November 2006 (Volume 6 Issue 11)
[1] The greatest challenge for Lutheran theological ethics in the coming years will not be how adequately they address the myriad contemporary issues the modern world faces. Rather, it will concern whether or not ethics done by ELCA Lutherans will flow from genuine Lutheran theological sources.[1] The Lutheran theological resources I am thinking about are […]
[1] One of my concerns about Economy of Grace is that most people who read it will probably not know economics or economic history, and will be persuaded by the avalanche of theological arguments that, among other things, private property is unnatural and contrary to God’s ordering of the universe, profits are the result of […]
[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 […]
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 […]
A new Web-based theological discussion site was launched in April by the Lutheran World Federation (Department for Theology and Studies), in connection with its global initiative, “Theology in the Life the Church.” Check out the initial papers and discussion forum at www.luthersem.edu/lwfdiscuss, where you can read what has been posted or sign up to be […]
[1] The second section of In Search of the Common Good is entitled “Classical Voices.” As the title of this section suggests, the essays are devoted to examining the concept of the common good as it has been understood in the writings of Thomas Aquinas, the body of teachings of the Catholic Church referred to […]
April 2006: Taxes, Globalization (Volume 6 Issue 4)
[1] It is commonly argued that a nation cannot or should not, in prudence, levy taxes upon transnational corporations because this will induce them to flee to more accommodating nations, resulting in the loss of jobs and income. In this article I argue, first, that global capital markets make the separate taxation of corporations and […]
February 2006: Nanotechnology and Nanoethics (Volume 6 Issue 2)
[1] Archetypal images of religion in American life filled our TV screens in early January. The cameras fixed their fickle eyes on a small white-frame church amid the worn hills of Sago, West Virginia. A coal mine explosion, Jan. 2, trapped 13 miners in the cold blackness of the mine. Above ground, mining officials and […]
January 2006 (Volume 6 Issue 1)
[1] Christianity has frequently been at the forefront of major social movements, challenging accepted practices and inviting social transformation. Christian beliefs were essential in such dramatic movements as the 18th and 19th century abolitionists with their challenge of slavery, in the political formation of the United States which built itself upon a religious and philosophical […]
November 2005 (Volume 5 Issue 11)
[1] In the classic novel by J.R.R. Tolkien The Lord of the Rings, a mesmerizing epic drama unfolds in “Middle-earth.” The hobbit Frodo Baggins is entrusted with the One Ring and sets out with his friend Sam Gamgee on the quest to destroy the ring and thereby foil the powers of evil. Even if the […]
