Full Issue, Number 2, Winter 1997 the Onc Gregational and Synodical Mission Unit, the Ve Angelical Lutheran Church in America
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Intersections Volume 1997 | Number 2 Article 1 1997 Full Issue, Number 2, Winter 1997 The onC gregational and Synodical Mission Unit, The vE angelical Lutheran Church in America Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/intersections Augustana Digital Commons Citation The onC gregational and Synodical Mission Unit, The vE angelical Lutheran Church in America (1997) "Full Issue, Number 2, Winter 1997," Intersections: Vol. 1997: No. 2, Article 1. Available at: http://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/intersections/vol1997/iss2/1 This Full Issue is brought to you for free and open access by Augustana Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Intersections by an authorized administrator of Augustana Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INTERSECTIONS faith + life + learning NUMBER 2 Winter 1997 The Vocation of a Lutheran College, II INTERSECTIONS faith + life + learning NJIMBER TWO WINTER 1997 Contributors to this Issue Focus:- Walter R. Bouman ......................... Lutheran Tradition:Five Continuing Themes Responses: Steven Paulson ... My Wife, We Have Not Come to the End of All Our Trials, but a Measureless Labor Yet": The Lutheran Argument in Colleges. Kimberly Hague & Jon-David Hague... Disputatio Pro Quo? The Search for Lutheran Education JaneHokanson Hawks ...................... Feeling at Home: Dimensions of FacultyLife Ben Huddle ..."You Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Will Set You Free:" A Scientist's Perspective Chuck Huff...... On the Outside Looking Out: A Personal and Social Psychological Response Two Poems: BrianWallace ............... ... "The Advent Carol" & " The Madonna of Dohany Street" Institutional Focus: l Baird Tipson ................. Embodying the Tradition: The Case of Wittenberg University Intersections Number 2, January, 1997 Published by the Division forHigher Education & Schools The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Published at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, USA 43209 James Unglaube, Publisher Tom Christenson, Editor Editorial Board Timothy A. Bennett, Foreign Languages and Literatures, Wittenberg University Karla Bohmbach, Dep't. of Religion, Susquehanna University Tom Christenson, Dep't. of Philosophy & Religion, Capital University DeAne Lagerquist, Paracollege & Dep't. of Religion, St. Olaf College James Unglaube, ELCA Div. For Higher Education & Schools Staff I Jessica Brown, Student Assistant Jane Coleman, Secretary Purpose Statement This publication is by and largely forthe academic communities of the twenty-eight colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Churchin America.It is published by the Division forHigher Education and Schools ofthe ELCA. The publication presently has its home at CapitalUniversity, Columbus, Ohio which has generously offeredleadership, physical and fmancial supportas an institutional sponsor forthe inaugurationof the publication. The ELCA has frequently sponsored conferences for faculty and administrators which have addressed the church - college/university partnership. Recently the ELCA has sponsored an annual Vocation of the Lutheran College conference. The primary purpose of INTERSECTIONS is to enhance and continue such dialogue. It will do so by: * Liftingup the vocation of Lutheran colleges and universities * Encouraging thoughtfuldialogue about the partnership of colleges and universities withthe church * Offering a forum forconcerns and interests offaculty at the intersection of faith,learning and teaching * Raising fordebate issues about institutional missions, goals, objectives and learningpriorities * Encouraging critical and productive discussion on our campuses of issues focalto the life of the church * Servingas a bulletin board forcolllillunications among institutions and faculties * Publishing papers presented at conferencessponsored by the ELCA and its institutions * Raising the level of awareness an10ng faculty about the Lutheran heritage and connectedness of their institutions, realizing a sense of being partof a larger family with common interests and concerns. From the Publisher Withthe arrival of issue Number 2 ofIntersections we are well into the maturing ofthe Vocation of a Lutheran College project. In August, 1996 we gatheredfor the second annual conference on thisthen1e. We heard fromWalter Bouman of T1inity Lutheran Seminary on just"What is Lutheran;What is theLutheran Tradition." The followingpages capture on the printed page his words to us at the conference. His thoughts can be summed up by theheadings forthe major sections of his paper. He said that the Lutheran tradition is biblical, catholic, evangelical, sacramental,and world-affrrming. I was particularly taken by Walt's words in speaking about the Lutheran tradition being worlds-affirming. He talked about theworld as being, " ... received,enjoyed, served as God's Gift." As we think about location, not of the college as institution fora moment, but as what we instill in the minds and hearts of our students, this kind of stewardship ofcreation takes on special meaning. The conferenceincluded threepresentations on "How is the Lutheran Tradition Embodied in its Colleges and Universities," Wendy McCredie fromTexas LutheranUniversity and Baird Tipson fromWittenberg University shared their thinking set in the context of the institutionsthey serve. In Barid's presentation, includedin this edition, he concludes by speaking about" ...five fundamental things that every Wittenberg students shouldbe able to do upon graduation." He makesthe case that all five growout ofthe Lutheranroots of Wittenberg. They state that Wittenberg wants every graduate to: + respond with understanding to the depthand complexityof the human condition + recognize,defme, and solve problems + develop a sense of vocation + assume leadership + takemoral responsibility They look good. Wendy'spaper concluded with words about her perspective on the reasons we serve these institutions. She said that we" ... do so because in largemeasure [we] share the concern... forjustice and for the non-judgmental searchfor truth. She said that many ofus would claim". that [we] engage in action forthe sake of love and justice forour neighbors. She goes on to say that"[i]t is this colllillitment to the non judgmental understanding that promotes action forthe sake of love and justice thatunities us. It is we who embody bothindividually and collectively the Lutheran tradition." The Vocation of a Lutheran conferences have been an opportunity for all of us to gain a greater understanding of that tradition. Bob Vogel, in his presentation: "Coherence - And Now what? challenged many of us on the campuses and in the church to think about how we make this tradition ofwhich we are a part more real inthe way we do our work. In speaking to thoseof you who serve on the campuses he said: Many have expressed what a joy and blessing it is to be a part ofplaces like ours where you can be totally engaged in what you aredoing. You don't have to leave yourbeliefs, your values, your feelings at home when you go into the classroom and when you are talking with students or colleagues. Youcan talkabout your own beliefs and values. Youcan share what you hold to be the meaning of life. Forall that the Lutheran tradition in higher educationmay mean theologically, andhow it has expresseditself historically, it comes to life and has its meaning on the campuses in how we give expression to it in ourown lives and theways we lead them andshare them. The planningcommittee which serves this project is now engagedin plans forthe thirdconference, which will also be supportedby the Lilly Endowmentof out funds still available for the 1996 grant. We are alsocontemplating the direction forfuture issues of Intersections. We are consideringputting in place a vehicle to provide opportunitiesfor scholars on our campusesand elsewhere to engage in writing andsharing onthis topic. In allof this your thoughts are always welcome. Your evaluationsof the two conferencescontinues to help shapefuture events. The Vocation of a Lutheran College project really lives, however, through the continuing and broadening dialogue taking place on your campuses. We are excited by the proposals we received from you about these activities. We areanxious to stay in touch with how they proceed. Thanks to all ofyou foryour interest andyour commitmentto exploringthe tradition in which we live and serve. James M. Unglaube Director, Colleges and Universities ELCA Division forHigher Education and Schools January, 1997 From the Editor An Invitation Thoseof you whoread the first issue of INI'ERSECTJONS and have this one in handprobably recognize a pattern,Both of these firsttwo issues have much thesa me format: 1) a lead essaypreviously delivered at a Vocation ofLutheran College Conference and 2) several responses. The question thereforenaturally arises, will all issues ofINJ'ERSECTIONS look like this? The answer is no, definitelynot. Whilewe plan to devoteone issue each year specificallyto continuingthe dialogue initiatedat theseconferences, we also intendanother issue whichis moreopen-ended, open-textured, and shaped by the kinds of essays, reviews, poemsand/or other artworkyou, our readers, send us. We'd be particularly interested in getting letters about things we've already published, thingsthat may have inspired, puzzledor upsetyou. The idea isto engenderengaged �ussion. We hope,in fact, to receiveso much goodstuff from you to necessitate publishing more than twice a year. We aren't presently