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Perspectives
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Church
of Aaron or
Church of Moses?
FREDERICK J. GAISER
(see full text of essay under “Editorial”)
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If “Lutheran” (or any other denominational title) means
simply an identification with ethnic or historical
tradition rather than with confession, then the name designates not much more
than a kind of nostalgia for the Christendom of a bygone era. On the other
hand, if “Community” betrays an identification with
culture that trumps an identity with confession, then we seem to be faced
with just a new variety of Christendom. And all Christendoms
get in the way of Luther’s preferred identification: “Christian.”
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The Future of Denominations: Asking Uppercase Questions
MARK S. HANSON
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The future of denominations in general—and of the ELCA
in particular—depends on responding to the mission to which God calls us in
the world rather than planning strategies for institutional survival.
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Articles
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Denominations and Denominationalism: Past, Present, and
Future
RUSSELL E. RICHEY
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Denominations—like their American counterparts, the
free press, capitalism, and democracy—have evolved over time, changing their
character to meet new contexts. Perhaps the current traumas of mainstream
Protestantism are the birth pangs of yet another denominational style.
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Rethinking Denominations and Denominationalism in Light
of a Missional Ecclesiology
CRAIG VAN GELDER
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The denominational church had a functional
self-understanding, established to do something on behalf of God in the
world. The missional church understands itself to
be missionary by nature—called, equipped, and sent into the world by the Holy
Spirit to participate fully in God’s mission.
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Congregational
Niche Building
and Community-Based Sociopolitical Activism
LAURA R. OLSON
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In the competitive American religious marketplace,
congregations must find ways of distinguishing themselves in order to attract
and retain members. For some congregations, sociopolitical activism can be an
effective means of building a unique community niche.
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Opportunities amidst Challenges: Denominations and
Rural Ministry
ALVIN J. LUEDKE
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The changing social, economic, and religious landscape
of rural communities offers denominations an opportunity for demonstrating
renewed relevance to congregations in those areas, as denominational leaders
and structures help rural congregations identify and meet the mission
challenges they now face.
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The Future of the Denominational Hymnal
PAUL WESTERMEYER
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With all their diversity, the hymns and tunes found in present
denominational hymnals exhibit a remarkable consensus. The future of the
denominational hymnal cannot be known, but decisions regarding the hymnal
pose the perennial question, Christ or Caesar.
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Challenging Identity and Crossing Borders: Unity
in the Church
of South India
GEORGE OOMMEN
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In its formation, the Church
of South India sought
to break through Western patterns of denominationalism, seeing itself not as
just one more church body, but as a means toward bringing together other
churches. Its subsequent history points to the difficulty of maintaining this
early vision.
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Resources
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Truly Our
Sister: A Conversation with Elizabeth Johnson on Mary
CLINT A. SCHNEKLOTH
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As a result of Reformation disputes, Catholics developed a severe case
of fixation on Mary, and Protestants developed a severe case of amnesia. The
time is now upon us for these polemical stands to melt away and for us to
seek new understanding together.
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Texts in Context: People
Like Us: Minor Characters in Matthew’s Passion
MARY E. HINKLE
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Letters to some of the major characters in Matthew’s
Passion Narrative invite hearers into the story, helping them understand more
fully both the gospel message and themselves.
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Face to Face: Local Ordination?
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A Boon to
Congregational Vitality
MARK D. TRANVIK
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A
Barrier to Ministerial Freedom
GREGORY A. WALTER
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Reviews
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Martin Luther,
by Martin Marty
MARK D. TRANVIK
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The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of
Faith, by Marcus J. Borg
TIM WESTERMEYER
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On Thinking the Human: Resolutions of Difficult Notions,
by Robert W. Jenson
CLINT SCHNEKLOTH
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Living by Faith: Justification and Sanctification,
by Oswald Bayer
GREGORY A. WALTER
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The God You Have: Politics, Religion, and the First
Commandment, by Patrick D. Miller
ALAN L. CHAN
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Regulating Religion: The Courts and the Free Exercise
Clause, by Catharine Cookson, and Getting Over Equality:
A Critical Diagnosis of Religious Freedom in America, by Steven D. Smith
ROBERT O. SMITH
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A Stone of Hope: Prophetic Religion and the Death of
Jim Crow, by David L. Chappell
NANCY KOESTER
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The Bank Teller and Other Essays on the Politics of
Meaning, by Peter Gabel
CRAIG BOWMAN
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