Pastor Foltz is Pastor Emeritus of Saint James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg, PA and author of the the Frontline Study content.
Last week, I claimed that Christians should always be prophetically critiquing the economic systems in which they find themselves, primarily asking if these protect the weak. I also suggested the form of global capitalism presently being practiced in our society is found wanting in this regard. It is not that people have grown more greedy, […]
I was ready to leave this series. Usually a number of my friends will discuss the lessons either by email or face-to-face. This time I was hearing from nobody. That was a big disappointment, because I felt the perspectives from theologians in the Southern Hemisphere were extremely challenging, especially when we in the US are […]
I have been using long documents issued at the conferences of the Latin American bishops to illustrate Pope Francis’ thought. Both are heavily influenced by the theology of the spirit that primarily comes out of third world countries. I decided examining these was worthwhile, because the Pope has often spoken for many of us. Beyond […]
I ended the last lesson reporting that the Latin American bishops with whom I associate Pope Francis’ theology of the spirit think the times call for institutional and pastoral reform. There are two ways to understand reform. The first sees it cleaning up corruption and the second making changes needed in a new situation. Both […]
John’s comment after last week’s lesson offered an important qualification. He observed that becoming a voice in the political conversation is essential in our time but serving the needy as caring individuals is still more important. That distinction accurately indicates how Pope Francis’ Theology of the Spirit moves beyond Liberation Theology by carefully modifying its […]
There is no doubt that Pope Francis’ theology of the spirit is an outgrowth of the liberation theology prominent during the middle of the last century in Latin America. He literally echoes the preference for the poor that they advocated. Many of you might remember this group featured priests gathering the poor for small group […]
Many of us think Pope Francis serves as a much-needed model of the faith in our time, at least in his words and personal examples. Obviously, some of his witness has been thwarted by the very institutional structures that he identifies as outdated and irrelevant. I’d like to spend some time examining the Theology of […]
My wife helps me write sermons. Last week, she came home saying I should incorporate something about Service Week. “How am I going to do that when I promised to preach on Sodom and Gomorrah?” I moaned. And then, as if that were not challenging enough, she came a second time saying I should mention […]
The Passover celebration is a family meal that begins when the youngest child asks, “Father, why is this night different than other nights?” The Father then tells the Exodus story as simply and clearly as possible, so that even this child can understand. “There was a time long ago when a mighty nation, who thought […]
When Jesus was baptized, the writers report the heavens were torn apart, God’s Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, and a voice pronounced, “You are my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” The message was clear: God loves Jesus, and his Spirit will fill Jesus’ life so that he can perform mighty deeds and […]
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