Symposium on Obergefell — SCOTUSblog has published a symposium of interpretations on the Supreme Court same-sex marriage decision with ten participants, generally though not entirely favorable toward the decision. Of note is the inclusion or non-inclusion of arguments from natural law and the conjugal theory of marital unions (see Sanders’ article, for ex.).
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
Will the Court Protect Religious Objectors to Same-Sex Marriage
Will the Court Protect Religious Objectors to Same-Sex Marriage? — Mark Silk, Professor of religion in Public Life at Trinity College and generally an advocate of same-sex marriage, offers a brief exploratory that considers whether religious colleges will now be subject to regulation and litigation contrary to their creeds.
Business as the Moderator of Civil Discourse on Religion
Business as the Moderator of Civil Discourse on Religion — Re-assessing the role of religion in the public square now includes discussion of and in the workplace. Here is a case study briefly presented in The Economist that considers situations in the UK and in the U.S. “What is striking about the latest judgment is […]
Bringing a Christian Perspective to Common Human Experiences
Bringing a Christian Perspective to Common Human Experiences — The Spring 2015 edition of Concordia Journal includes a set of articles that explore this intersection theme, including justice, marginality, and hospitality; suffering and joy; and vocation in work and rest.
An Amicus Brief on the Public Purpose of Marriage
An Amicus Brief on the Public Purpose of Marriage — From the Ruth Institute, this brief to the Supreme Court seeks to distinguish public purpose, prevailing interest, and personal affect and commitment, arguing that the courts have largely confused these concepts in recent rulings. May be useful for helping students learn the themes and concepts.
Is Writing From a Muslim Perspective an Appropriate History Assignment?
Is Writing From a Muslim Perspective an Appropriate History Assignment? — A Wisconsin high school teacher faces criticism for assigning a five-paragraph point-of-view essay to her sophomore world history class in which the students were instructed to write from a Muslim perspective.
Orthodox Jewish Men and Airline Seats Next to Women
Orthodox Jewish Men and Airline Seats Next to Women — A growing number of airline passengers, particularly on trips between the United States and Israel, are now sharing stories of conflicts between ultra-Orthodox Jewish men trying to follow their faith and women just hoping to sit down
College Freshmen Less Concerned with Religious Identity
College Feshmen Less Concerned with Religious Identity — According to The American Freshman, released annually by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, college freshmen are increasingly distancing themselves from religion. Nearly 28 percent of those surveyed did not identify with a religion, a number that has increased by 12 percent since 1971 (that is, […]
Covering Religious Violence: 8 Factors Journalists Should Know
Covering Religious Violence: 8 Factors Journalists Should Know — Journalists and policymakers must not jump to the conclusion that religious differences are enough to fuel religion-related violence, warns Prof. John Wolffe, in a report titled, “Religion, Security and Global Uncertainties.” Wolffe advocates digging deeper to learn why and how stable, diverse communities break down, resulting […]
Challenging Radical Islam
Challenging Radical Islam — Some condemn ISIS and Boko Haram but insist that their acts have nothing to do with true Islam. Others opine that ISIS and Boko Haram do represent Islam’s true face. In this article, John Azumah says that neither perspective is helpful. Both distort the nature of Islam and its relation to […]
