Borders, Boundaries, and Blessing: Mission as Converting Hypocrites into Sinners

Abstract :  Rather than seeing inequity on different sides of borders as the result of God having blessed some people more than others, it must be considered the consequence of sinful and unjust systems and structures to which we all contribute. According to Jesus' teaching and practice, only as we see ourselves as sinners in need of help and healing can we fulfill the mission of serving as God's instruments to promote justice and equity on all sides of the borders and boundaries that exist in our world.     

Growing Together, Growing Apart

Abstract : How does diversity define the limits of the Body of Christ in the context of its fundamental unity? For Lutherans the visible unity of the church is grounded in those signs and constitutive elements which convey salvation. Unified on the basis of a common baptism, a common communion, and a common mission, the church of the gospel must be defined more by being than by doing. The church doing God's redemptive work in creation will always experience tension, but we must be mindful that wholeness is not equivalent to sameness.     

The Unsettled German Discussions of Justification: Abiding Differences and Ecumenical Blessings

Abstract :  This essay provides an analysis of The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification . It argues that the future of ecumenism demands greater attention to doctrinal differences than was evident after 1980 in much of the Roman‐Lutheran dialogue on justification, especially as it unfolded in Germany.     

Ecumenism Today?!

Abstract:  Prompted by the 5^th anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification , this article argues that (1) all theology must be ecumenical; (2) marks and strategies of ecumenical theology should include differentiated consensus, ecclesia semper reformanda , merging ecumenical and inter‐religious agendas, and a tria‐logue that incorporates dialogue with science; (3) and an analysis of the challenges of globalization, postmodernism, and the invoking of the Holy Spirit for unity.     

Quantum Theory and the Resurrection of Jesus

Abstract :  Ever since the time of Hume it has been a truism that the worldview of empirical science, and Christian assertion of the resurrection of Jesus, are antithetical to each other. Yet post‐Newtonian science, and especially quantum theory, suggests the need for a reappraisal of this truism. This reappraisal will first examine the implications of the indeterminism of the quantum world, to consider the physical possibility of Jesus' resurrection. Second, an appraisal of the historical evidence will suggest the likelihood of Jesus' resurrection. Finally, I will consider some implications of all this for contemporary Christian thought.