As we near Christmas, I am struck by how old the world is, how little it has changed, in spite of our celebration that a new world was beginning in a manger in Bethlehem. The reports from the news of tragedy and turmoil throughout the world continue to shout down my “Christmas cheer.” Especially the images from ..
A #TBT in memory of renowned theologian Tom Oden, who spoke at Concordia Seminary in 1993, and died on December 8, 2016
Preaching the whole Word of God to the whole person – and people – of God
The digital edition of the Fall 2016 CONCORDIA JOURNAL, featuring articles by James Prothro, Glenn Fluegge, Abjar Bakhou, Matthew Rosebrock, and Jeff Gibbs on preaching Matthew
…aka, preaching the whole can of worms
Jeff Gibbs on how to preach the Gospel of Matthew during the upcoming church year (Series A)
Reflections on the practical arts of life and ministry
In celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the 2017 Multiethnic Symposium will examine the various ways in which the Reformation message has crossed borders
#TBT: A young Professor Ralph Bohlmann on “The Language and Concepts of Theology.”
By Mark A. Seifrid The drama of the text unfolds in three acts. The first act is the way of the cross with Jesus’s word to the women who followed him on the way. The second act is the crucifixion at the place called “Skull.” The third act is the mocking of Jesus. Yet amidst the ..
Jon Diefenthaler examines a word or two from H. Richard Niebuhr during a particularly tumultuous election year
By David Adams The Text as Text The text of this account in Luke’s gospel is well-attested, and there is no variant that is so problematic as to demand serious consideration. In v. 19 the future tense κτησεσθε occurs in many manuscripts in place of the the eclectic text’s aorist κτήσασθε. It is thought more likely ..
#TBT: In 1963, “Ossie” Hoffmann, fresh off a visit with Lutheran Christians in Ethiopia, spoke with his signature humor and erudition about missiology and church history
By Joel Elowsky Crowds are always following Jesus looking for something. These crowds come from everywhere, not just the locals, and they’re filled with expectation. He always takes their expectations and transforms them into something more significant than they perhaps knew they needed. His Sermon on the Mount is a classic example. He ascends a mountain ..
…and what happens when a seminary professor can’t go number one
By Travis J. Scholl Commemorating the sixteenth-century events that came to be called the Protestant Reformation is more complicated than it used to be. Triumphalism—a certain weirdly coiffed presidential candidate notwithstanding—is no longer in vogue. We left it behind in favor of our more cosmopolitan sensibilities. Moreover, the drop in religious literacy has further problematized our ..