Recent content by doulos_tou_kuriou

There just is not a good answer to this. In 2009 when the decision to allow practicing homosexuals to serve as pastors was voted on that vote narrowly passed, like literally within 3 votes. But that hardly itself indicates the situation in churches for several reasons: 1) many people who are...

When my wife and I first got married (she was not Lutheran), we regularly attended two church services on Sunday, one Lutheran and one that more closely reflected the type she was used to. Over time, she came to fall in love with the Lutheran liturgy and on her own chose to join the Lutheran...

I'm glad you both have found that. Welcome to our subforum.

I say be respectful in your dress and also not distracting in it. As a man for example I will not lie, it is very bothersome when women wear revealing clothes in how it draws my attention, particularly in ways I wish not be drawn (especially on Sunday morning). But in general I try not to be...

If I may be honest I am beyond thrilled about Eaton. I never really cared about her being a woman, rather I cared simply that she presented concerns I share and a boldly evangelical (I mean that word in its proper sense) theology. Once I heard her speak at the assembly (I admittedly had never...

Reformed is an expression of Calvinism and best understood as those who subscribe to the Canons of Dort, where "Reformed Theology" (often summed up in TULIP) is really born in reference to the Arminian controversy. They are not simply Calvinist per se (though it is fair to call him their chief...

If the churches of Scandinavia believe in AS in the same manner as the ECUSA, then there is a fundamental departure from Lutheran theology. Based even on Kalevalatar's words of AS as a visible sign expressing unity my guess is they don't. AS is not simply ordaining of bishops and ordination by...

You are from an age group that is by and large missing in most Lutheran congregations. Part of this is a result of people gone at college, life in constant transition (even yourself being married - congrats by the way), and so forth makes this group mostly absent. Lutherans tend to worship in a...

Welcome to the show ;)

the practical difference would ultimately be to what degree adherence to the Lutheran theological tradition (as understood in the documents of the book of Concord) matters in how one "does church" so to speak. How one understands for example the confessional position of the papacy as anti-Christ...

How everyone gets by a verse is not up to me to say. But one issue I will note is how one translates that text you just quoted. The use of "homosexual" is not the best word to translate. For one, concepts of orientation were simply not around then. It also does not necessarily fit well with the...

Lynn, you may no longer be looking, I know you asked some time ago, but if you or your son is still looking, I was at the Luther Seminary this week, and their bookstore (which they share with Augsburg Fortress still, although that will be ending in 2013) had some new copies of the LBW occasional...

The decision of NRSV seems based on its decision to be gender neutral in relation to people. Since the text is quoting Psalm 8, you will notice Psalm 8 goes: "what are human beings [man] that you are mindful of them, mortals [son of man] that you care for them? Yet you have made them a little...

The ELCA has exceptionally liberal people, especially in leadership. ELCA pastors/synod leaders are statistically far more liberal than ELCA congregations/parishioners--which is far more evenly divided. Although the recent exodus of conservative members has shifted that statistic some. But in...

Ya know my brother was not particularly religious, so my guess is I'm gonna get a blank stare to this when I ask him, but he used to be stationed at Fort Riley a few years ago, so he just may. I'll ask him.