1] As I write, two very different bills addressing comprehensive immigration reform move into a congressional conference committee. Since this public immigration debate began, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) has asked Lutheran churches, leaders and individuals to communicate concern to their representatives. [2] As a cooperative agency of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America […]
[1] The current debate over immigration in the U.S. is plagued by myths, inadequate theoretical frameworks, and ideological and political motives that seek to scapegoat unauthorized or undocumented[1] immigrants[2] for many of this country’s economic, political and social problems. In this essay, I attempt to clarify some of the issues involved in this debate by […]
Luther on how to become a citizen [1] Since contemporary political theory wonders how to regain and reactivate citizenship in a time of globalisation and anonymisation, it seems appropriate to return to those who invented the concept. It has frequently been noted that Luther and the Reformation stand at the cradle of citizenship. It would […]
[1] In February, President Bush announced the “American Competitiveness Initiative.” The Initiative includes efforts to “strengthen education” so that American students and workers can “compete with the best and brightest around the world.” Our President is not alone in casting education as the handmaiden of competition. Competitiveness permeates education. It starts early and continues throughout […]
[1] The invitation to prepare written thoughts on Our Calling in Education forced me to give it more careful consideration, and to learn about the adoption of church social statements in general. In seeking to articulate my disappointments with the education draft after my prior reading, I’ve learned more about the purpose of Evangelical Lutheran […]
[1] One of the stated purposes for this draft social statement of the ELCA, “Our Calling in Education,” is as a teaching document for the church. This evaluation attempts to examine that purpose, but it does so from the background of the Lutheran Church of Australia and hence from a context somewhat different from that […]
[1] First of all, I give thanks to all who have served to draft this social statement. This work is both important and urgent. I won’t comment at length about its importance. That should be obvious to all who take the time to read it. Its urgency is apparent to me because I have, in […]
[1] Our Calling in Education (the Draft Social Statement) has many excellent points and is on the way to being a valuable statement for use in the ELCA. I make a few suggestions below that I believe could strengthen the statement, but basically applaud the work of those who have produced the document. The church […]
[1] This is an important and timely volume for several reasons. First, and most importantly, it addresses a question that is nothing less than urgent in our fractured and morally uncertain times: Is it possible to formulate a framework for moral thought, speech, and action that has as its goal the good of all? This […]
[1] As a Lutheran and a political scientist, I originally reacted to In Search of the Common Good as Gulliver: It seemed as though I had washed up on a strange beach, could not understand the native languages, and was uncertain whether I was surrounded by elves, giants, or horses. This is a book by, […]
