ProtestantBeliefs.com

Calvinism is not a monolithic reality (thus this blog), historically, often times I find, when interacting with classic Calvinists, that there is the pervasive belief that “their” tradition is pure gospel without development. I think the following, at least, illustrates that this is too reductionistic, and in fact there is significant disagreement between someone like John Calvin (Evangelical Calvinist par excellence) and Theodore Beza (classic Calvinist the fountain-head), on the ordo salutis and the decrees. In Richard Muller’s book: Christ and the Decree: Christology and Predestination in Reformed Theology From Calvin to Perkins, he is discussing Theodore Beza’s articulation of Christ and the decrees relative…

from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: November/December 2023 IN TIME OF WAR  |  FARM BILL EXTENSION  |  CLIMATE-SMART FARMING FUNDING  |  GENDER JUSTICE  |  NOTEWORTHY LEGISLATIVE BREAKTHROUGHS   IN TIME OF WAR:  As weeks extend in the temporarily paused Isael-Hamas war, faith leaders continue to urge peace. Signed by the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, ELCA presiding bishop, several ELCA synod bishops and others through Churches for Middle East Peace, a Nov. 29 letter to President Biden says, “We condemn all acts of violence against civilians…

When you hear of the UN Conference of Parties (COP28) meeting in Dubai Nov. 30-Dec. 12, 2024, a faith voice from the ELCA is there in what may seem like far-away yet far-reaching efforts. Six representatives are attending either in-person or virtually to contribute to the dialogue with world leaders as they debate strategies and ambitions to effectively tackle the climate crisis. The ELCA’s recent social message “Earth’s Climate Crisis” reads: “This social message is rooted in our duty to be responsible caretakers of God’s creation. It is motivated by that responsibility and by hope. Though the climate has always…

I have been an oft critic of the ‘classical theistic’ god. The classical theistic God is typically known by actus purus, ‘pure being.’ I have argued that this conception of Godness as Monad comes to us from the ancient Greek philosophers, and not from God’s Self-revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ. Some would say that my argument is modern, but that would simply be the chronological snobbery fallacy. Truth has no provenance; that is, truth is truth no matter where or whence it comes. Bruce McCormack describes this sort of critique this way (here his comments are in the context of his treatment on Eberhard Jüngel’s explication…

Where y’at? This standard New Orleans greeting means simply “How are you?” or “What’s going on?” So don’t say where you are. Just say you’re doing all right! Our team is gearing up for the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering, the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE), the tAble and the new Young Adult Gathering next summer. The Gathering and Young Adult Gathering will take place in New Orleans July 16-20, and our pre-events will take place July 13-16. We have over 12,000 young people and their adult leaders registered for this life-changing faith formation event, coming from over 1,200 congregations! We’ve…

“For what shall we pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.   Prayer prompts: For peace among nations… For safe return of hostages and for protection for migrants… In lament over…

“What is man that thou are mindful of him . . . ?” King David, as he stood before the grandeur of God, as He reflected upon God’s handiwork in creation, asked an age-old question, with reference to the who of humanity. In this instance, he wasn’t necessarily attempting to peer into the entailments of a theological anthropology, but instead simply standing in awe at the bigness of God relative to God’s compassion for us small little human beings here on the flatland. For the rest of this piece, I want to think about what it means to be human…

Leslie Weber, Chesapeake, VA Warm-up Question What makes a thing valuable? What makes a person valuable? Mattering According to Dr. Gordon Flett, “mattering is a ‘core, universal human need,’ a necessary component for well-being.” Mattering is more than feeling like you belong or having good self-esteem, it is about feeling valued by others and believing that you add value to the lives of those around you. Research shows all kinds of benefits for people who feel like they matter,  which lead to better relationships with themselves and with others. A “lack of mattering is associated with burnout, self-criticism, anxiety, depression,…

“For what shall we pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.   Prayer prompts: For peace among nations and an end to violence, especially in Israel and Palestine, Russia and Ukraine,…

“For what shall we pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.   Prayer prompts: For peace among nations and for military de-escalation… For safe return of hostages and for attentiveness to…