Fifth Crossings Conference Our Lady of the Snows Center, Belleville, Illinois 28 January 2014 William R Burrows 1. The “Great Commission” in today’s discussion refers of course to the commissioning of the Eleven recounted in Matthew 28:18-20. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore …
Proclaiming Christ Among the Religions
Interpreting Today’s Pluralistic Impulse in Light of Christ’s Singular Promise No one feature of modern society distinguishes it from societies of the past than the diversity of religions that coexist side by side in relative peace. We dare not underestimate the significance of this fact and just how recent its development is. It is the result of …
The Old Testament and Other Religions
Participants in the Crossings Conference received a handout listing only the biblical passages. I have included now in red notes that were the basis of my presentation that accompanied the handout. Conditioning factors in this conversation: Mission in the 20th-21st century has emphasized dialogue, listening to the other, as necessary attitudes as we bear witness to what …
African Realities Today Through Lutheran Lenses
Colleagues, Last September Gary Simpson, systematic theology prof at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, was whisked to Tanzania, not quite like Elijah and the fiery chariot (but close), for a Lutheran World Federation event. Since he’s my “Doktor-kind,” Seminex’s first doctorate granted in systematic theology, I try to keep track of him. Not easy to do with …
The Good News of St. Matthew’s Genealogy
Colleagues, I trust that most all of you know who Marcus Felde is. If not, you should. These days he edits our quarterly Crossings newsletter. He’s a long-serving member of the Crossings Board. And if you follow his occasional text studies in our weekly Sabbatheology series, you’ll know what I mean when I say that he makes words …
Can One “Preach” the Law? An Interchange, Part 2
Colleagues, Last week we sent you a swap of notes between Ed Schroeder and Martin Lohrmann on the question of whether the verb ‘to preach’ is appropriate for talk from a pulpit (or, as in lots of places these days, a “platform”) about the Law of God. As the second round of notes will confirm, the question is less abstruse …