University (Cascade). It should be read by anyone with an interest in the state of Christian higher ed.
Reading the Bible With Martin Luther
Reading the Bible With Martin Luther: An Introductory Guide — A new book by prominent Reformation historian Timothy Wengert who introduces the basic components of Martin Luther’s theology of the Bible and examines Luther’s contributions to present-day biblical interpretation.
