Thursday Theology #824 July 17, 2014 Topic: Seminaries are the problem, not the solution. This week we’re happy to send you another new piece by Ed Schroeder. In it, he ruminates on an alternate educational model for training pastors—an idea that struck him at the fortieth anniversary gathering for Seminex last month in Chicago. Peace and Joy, Carol Braun, …
Augsburg, Ramadan, and ISIS
A little over two weeks ago, Ed Schroeder sent us the following piece on the occasion of the (then imminent) anniversary of the Augsburg Confession. We’re pleased to bring it to you today, with a few small edits to account for the fact that we’re publishing it two weeks later than Ed had hoped. Peace and Joy, Carol …
Response to Jungkuntz homily
Last week we sent you a homily on the question of Christian obedience by Richard Jungkuntz, who served as provost at Pacific Lutheran University. This week, as promised, we bring you an analysis of that homily by Robert C. Schultz. Bob is former ELCA pastor and an active member of the Crossings community whose doctorate was on the role of …
On Christian Obedience: A Homiletical “Aha!”
Colleagues, Many of us will be bumping into the word ‘obedience’ this Sunday. It’s featured heavily in the section of Romans 6 that the Revised Common Lectionary designates as the day’s Second Reading (Year A, Proper 8). Whether it also shows up in the sermons we preach or listen to will depend on the preacher’s willingness to tackle …
Jesus and Evolution? Seriously! (A Book Review)
Today we bring you another book review, this time by my fellow Thursday Theology editor, Jerry Burce. Jerry reviews George L. Murphy’s Models of Atonement, a slim paperback that takes a meaty theological approach the question of how Christian confessors can speak effectively about salvation in a scientific world. Jerry’s review is compelling; I, for one, plan to get …
Book Review: FROM THE OXUS RIVER TO THE CHINESE SHORES: Studies on East Syriac Christianity in China and Central Asia
Today we’re glad to bring you a new book review by Ed Schroeder, Crossings co-founder and original Thursday Theology blogger. This week Ed reviews a multi-author exploration of the history of Christianity in the East. Peace and Joy, Carol Braun, for the editorial team FROM THE OXUS RIVER TO THE CHINESE SHORES: Studies on East Syriac Christianity in China …
Book Review: DON’T KILL THE MESSENGER! by Donald Ray Soeken
It was a sad day when I first realized that whistleblower protection programs are necessary things, not only in a few corrupt institutions but in institutions everywhere, and that something bad in our nature wins out, time and time again, over our collective sense of fairness and justice when it comes to dealing with people who expose the …
The Daily Life of the Christian, Part 2
This week we bring you a part two of Steve Kuhl’s essay on the daily life of the Christian, which he wrote as an introduction to his lay education course of the same name. (Part one can be found here.) Also, a reminder that Steve’s offer stands: If you would like to gather a group of Christians for the …
The Daily Life of the Christian, Part 1
This week we bring you a part one of a two-part essay by the Rev. Dr. Steven Kuhl, a frequent Crossings contributor who served as the President of Crossings for many years and who has just started a new position as Executive Director of Crossings. Steve wrote this essay as an introduction to a course called The Daily …
Book Review: SABBATH AS RESISTANCE by Walter Brueggemann
This week we bring you a short review of Walter Brueggemann’s Sabbath as Resistance. Our reviewer is Richard Gahl, who last reviewed a book for us in Thursday Theology #676. Dick uses this review as an occasion to reflect briefly on the role of a God who promises rest in a world that’s restless with getting and spending. Peace and …