Item Type: Journal Articles

THEOLOGY

"Luther’s “For the Sake of Investigating the Truth and Comforting Terrified Consciences”" Winter In Lutheran Forum. trans. Hinlicky-Wilson, Sarah vol. 44, no. 4, 2010

A translation of Luther‘s previously untranslated 1518 Theses on the remission of sins, with a brief introductory note.

"The Face of Jesus, Part II" In Lutheran Forum. vol. 42, no. 4, 2006 : 3-10

A multi-level essay exploring the theological meaning and spiritual impact of various racial depictions of Jesus.

BIBLICAL STUDIES

"At Home With Wisdom: Structural Observations in Proverbs 7-9" In Word & World. vol. 40, no. 3, Waverly: Summer 2020

This essay argues that when reading Proverbs 7-9 as a single instruction within Proverbs 1-9, the description of Wisdom’s home in Proverbs 9:1-6 is the chiasmic center of the instruction. This structural observation joins thematic observations by scholars such as William P. Brown and Silvia Schroer to emphasize Wisdom’s home as the cosmos.

THEOLOGY

"There‘s Something About Mary" Winter In Re:generation Quarterly. vol. 5, no. 4, 2000

A personal story of a young Lutheran woman making peace with Mary, the mother of God, and in the process finding her vocation to ministry.

BIBLICAL STUDIES

"Forgetting While Remembering: The Annunciation Type-Scene in Isaiah 40-55" In "Worship the Lord with Gladness": Essays in Honor of Frederick J. Gaiser. eds. Mark A. Throntveit and Rolf A. Jacobson. vol. 7, St. Paul: Word & World October 2017 (This is part of Word & World's Supplement Series.)

Isaiah 49:14-23 and 54:1-3 evoke an annunciation type-scene, more commonly found in narrative portions of the Hebrew Bible. In doing so, personified Zion is placed in continuity with women of Israel’s past, thus “remembering the former things.” At the same time, she is recreated so substantially that she forgets those former things.

ECCLESIOLOGY AND ECCLESIAL LIFE

"Toward a Scripture-Based Theology of Death in Our Hymnody" CrossAccent (journal name) In Toward a Scripture-Based Theology of Death in Our Hymnody. vol. 15, no. 1, Valparaiso: Association of Lutheran Church Musicians 2007 (Develops writings by Augustine, Luther, Walter Bouman, others) http://nancyraabe.com/images/death_in_hymns.pdf

Develops a theology of thinking about death through hymnody, to enable a full life in Christ in life and at death. Evaluates entries in Lutheran hymnals in shaping and nurturing a Christian’s thoughts about death, and in sharing, proclaiming, and strengthening one’s faith. Illustrates with hymns that do an appropriate or lesser job in addressing issues of a Christian’s death.

"Peace, Peace, When There is No Peace" Spring In Lutheran Forum. vol. 41, no. 3, 2008 : 3-5

A reflection on the excising of military imagery from church, and reasons to maintain it.

THEOLOGY

"Saving ‘The Wretched of the Earth’" In Disability Studies Quarterly. vol. 26, no. 3, Online http://www.dsg-sds.org/2006_summer_toc.html

Betcher considers biblical and theological representations of the physics of Spirit, including miracles, if also the politics of compassion, as related to bodies exhibiting disabilities. The essay suggests another way of reading the miracle texts so as to disturb the optics of modern realism, especially their social effects.

BIBLICAL STUDIES

"Review: Isaiah, the Eighth-Century Prophet: His Times and Preaching" In Homiletic 13/2. 1998 : 20-21

THEOLOGY

"A Bloodthirsty Salvation: Behind the Popular Polarized Reaction to Gibson‘s ‘The Passion’" In Journal of Religion and Film. vol. 9, no. 1, 2005

This article analyzes viewer response to The Passion of the Christ, focusing on how viewers interpreted the film‘s dominant atonement images, in order to explore just how these images operate in popular culture, how they influence values, practices and beliefs, and to question the social impact of the discourse of violence and redemptive dynamics imbedded in the religious images themselves.