Editor’s Intro

Martin Luther spoke of Anfechtung as an essential part of the life of faith. Trials of spiritual angst can serve to teach us to despair of our own merits (or lack of them) and to rely solely on God’s amazing grace. But what happens when religious leaders in public service have to undergo such tribulations […]

In this edition of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics, the perennial issue of whether Christians are called to “keep the law” is explored. While Jon Olson’s article and Robin Mattison’s response center on the Apostle Paul, his Jewish heritage and the extent to which he continued to observe the Sabbath and observe the dietary laws […]

In this issue of the journal, Jeff Olson Biebighauser and Bruce Wollenberg draw upon aspects of Martin Luther’s theological perspectives in order to explore two distinct ethical matters. While Biebighauser critically examines and renders a judgment on the “Virtue Ethics” movement, Wollenberg establishes God’s gift of temporal authority. In so doing, they treat dimensions of […]

This month’s journal on war and peace is published in the shadow of Memorial Day, an observance and national holiday in the United States on which those who have defended the country and died in wars are remembered. Globally and throughout human history, it is estimated that the total number of people killed in conflicts […]

The plague of gun violence in our country, highlighted by tragic mass shootings at schools and in other places, has sparked renewed attention on the presence of the approximately 270 to 310 million privately owned legal and illegal guns and their use in the United States. As the debate proceeds on current and future public […]

The United States Senate has been called “the world’s most deliberative body.” It carefully considers proposals for public policy and is, therefore, engaged in “legislative deliberation.” By contrast, this issue of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics focuses on the current commitment to and emerging emphasis upon deliberation in the life and work of the Evangelical […]

Recently in the United States, the debate about the size, scope and role of government has become a contentious issue. While some argue for “limited” government, others call for a more “expansive” role for government. In this issue of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics, one writer provides an historical overview of the ways in Lutherans […]

As global​ climate change​ increases in its rate and effects, an energetic and faithful conversation about the related ethical issues also grows in urgency. This issue of Journal of​ Lutheran Ethics offers two presentations by Larry Rasmussen to the 2014 Lutheran Ethicists Gathering that explore this challenge. Dr. Rasmussen is Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of […]

Immigration reform continues to be a major issue confronting the United States of America. This issue of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics provides information on comprehensive immigration reform thanks to the ministry of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. In addition, the authors of the two articles explore and suggest what the church needs to do […]

This issue of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics focuses on violence from several different perspectives. While one article explores the cause of violence as a religious phenomenon, another looks specifically at the Christian tradition. A third article centers on Martin Luther’s theological understanding of violence.