So forgiveness pre-requires understanding the mistakes of the past? here hear re this opposing this me-first, America-first, white-first, male-first approach>…
Weekly lessons in theology and public life • Since 2011
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Lesson 1: To Rethink
Read MORE: Lesson 1: To RethinkOne of the best sermons I ever heard was delivered by H. Richard Niebuhr when I entered divinity school. I can still see and hear him musing in the pulpit. He began simply saying, “Repent…. to rethink. Repent … to…
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Lesson 2: Rethinking Values
Read MORE: Lesson 2: Rethinking ValuesI decided to write on the need for repentance when reading Jacques Ellul’s Theology and Technique. The statement that stopped me short was, “The principles, values, and morals taught to children are in contradiction to what is demanded of adults.”…
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Lesson 3: Repentance and War
Read MORE: Lesson 3: Repentance and WarI found this so important, I decided to send it on in this lesson. An outlandish hope by Roy Howard In our Sunday School class, we are exploring the work of theologian Stanley Hauerwas, through a small collection of his…
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Lesson 4: Repentance and Confession
Read MORE: Lesson 4: Repentance and ConfessionWe have a hard time with confession these days. Traditionally, it served as the first step in repentance, acknowledging our failure to fully live according to the Gospel. Both John the Baptist and Jesus called people to repentance. The gospels…
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Lesson 5: Repentance and Just War
Read MORE: Lesson 5: Repentance and Just WarThe fundamental ethical principle is “Do not kill.” It addresses the fundamental human problem: the disagreement between two individuals. All morality is the conversation that follows. Just War Theory is one part of that conversation. Some participants insist that “do…
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Lesson 6: Repentance and the Economy
Read MORE: Lesson 6: Repentance and the EconomyPeople on both sides of the political spectrum are calling for a rethink of our economy. Those on the right believe we have been drawn more and more into a socialism in which freeloaders milk the system. In many ways,…
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Lesson 7: Rethinking Truth
Read MORE: Lesson 7: Rethinking TruthWe are looking at Jesus’ observation that those who want to follow him have to repent. Becoming a disciple entails rethinking the way you’ve been living. This series explores various ways we can rethink what’s going on around us. Certainly,…
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Lesson 8: A Global Society
Read MORE: Lesson 8: A Global SocietyA major factor in our present inability to establish a common understanding of truth is certainly globalism. In the past, geographic separation resulted in different lifestyles developing in the eastern and western worlds. You see that in their religions: Judaism…
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Lesson 9: Rethinking Nature
Read MORE: Lesson 9: Rethinking NatureIn a modern technological society, rethinking our relationship with nature is critical. Living most of the time in an artificial world, we tend to lose contact with our natural environment and with that, an appreciation of our dependence. In the…
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Lesson 10: Repentance and the 250th Anniversary
Read MORE: Lesson 10: Repentance and the 250th AnniversaryOne of the reasons I chose to write about repentance was the fear that we would hear a lot of bad theology as we celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. Most of those planning and participating in the religious events are…
Recent Comments
An extremely timely topic. Thanks, Fritz!
yes we need to forgive our leaders yet make sure they do the right thing – which they aren’t.