The Crossings Blog

The Gift of Grace: The Future of Lutheran Theology by Niels Henrik Gregersen (Editor), Bo Holm (Editor), Ted Peters (Editor) Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers (December 2004) Language: English ISBN: 0800636864 Review by Frederick Niedner, Valparaiso University Thursday Theology’s regular readers will recall that in January of 2003 the Lutheran World Federation, Dialogue journal, and the University of Aarhus in ...

Colleagues,  This weeks’s post is an ellipse–one storyline orbiting two centers. First center in the ellipse is John Eckrich’s review of Christoffer Grundmann’s pioneering historical study of Medical Missions; second center is John’s own pitch for medical missions today. Both author and reviewer themselves constitute a second sort of ellipse on the personal level as well. ...

Colleagues,  This week’s posting offers readers Wayne Holst’s review of Ronald K. Rittgers’ case study on Confession and Absolution in Lutheran theology and church life in the earliest days of the Reformation.  The identities of author and reviewer are in the text that follows.Peace & Joy! Ed Schroeder THE REFORMATION OF THE KEYS: Confession, Conscience, and Authority in ...

Colleagues, Here are some items in the continuing discussion.Peace & Joy! Ed Schroeder Author Steve Patterson responds to the folks who had something to say about his book last week:A few comments on the postings from last week… One person, who has not read my book, thought I sounded much like Crossan. He’s right. I’ve learned just about everything ...

Colleagues, Last week’s ThTh 400 posting elicited some mail. Here are some of the responses.Peace & Joy! Ed Schroeder STEPHEN PATTERSON, the book’s author First, thanks for honoring me with a lengthy piece like this. Though you clearly disagree, you are also laudatory at places, which I very much appreciate. I think the piece is fair. In the chapter on “Martyr” ...

Colleagues, This week a book review. Stephen J. Patterson. BEYOND THE PASSION. RETHINKING THE DEATH AND LIFE OF JESUS. x, 161 pp. Paper. US$18. Marie and I attend an early morning Bible class that has been running for 16 years already. With our pastor at the helm ...

Colleagues, I listened & watched President Bush give his “State of the Union” address Tuesday evening (January 31), even took notes. I read the printed text in the paper the next morning. Before long this Op Ed alternative began to percolate. Here’s what it looked like when it came off the stove.Peace & Joy! Ed Schroeder “FROM ABRAHAM–VIA ...

Colleagues, Ten years ago tomorrow, January 27, 1996, the first Sabbatheology posting went out into cyberspace. It wasn’t a text-study as the term “Sabbatheology” –pronounced “Sabbath Theology” (you use the “th” twice)–later came to designate. It was yours truly ruminating on what you see below. There were only a handful of folks who got this #1 ...

Colleagues, Marie A. Failinger is today’s guest writer. She describes herself as “a lifelong Lutheran, a law professor at Hamline University School of Law, and editor of the Journal of Law and Religion.” She recently blessed me with a chapter in my 75th Birthday Festschrift, which is just as teasingly Lutheran as this week’s ThTh posting.A ...

Colleagues, Here’s Part II of Paul E. Hoffman’s own memoirs of Gudina Tumsa occasioned by his review of Øyvind M. Eide: Revolution & Religion in Ethiopia. The Growth & Persecution of the Mekane Yesus Church 1974-1985.Peace & Joy! Ed Schroeder Evangelical Church and Theology in the Ethiopian Revolution, Part II “Christianity and Socialism” – Conflict or Accommodation? Revolutionary events took ...