Articles

[1] On June 27, 2002 the Supreme Court of the United States issued its ruling in Zelman, et. al. v. Simmons-Harris et. al. whereby a sharply divided Court upheld as constitutional a school voucher program that allowed thousands of Cleveland, Ohio students to attend religious schools. Some commentators have called this one of the most […]

[1] We outlined and began writing this article in August 2002. In the ensuing weeks, a number of ethical and moral issues emerged in the United States in general and in the African American context in particular. These issues have implications for both church and society. These issues caused us to pause and reflect as […]

[1] “That is why what America most needs today may be prayer: prayer that God may yet help us, before it is too late, to stop our accelerating slide toward the way things used to be.” Stephen L. Carter, “Reflections on an America Transformed,” The New York Times September 8, 2002 [2] I have, in […]

[1] Here in Columbus I often see flags for Ohio State, especially on game days. There are very few flags for other teams. Football unites Columbus. People who have never attended O.S.U. talk about the O.S.U. team as “us” and the opposing team as “them.” Refereeing decisions unfavorable to O.S.U. are often condemned. Supporters usually […]

[1] In my initial article written just a few weeks following the terrorist attack on September 11, I expressed a concern that our heritage of just war thinking might help us to “grasp the underlying causes for the belligerence of the enemy” and “pursue every avenue that might contribute to understanding between the two sides.” […]

[1] Whenever mainstream Protestant religious intellectuals and church leaders-let’s call them religious professionals-reach near unanimity on questions of political policy, especially foreign policy, it is time to be suspicious. They seem to have reached near unanimity in opposing American policy toward Iraq. [2] Now, it is axiomatic that on foreign policy questions those religious professionals […]

[1] The next three issues of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics will focus on various dimensions of the theme: “Ethics and Family: An African American Perspective.” The theme emerged in conversations with several members of the Conference of International Black Lutherans (an association of African and African American Lutheran teaching theologians and bishops in the […]

[1] The report of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine came before the General Assembly for a vote on November 29, 1947. On the basis of their four month investigation, the majority of UNSCOP’s members concluded that a partition creating two states, one Jewish and one Arab, in the territory that Great Britain had […]

[1] Lutheran theological ethics has often seemed more impoverished than full of promise. Core concepts of the Lutheran tradition – justification by faith, the law-gospel distinction, the so-called “two kingdoms” doctrine, and the concept of vocation – have been read in ways that bifurcate Christian faith from social and personal ethics. Justification is an act […]

Postings to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com hosted by The Crossings Community, Inc. (www.crossings.org) by Ed Schroeder. Used with permission of the author. Unless otherwise noted, the brackets are the author’s. I. “The Promise of Lutheran Ethics – The First Part of a Review” (October 22, 1998) [1] There could be more promise in The Promise of Lutheran Ethics. […]