Farewell

[1] Journal of Lutheran Ethics owes its existence to the forward thinking of John Stumme and to the faithful support of the community of Lutheran ethicists. As I cleaned out my files at churchwide, I found the stub from my first paycheck, two hundred and forty dollars for compiling results from a survey of Lutheran ethicists about online resources. This developed into a commitment to beginning an online journal, which became Journal of Lutheran Ethics.

[2] Due to go online on September 15, 2001, JLE’s debut was slightly delayed. Web developer David Scott had to rent a car and drive back from California when his flight was cancelled in the wake of 9/11. The events of September 11 have formed us in ways that are too many to count. We could have spent years on just war theory alone.

[3] Through several designs, institutional changes, and stressful times, JLE has consistently published quality scholarship from a variety of perspectives. Because of its medium, JLE was able to publish on short notice — the concise editorial has become a mark of our style, and a supplement to some of the more scholarly papers we published thanks to the dedication and cooperation of Lutheran scholars. In our nearly ten years, well-timed articles on stem cells, just war, and sexuality have had a notable influence in the ELCA, not to mention worldwide Lutherans.

[4] I depart satisfied with the work of JLE, thankful to my colleagues in Studies, and grateful to JLE’s editorial council and the community of Lutheran ethicists.