[1] I am discovering that there are mainly three occasions on which people seek my ethical counsel as a Lutheran pastor. The first is when the local newspaper is doing a story on something controversial: homosexuality, genetic research, etc. The phone rings, a reporter asks, “what does the Lutheran church say about thus and so” […]
[1] Is this a question that needs to be answered? Isn’t it a bit like asking if the existence of God can be proved? Why do we need to prove it? Why do we need to know if Muslims worship the same God as do we? What difference might that make? Having said this, let […]
[1] I begin my review of this estimable book with a quibble over the title. “Social ethics,” in William Henry Lazareth’s usage in this book, refers to the embodiment of Christian moral convictions in the time-bound culture of any given age. As such, Christian theological ethics need not, and in some cases, ought not, be […]
[1] Pastor, theologian, ethicist, ecumenist, bishop: William Lazareth’s lifetime of service in the church is reflected in the concerns and conclusions of this important book. The theology of Martin Luther, he contends, endures as a “classical authority” for the church as it continues to adapt new programs of Christian social ethics. Focusing on the biblical […]
[1] Justification lies at the heart of Martin Luther’s theological contribution. But the radical freedom it entails leads to questions, questions Roman Catholics and Reformed Christians have asked Lutherans and Lutherans have asked themselves: Can Lutherans be ethical? How is Christian freedom related to love and the law? [2] William Lazareth attempts a response by […]
Part 2 of a 2 part series. From Christians in Society: Luther, the Bible, and Social Ethics by William H. Lazareth, © 2001 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission. For the first part, click here. Priesthood of the Baptized [86] Luther’s theology of sanctifying love in vocation was further reinforced by the ethical doctrine of the […]
[1] The recent controversy concerning the status of treatment of Taliban and al-Qaeda detainees at the Guantanamo base in Cuba offers an occasion for reflection about the seriousness with which our government undertakes its legal obligations. [2] When the U.S. signed the Geneva Conventions in 1949 which govern, among other things, the treatment of persons […]
[1] The Enron scandal is a painful example of what can go wrong in American business. Fundamentally, the American style of capitalism depends on trust. It needs to be able to depend on promises made, on reports being truthful, on facts being facts. To be sure, occasional relatively small mistakes, short delays, or little lies […]
[1] The question is whether Christians and Muslims worship the same God. Muslims would say that they do. For there is but one God, and to worship anything but that one God is not to worship God at all. Since Christians, Muslims, and Jews all worship the God who created the world, who called Abraham […]
[1] Over the past four decades, William Lazareth has shown himself to be one of the most able and articulate of the American Lutheran voices doing theological ethics. In print, lecture, sermon, and ecumenical discussion, he has sought to unpack the ethical implications of the gift of the gospel. In this volume, Lazareth draws upon […]
