Christian Nationalism

[1] The ELCA social statement Faith and Civic Life: Seeking the Well-Being of All defines Christian Nationalism as:  A cultural framework that idealizes and advocates fusion of highly selected Christian beliefs with U.S. civic life. This nationalistic ideology holds, among other   things, that the U.S. Constitution was divinely inspired, that Christianity should be a […]

Select Bibliography on Christian Nationalism Recommended Books that Challenge Christian Nationalism (Including books written by evangelicals)   Ajoy, April. Star-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a True Faith, Worthy Books, 2024. (Written by a former Christian Nationalist who has repudiated it) Alberta, Tim. The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age […]

[1] I was invited to ponder the following questions for this essay: What might be the contours of a Lutheran liturgical ethic that shapes our civic engagement? How do worship or prayer equip Lutherans to re-define political power? What roles do liturgy, prayer, and preaching play in fostering, strengthening, or supporting justice and democracy? I […]

[1] Alarmed at the perceived creep of authoritarianism in the present U.S. Administration, especially at the enforcement tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, this declaration written by a California pastor and modeled on the Barmen Declaration of 1934 in Germany, aims to stiffen and clarify the Church’s public witness as a check against a creeping […]

[1] Esteemed readers of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics, it is my pleasure and privilege to introduce myself as the new Book Editor. I have been teaching ethics at Bethune Cookman University for over 18 years and have been actively involved in the work of this church. I hope to continue the legacy of quality […]

[1] No doubt economics plays a role in our polarization and social fragmentation.  Harvard Law School Deputy Dean John Coates has authored a cutting edge book on economic trends that Lutheran ethicists need to address and that we all need to master in order to educate the Lutherans we serve to the new realities of […]

[1] In the aftermath of the 2024 United States Presidential Election, Christians are wrestling with more constructive ways of living out their faith-life and civic duties. Unfortunately, political discourse of late has created a gulf within the church catholic in the United States as Christians are drawn into the culture wars and hyper-partisan politics. There […]

[1] Karen L. Bloomquist’s latest book, Moving Beyond: Toward Transformative Theologizing, is not intended to be a scholarly work; it is a call to reevaluate traditional approaches to God-talk in an attempt to create a more engaging and transformational model. Building on her previous work[i], Bloomquist draws on her personal journey in order to present […]

[1] Is it possible for Christians to express earnest and thoughtful disagreement with one another about contested political issues while retaining shared community in Christ? As a matter of actual practice, is it possible to imagine openly disagreeing in a productive way within congregations without vilifying one’s opponents? This is the challenge that Amy Carr […]

[1] Amidst a society wrenched apart by forces hell-bent on splintering the body politic as well as the Body of Christ, Amy Carr and Christine Helmer have co-written Ordinary Faith in Polarized Times which offers a theological framework for helping Christians engage in moral discernment and “justice-seeking.” For the authors, the concept of Christian identity […]