The Intersection of Science & Christian Theology — The LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations has published a study document on science and religion titled In Christ All Things Hold Together. This book-length treatment addresses topics in theology, the history of science, issues in philosophy, exegetical concerns, and church practice. It is available in […]
Social and Economic Life in Second Temple Judea
Social and Economic Life in Second Temple Judea — A book review by Walter Brueggemann of this book by Samuel Adams (Westminster, 2015) which asks economic questions about the post-exile period of the Bible rather than focusing only on theological-spiritual matters–to the neglect of material considerations—or imagining that texts can be understood apart from context. […]
LGBT Persuasion Research Retracted
LGBT Persuasion Research Retracted — One of the authors of a research paper published in Science, claiming that short conversations could change people’s minds on same-sex marriage, is retracting it following revelations that the data were faked by his co-author. See also Retraction Watch.
Obergefell v. Hodges / The Same-Sex Marriage Case
Obergefell v. Hodges / The Same-Sex Marriage Case — This link takes you to the SCOTUSblog page on the upcoming Supreme Court decision. Issue: 1) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex? 2) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to recognize a marriage […]
The Ethics of Pedophilia
The Ethics of Pedophilia — From Ethicist Ole Martin Moen, University of Oslo, Centre for the Study of Mind in Nature: “Pedophilia is bad. But how bad is it? And in what ways, and for what reasons, is it bad? This is a thorny issue, and sadly, one seldom discussed by ethicists. I argue in […]
Richard John Neuhaus, Warts and All
Richard John Neuhaus, Warts and All — Here is Richard Mouw’s book review of Richard John Neuhaus: A Life in the Public Square by Randy Boyagoda (Image Books, 2015). Neuhaus was expelled from Concordia Seward when he was a student here in the 1950s as a consequence of his leading panty raids during the A […]
The Benedict Option
The Benedict Option — And from an essay by Damon Linker, here is a perspective on “the Benedict option,” a theme from Alasdair MacIntyre at the close of his book, After Virtue, which proposes a two-kingdoms strategy to develop “local forms of community within which civility and the intellectual and moral life can be sustained […]
Further Discussion on Notre Dame, Core Curriculum, and Theology
Further Discussion on Notre Dame, Core Curriculum, and Theology — Are disciplines the building blocks of university education and thus the proper focus for a core curriculum? Or should we recognize that academic disciplines are “artificial” and reorient our thinking around curricular “goals” such as “critical thinking skills,” “effective communication,” “ethical decision-making skills”? Or the […]
The Plight of Middle East Christians
The Plight of Middle East Christians — Ancient Christian communities in Syria and Iraq are in mortal peril. Can the West find a way to preserve the Christian presence in the Middle East—and stave off a ‘clash of civilizations’? This WSJ piece is representative an assortment of treatments on this issue. Could be a starting […]
America’s Changing Religious Landscape
America’s Changing Religious Landscape — The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the share of Americans who do not identify with any organized religion is growing. These changes affect all regions in the country and many demographic groups. See also the discussion in The Atlantic, “American Religion: Complicated, Not Dead.”
