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April 2018

April 12, 2018

“Beyond Anything I’ve Seen Before from Modern Lutheran Writers”: A Review of Our New Book

I hate promoting myself, but I have to share with you this review of my...

April 05, 2018

The Vocation of a Christian Police Officer

As controversies roil over police shootings, such as that of Stephon Clark in Sacramento (reportedly shot...

April 04, 2018

Bach and His Bible

Is Bach Lutheran? The question is like, "Is the Pope Catholic?" OK, there may now...

March 2018

March 29, 2018

Holy Communion and Vocation

Today, on Maundy Thursday, we commemorate Christ's gift of Holy Communion, in which He gives...

March 11, 2018

Grandparenthood, Again

Our daughter here in Australia had her baby! In the photo you can see John,...

March 07, 2018

Surrogacy for Money

After getting married, the next step for most couples is having children. Now that we have...

March 05, 2018

Vocation and Self-Defense

In the current debates over gun ownership and self-defense, we would do well to consider...

February 2018

February 27, 2018

Catholic, Lutheran, & Reformed Approaches to the Poor

I've been reading a ground-breaking new book in the field of the sociology of religion...

February 12, 2018

Transfigured

Yesterday was the last and climactic Sunday of Epiphany, in which we contemplate the ultimate...

January 2018

January 05, 2018

Luther on Epiphany and Vocation

Today is the 12th and last day of Christmas. (Happy drummers drumming day!) Tomorrow is...

December 2017

December 19, 2017

Christmas, Scrooge, and Vocation

On this 174th anniversary of the publication of Charles Dickens' The Christmas Carol, I am...

November 2017

November 17, 2017

The Connection Between Domestic Abuse and Church Shootings

Research does show that a large percentage of church shootings do also involve domestic violence....

November 13, 2017

How to be a Pastor

I'm in a reading group with a bunch of pastors, which has me reading titles I...

October 2017

October 24, 2017

Why Luther?

I was asked to write a guest post for the Tabletalk blog on "Why Luther?" Others, such...

October 17, 2017

From “Sologamy” to Marriage as Vocation

Jim Priest, a family columnist for the Daily Oklahoman, discussed "sologamy," the growing practice of marrying...

October 12, 2017

Quotations From Our New Book

More shameless promotion of my new book with Trevor Sutton, Authentic Christianity: How Lutheran Theology...

October 06, 2017

Appreciating Your Pastor

October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and this Sunday, October 8, is Pastor Appreciation Day. I...

October 02, 2017

Was the Gospel Preached to Make the Roman Empire Great Again?

Christians are citizens in the kingdoms--or republics--of this world. Christians are also citizens of the...

September 2017

September 19, 2017

A Biblical text for our time

Here is a text from Scripture for those afflicted by or afraid of storms (as yet...

September 13, 2017

The Natural Virtues, the Theological Virtues, & the Commandments

In thinking about "virtue ethics" and the Christian life, it is important not to...

September 11, 2017

Virtue Ethics and the Christian Life

Given that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone,...

September 04, 2017

Vocation quotes from Luther for Labor Day

Labor Day is a good day for Christians to celebrate Vocation. That is, the teaching...

August 2017

August 07, 2017

Loneliness is greater threat to health than obesity

A study has found that social isolation is a greater threat to public health than obesity....

July 2017

July 19, 2017

A confessional text on marriage, natural law & human law

Since Lutherans believe that marriage is a civil ordinance rather than a sacrament (though still...

July 14, 2017

Misunderstanding the cultural influence of the Reformation

The cultural influence of the Reformation is getting lots of attention on this 500th anniversary...

June 2017

June 28, 2017

Marriage Is a Civil Matter, Not a Church Power

Lutherans particularly cannot "leave the government out of marriage." Their confessions and theology don't let...

May 2017

May 23, 2017

The cup for the laity

The communion practice of the Roman Catholic Church, up until Vatican II, was for the...

May 15, 2017

Assault on pro-life doctors

The Hippocratic Oath specifically forbids physicians from committing abortion or euthanasia. So that oath isn't used...

April 2017

April 26, 2017

A Lutheran Catholic and vocation

Our hosts here in Finland arranged a city tour of Helsinki with Emil Anton. As...

March 2017

March 13, 2017

LCMS judge is censured for following her church

We blogged about (here, here, and here) the case of Judge Ruth Neely, a municipal...