Theology and the Church
I. Current Study Program
The One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church: Lutheran Perspectives
Fifth anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in Johannesburg, South Africa, October 2004. |
This new study program seeks to interpret, from a Lutheran perspective, the ecclesiological formulation of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. Three conferences are being planned, the first of which will take place 12–16 June 2008, at Bossey, near Geneva, Switzerland.
The first conference will study the ecclesiological formulation of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed and examine the questions of how, from a Lutheran perspective, the confession of faith in the one holy, catholic and apostolic church is to be understood and how it is relevant for Lutheran churches today. The marks of the church (oneness, holiness, catholicity, apostolicity) will be discussed at the following two conferences, focusing on what meaning and bearing those marks have on the life of Lutheran churches today. The conferences will involve international participants from different regions and contexts and are open to the public.
If you are interested in taking part in one of the conferences, please contact Rev. Dr Hans-Peter Grosshans.
II. Recent Study Programs
Leadership and Power in the Ministry of the Church
There are many questionable if not controversial ways in which leadership and power are exercised in churches. This often simmers beneath the surface, without being discussed or addressed openly.
The 28-page booklet Leadership and Power in the Ministry of the Church [Please click to order. Free of charge, postage and packing costs for bulk orders] is intended to stimulate reflection and discussion in churches, in light of central biblical and theological understandings. It draws upon key biblical perspectives, as well as Lutheran confessional understandings, such as the relation between the relation between the priesthood of all believers and ordained ministry.
How can power and leadership be exercised in ways that are consistent with what the church preaches and teaches? Questions encourage readers to apply these understandings to their own situations.
The booklet can be downloaded here. (Requires Adobe
Acrobat Reader) 
The Authority of the Bible in the Life of the Church
Rev. Manmasih Ekka from India during worship. © LWF/S. Sinn |
In all churches, the Bible is central. In the Lutheran tradition, the Bible is considered the authoritative norm for preaching, teaching and living out the faith. Since the way in which we listen to, read and interpret the Bible is shaped by our situation, we may reach different conclusions and results as we apply the Bible to particular issues. This poses a problem for a communion of churches which base their faith and teaching on the same Bible, share a confessional tradition, and consider themselves called to a common witness in the world.
How do we interpret what we hear when we listen to the Bible? How can we make sure of what the Bible is actually saying rather than having it say what we want to hear? How can we meaningfully communicate within a communion of churches despite our different ways of understanding the Bible?
A set of articles written by a study team have been compiled the book, Witnessing to God's Faithfulness: Issues of Biblical Authority. [Please click to order, CHF 18, USD 15, Euro 12, plus postage and packing].
The Diaconal Ministry in the Lutheran Churches
A malnourished 21-year-old woman at the Wanyerukula Nutrition Center near Kisangani, in Oriental Province, DRC. |
An international consultation focusing on "The Diaconal Ministry in the Lutheran Churches," in October 2005, in São Leopoldo, Brazil. The purpose of the consultation was to discuss various experiences with the diaconal ministry and to identify key elements of an understanding of the diaconal ministry of deacons and deaconesses that is solidly grounded in the Bible, in line with the Lutheran Reformation and open to different contexts.
Presentations from the consultation as well as the statement developed were compiled in a book, The Diaconal Ministry in the Mission of the Church. [Please click to order, CHF 12, USD 10, Euro 8, plus postage and packing]. Please click here to find the statement of the
consultation in English,
German, Portuguese
or Spanish. (Requires
Adobe
Acrobat Reader)
For further information, please
contact Rev. Dr Hans-Peter Grosshans,
Phone: +41/22-791 6194,
Fax: +41/22-791 6629.
