Dr. Joel Okamoto and Dr. Charles Arand, professors of systematic theology, discuss the difference between knowing a lot of theology and having good theology. Their conclusion might surprise you
Spark your thoughts for April 28, 2024! Tune in to Lectionary Kick-start for a discussion about the texts for the fifth Sunday of Easter
Two big earthquakes recently hit, one in Taiwan (7.4) and one on the east coast centered in New Jersey (4.8). This provides the opportunity to think about earthquakes from a biblical perspective. What does an earthquake mean? It means that human creatures are not in total control of planet earth. Earthquakes are neither caused by ..
Spark your thoughts for April 21, 2024! Tune in to Lectionary Kick-start for a discussion about the texts for the fourth Sunday of Easter
Spark your thoughts for April 14, 2024! Tune in to Lectionary Kick-start for a discussion about the texts for the third Sunday of Easter
The topic of Christian nationalism is hot in the media. How does our theology influence our political involvement? “Luther is brilliant in his understanding of the two realms,” says Dr. Joel Biermann. “It’s one of the most substantial areas where we see the tangible reality of theology hitting life.”
The Theological Symposium committee invites proposals for open sectionals for the 34th Annual Theological Symposium, September 17-18, 2024, at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. The title this year is “Technology and the Church: Promise and Peril.” Major technological advances are not for gamblers. They often fail to live up to their promises, but they never fail ..
Spark your thoughts for April 7, 2024! Tune in to “Lectionary Kick-start” for a discussion about the texts for the second Sunday of Easter
This is part five in a series of posts by Dr. David Maxwell. The first was “What Should You Do With Anger and Desire?” The second was “Gregory of Nyssa: Direct the Passions.” The third was “Cyril of Alexandria: Lull Your Passions to Sleep.” The fourth was “Lutheran Theology: Kill Your Passions.” I said in the last post that I ..
Spark your thoughts for Easter Sunday! Tune in to “Lectionary Kick-start” for a discussion about the texts for March 31, 2024
This is part four in a series of posts by Dr. David Maxwell. The first was “What Should You Do With Anger and Desire?” The second was “Gregory of Nyssa: Direct the Passions.” The third was “Cyril of Alexandria: Lull Your Passions to Sleep.” My sense is that Lutheran spirituality leans more in the Stoic ..
This is part three in a series of posts by Dr. David Maxwell. The first was “What Should You Do With Anger and Desire?”The second was “Gregory of Nyssa: Direct the Passions.” Cyril of Alexandria is a good example of a Christian appropriation of the Stoic view of the passions. The goal is not to ..
Spark your thoughts for March 24, 2024! Tune in to “Lectionary Kick-start” for a discussion about the texts for Palm Sunday
This is part two of a series of posts from Dr. David Maxwell. The first post was “What Should You Do With Anger and Desire?” Gregory of Nyssa’s On the Soul and the Resurrection is a treatise that demonstrates what a Platonic spirituality of the passions looks like when Christians adopt it. The dialogue is ..
You have two jet engines in your soul: anger and desire. What are you supposed to do with them? Should you try to shut off the engines, or should you try to aim them in a constructive direction? This is a question that Western civilization has been grappling with for centuries, and Christianity is a ..
Spark your thoughts for March 17, 2024! Tune in to “Lectionary Kick-start” for a discussion about the texts for the fifth Sunday in Lent