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Reflections from
Rev. W. Douglas Mills, PhD, Associate General Secretary
for Dialogue and Interfaith Relations, General Commission on
Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, The United
Methodist Church, about the historical significance of
the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ).
Mills reflects on what it means to be an ecumenical partner
since the signing of the JDDJ almost ten years ago.
Visit the
Lutheran-Roman Catholic webpage for JDDJ information and
resources.
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 Ten
Years of Promoting Religious Freedom Through U.S.
Foreign Policy
October 27th marked the 10th anniversary of the signing of the
International Religious Freedom Act, a law that made the
promotion of religious freedom a basic aim of U.S. foreign
policy. The passage of the legislation marked the
culmination of a campaign of unlikely religious allies, who
went on to champion other international human rights causes.
Read more...
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Presiding Bishop’s Statement on 2008 Presidential Election
"Americans have chosen a new president in an historic
election.
I congratulate Senator Obama on his election to
our nation’s highest office, and express gratitude to
Senator McCain for his continuing commitment to public
service. I commend both for participating in our nation’s
democratic process, which serves our venerable tradition of
the peaceful transfer of power..."
Read his full statement.
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Peace Not
Walls: Making a Difference in the Holy Land
The
NEW DVD, "Peace
Not Walls: Making a Difference in the Holy Land," offers
a dynamic introduction to the ELCA inter-religious work and
the Peace Not Walls campaign dedicated to peace with
justice in Israel-Palestine.
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Did you see ELCA on TV?
 Ads were broadcast daily on Travel Channel from Sept. 29 to
Oct. 12, 2008.
A
key feature to the advertisements is the tagline, "God’s
work. Our hands." These words don’t just sum up the ads but
also help to define our very faith—albeit in very
uncomplicated terms. This tagline means that when we serve
our fellow humans, we are doing God’s work—spreading God’s
love and compassion — with our hands. We Lutherans can
certainly begin to define our faith in those terms. In fact,
we’re working to complete all of our advertising resources
and working toward a more elaborate nationwide initiative. Read more... |
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 Book of Faith Initiative
The
Book of Faith initiative invites the whole church to become more fluent in
the first language of faith, the language of Scripture, in order that we
might live into our calling as a people renewed, enlivened, empowered, and
sent by the Word. For more information visit the
Book of Faith website.
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Ecumenical Advocacy Days
- Registration Now Available
The 7th annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days,
explores ways to bring about a world with
Enough for All Creation. Learn about the
connections between climate change,
migration and poverty in the U.S. and around
the world. Come together with faith-based
advocates and activists from across the
United States in the nation's capitol March
13-16, 2009 to join in discussions about the
abundance of our world and how it can be
allocated in a way that is fair and just for
all creation.
A complete schedule and registration
information are available at
http://advocacydays.org/. |
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 NEW
– ELCA has launched a new website
FIND YOUR WAY
Scroll down and find "Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Page". Having trouble finding a Web
page? Try replacing the "www" in the URL with the word
"archive,"
archive.elca.org/ecumenical.
Learn more in
Site Help. |
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 NEW
–
A Proposal for Full Communion
between
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and
The United Methodist Church
This
proposed agreement for full communion between
The United
Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America is noteworthy among such ecumenical
statements.
Read more...
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 Student
Activism in the 21st Century
The World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) will hold a
North American regional event from Thursday, January 29 to
Sunday, February 1st, 2009 at a venue in the San Francisco
Bay area. The event will draw on ecumenical social justice
networks to generate energy and commitment for the building
of Student Christian Movements in Canada and the United
States.
Read more... |
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 JustFaith
(Ecumenical)
JustFaith
(Ecumenical) is a thirty-week justice education/formation
process with a focus on the intersection of faith,
spirituality and social responsibility in a world wounded by
poverty. The program is offered in partnership with Bread
for the World, the largest Christian anti-hunger advocacy
organization in the United States.
Read more...
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World
AIDS Day: December 1, 2008
Theme: Leadership
World AIDS Day, observed on 1 December each year,
is a unique opportunity when governments, national
AIDS programs, faith organizations, community
organizations, and individuals around the world come
together to bring attention to the global AIDS
epidemic. Why not plan a special order of worship on
World AIDS Day or the Sunday before? There are
several worship service outlines available,
including a new ecumenical liturgy for 2008 in
English,
French, and
Spanish.
Visit the
Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance for additional
information and resources.
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LWF 2009 J-Term Experience: The Ecumenical
Church in a Globalized World at Full Registration!
 Twenty-eight
students (7 international students and 21 domestic students
from 6 ELCA-affiliated seminaries) will journey to Geneva, one of the
ecumenical
centers of the world. Students will discover what it means to be
members of a global communion of churches and the
implications this globalization for ministry within North
America. They travel to the Lutheran World Federation, the
United Nations offices, as well as many ecumenical venues in
and around Switzerland.
Read more...
Mark your
calendars! Lutheran
Koinonia/Voice in a Global Context: December 1-12, 2009.
Book-end,
end-of-year formation event for continuing education for
clergy and lay-rostered leaders in the North American region
of the LWF.
Enrollment to
begin in March 2009.
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 Ecumenical
Institute of Bossey
The Ecumenical
Institute at Bossey is the international centre for
encounter and formation of the World Council of
Churches.
The Institute brings
 together people from
diverse
churches, and backgrounds
for ecumenical learning, academic and
personal exchange.
Student guidelines, application form, and scholarship
information
2009 Seminars
Pursuing Unity As An Inclusive Community: May 18-24,
2009
Human Rights and Human Dignity: May 25-31, 2009
Building an Interfaith Community: July 6-31, 2009
Healing of Memories Reconciling Communities: August
17-23, 2009
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 NCCC Interfaith Relations Commission Statement
Opposing the DVD "Obsession:
Radical Islam's War Against the West"
New
York, October 30, 2008 --The
Interfaith Relations
Commission of the National Council of Churches expressed alarm and
protest over the recent mass distribution of 28 million copies of what
it termed a “distorted and misleading” DVD entitled: “Obsession: Radical
Islam's War Against the West." The Commission charged that the DVD...has the effect of “fanning the sparks of mistrust, bigotry and hatred
that undermine the very foundations
of a multi-religious democracy.”
Read the full
NCC statement.
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Top Muslims to Meet Pope
 Groundbreaking
Vatican talks to promote interfaith dialogue
Muslim scholars make a rare visit to the Vatican to discuss
with Pope Benedict and Roman Catholic experts how to
overcome mutual suspicion
and ignorance between Christianity
and Islam.
Twenty-four signatories of A Common Word, a Muslim
call to dialogue with Christianity issued last year, will
assemble in Rome from around the Islamic world for the
November 4-6 talks, the first annual meeting of a new
Catholic-Muslim Forum.
Read more...
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ChangeTheStory.net!
Huge
numbers of Americans profess to having little knowledge of
Islam despite the fact that there may be as many as five
million Muslims living in the U.S.
ChangeTheStory.net
is an on-line resource aimed at transforming harmful
stereotypes about Muslims that persist in society. The site
offers an interactive experience where users – Muslim and
non-Muslim alike – can meet their neighbors, learn about Islam
and apply techniques of interfaith dialogue and action to
local communities. |
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 One Nation, Many Voices Online Film Contest
The One
Nation Many Voices Online Film Contest is offering $50,000
in cash prizes for short videos illuminating the
American-Muslim experience. This is a really great way for
you to participate in interfaith dialogue and action.
Everyone in the U.S. is invited to compete, regardless of
race or religion, so visit the
contest website
for details.
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 Your
Guide to Inter-Religious Life in the ELCA
This guide will help you and your congregation gain a
hands--on appreciation of
the inter-religious relations in
the life of the church. Navigate the waters of
inter-religious relations, and take opportunities to learn
more about how you can be part of an important journey.
Download as PDF file
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 ELCA
The "Fourth Expression" – Partner/Related Organizations
We share a strong, growing relationship with pan-Lutheran and
ecumenical partner ministries, such as Lutheran World Federation (LWF),
Lutheran Services in America (LSA), Lutheran Immigration and Refugee
Service (LIRS), Lutheran World Relief (LWR) and many more.
Learn why
our partners are so critical to this church’s mission.
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 lnter-Religious
Resource
Windows for Understanding: Jewish, Muslim, Lutheran
Relations
This resource offers
opportunities to learn more and become better informed. You
are invited to explore Windows and grow in your
faith. We encourage you to send us your comments and
suggestions by filling out the Evaluation Form on back of
Windows.
Additional
Inter-Religious Links:
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The LERN network is a
group of ELCA clergy and laypeople appointed by their
synodical bishops throughout the ELCA. They are the
eyes and ears of ecumenical and inter-religious activity in
their synods. LERN reps meet annually at the
National Workshop on Christian Unity and with staff
members of the ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious
Relations Office. These representatives assist in meeting
the challenge of the ELCA’s strategic directions
to authentically "step forward as a public church, support
congregations, assist synods, produce wise and courageous
leaders, and deepen and extend our global, ecumenical and
interfaith relationships."
LERNing Newsletter –
November
2008 Issue
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 NEW
– Interactive Faith: The Essential Interreligious
Community-Building Handbook
Religions for Peace USA debuts an indispensable
interreligious resource to bring different communities of
faith together. This practical guide to the key methods
and resources of the interfaith movement will help you
effectively engage people of other faith traditions in order
to increase understanding and acceptance in your community
and beyond.
Read more....
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"Ecumenism and the ELCA" Presentation
Where are the advancements
today in the search for Christian unity in the ELCA and in
the world? How can your church and other
ministry/educational contexts learn and enhance your
ecumenical engagement?
Where does the Lutheran World Federation feed the poor in
the world? How does ecumenical life in the ELCA heal
brokenness and division? Download and
view this presentation for free and discover answers to
these questions and more.
You can also order this resource for $2.00 per copy by
calling Augsburg Fortress at 800-328-4648, ISBN #
6-0002-1596-7. |
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 Jesus
in Context: Power, People, and Performance
What difference did empire make for Jesus and his disciples?
What difference did empire make for the broader social
currents of which he and they were a part? What social roles
did Jesus perform, what "little tradition" did he embody
against the "great tradition" of Roman culture? What
difference does it make for our understanding of Jesus if we
attend to new kinds of evidence regarding popular movements,
the dynamics of oral tradition, and reading history "from
below"? Richard A. Horsley addresses all these questions and
sketches a dramatic new picture of Jesus in light of recent
approaches.
Read more...
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 Faith
and
Fatherland:
Parish
Politics in
Hitler's
Germany
An
informative
glimpse into
the world of
German
Protestants
in the
difficult
Hitler era,
Faith and
Fatherland
approaches
the history
of the
Church
Struggle
from the
"bottom up,"
using
sources like
pastors'
correspondence,
parish
newsletters,
local
newspaper
accounts,
district
superintendents'
reports, and
local church
statistics.
While
Jantzen
confirms the
general
understanding
that German
Protestants
failed to
resist or
even
critique the
Nazi regime,
he reveals a
surprising
diversity of
opinion and
variety of
action,
including
the
successful
efforts of
some
Lutheran
pastors and
parishioners
to resist
the
nazification
of their
churches.
Read more... |
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 Creative
Exchange: A Constructive Theology of African American
Religious Experience At least until recently,
most African Americans would know what is meant by "the
black church" or by "African American religion." But now,
Victor Anderson argues, that tradition is undergoing radical
change and harbors great ambiguities and unresolved
dilemmas. Anderson's new book seeks to provide a pragmatic
but principled way forward for African American religion and
life.
Read more... |
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 Palestine
in the Time of Jesus: Social Structures and Social Conflicts,
Second Edition
Hanson and Oakman's award-winning and illuminating volume
has become a widely used and cited introduction to the
social context of Jesus and the early Jesus movement. This
second edition updates all the discussions in light of more
recent scholarship, improves clarity and readability of
diagrams and maps, provides additional diagrams and images
to enhance the book for student use, and includes new
classroom resources, for professors and students, on a
Companion Web site. Along with an overview of the ancient
Mediterranean worldview, Palestine in the Time of Jesus
explores major domains and institutions of Roman Palestine:
kinship, politics, economy, and religion.
Read more.... |
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 Call
and Consequences: A Womanist Reading of Mark
"The son of man
must suffer," Jesus tells his disciples in the Gospel of
Mark, and interpreters agree this warning is centrally
important to the Gospel. But why must Jesus suffer, and why
must his disciples face suffering if they would follow him?
Is this a matter of "divine necessity," or the consequence
of historical opposition to Jesus' cause? Raquel St. Clair
brings a womanist perspective to these questions, noting
that marginalized persons, particularly women of color, have
too often experienced the call to discipleship as a call
simply to "suffering, shame, and surrogacy." Her close
reading of the Gospel of Mark highlights the importance of
freely accepting the consequences of answering Jesus' call.
Read
more...
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NEW
–
One Flock, One Shepherd: Lutheran-Moravian Relations
This
summary, One Flock, One Shepherd: Lutheran-Moravian
Relations, promotes further conversation and relations
between Lutherans and Moravians.
Read more...
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 Lutheran
World Federation: Department for Theology & Studies
Thinking it Over"Thinking it over ...", a
pamphlet series of theological reflections on timely
challenges facing churches of the Lutheran communion.
Read more...
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The Lutheran Magazine
Articles
Lutheranism 202 (October 2008)
Reading the Augsburg Confession, we delve into the
meaning of faith.
Read more...
 Candle power
(October 2008)
Freeing the mind, deepening the
spirit.
Read more...
Phoenix Rising
(November 2008)
With God, the death of something can lead
to change and, therefore, to new life.
Read more...
The Lutheran sense of vocation
(November 2008)
What makes a college “Lutheran”? Quality
education – not the number of Lutherans – is key.
Read more... |
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