From the 2009 Interfaith Partnership Annual Dinner. Photo credit: www.interfaithstl.org.

It’s fall. And the Fall migrations are underway.

So, on the same day last week, President Obama stood in a backyard in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and gave a lengthy answer to the question “Why are you a Christian?” while the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released the findings to its survey on Americans’ basic religious knowledge . The survey has already been discussed here and in many other places, but I’ll only point out that virtually all Americans basically flunked the test.

The first Bach at the Sem concert of the season will take place this Sunday, October 10, at 3:00 p.m. in the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus on the Concordia Seminary campus

So, what do you think of the genetically modified salmon that has been nicknamed Frankenfish? Various news agencies reported last week that the company AquaBounty is asking the FDA to approve as safe the farm raised genetically modified salmon. It apparently grows much faster and much larger (2-3 times) than your average salmon

A month ago or so, I mentioned that a “small catechism” version (about thirty pages or so) of Together With All Creatures: Caring for God’s Living Earth appeared in time for our church’s National Youth Gathering (on right and below). Well, this past week the “large catechism” version (on left) is now out and has been sent to our pastors and congregations. It provides a more thorough treatment of the subject. The first half explores where we fit within creation by providing brief historical overview and then developing a theology of our place within creation for today.

I drive passed it every morning and evening to and from work. First Presbyterian Church in University City currently displays a massive sculpture of ladders in its front lawn at Delmar Blvd and Midland Blvd. Assembled by sculptor Charlie Brouwer , they’re calling it Transcend2010 . I finally got a chance to walk through it this past weekend.

Last week, Concordia Seminary hosted its annual symposium and dealt with the topic regarding the function of Scripture within the church. I was asked to reflect on how I used Scripture in working on various reports for our church’s Commission on Theology and Church Relations. In other words, how did my assumptions shape or even pre-determine the outcome of those reports. In other words, I had to do some self-reflection, something I’m not sure I’m always very good at doing.

As a systematician, I like the big picture. I like to see how all the individual pieces fit into the entire picture. It helps me to grasp—as much as I can—what’s going on. That’s partly why the field of ecology intrigues me as well

Stephen Fowl “Scripture in the Church: Formative or Formality?” is the title of the 21st annual Theological Symposium, to be held Sept. 21-22 on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.