Lutheran Theologians Ask 'Does Faith Work?'

     TECHNY, Ill. (ELCA) -- Theologians discussing doctrine is not a news event, said Dr. Dorothy Bass, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Ind.  When they start connecting doctrines and practices, she said, that's surprising.
     About 60 members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) who teach theology in U.S. colleges and seminaries met here Aug. 21-23 with six bishops and about 11 staff members of the ELCA's churchwide offices in Chicago.  The Convocation of Teaching Theologians, hosted by the ELCA's Division for Ministry, addressed the theme "Does Faith Work? Vocation and Responsible Citizenship."
     In her keynote address, Bass defined practices as "meaningful activities that take shape within social groups."  She said, "Christian practices are things Christian people do with one another over time to address fundamental human needs in the light of and in response to God's active presence for the life of the world."
     Bass used the tradition of providing hospitality to strangers as an example of a practice of the church.  "Hospitality is made up of hard work accomplished under risky conditions, and it is best done in community," she said.
     "Teaching theologians, as such, have an important role in the building up of the practices of Christian people.  It is your calling to bring the church's still-unfolding heritage of learning to bear on this," said Bass.  "In this you guard against the hardening of the practices into processes of unreflective socialization."
     Participants met in smaller groups to discuss the contents of the first draft of a social statement that the ELCA Division for Church in Society has been preparing for the ELCA's 1999 Churchwide Assembly.  The draft "puts us in tension with some of the economic thinking in our society and in our lives," said the Rev. Karen L. Bloomquist, ELCA director for studies.
     Hearings are being conducted around the church to elicit comments that will inform the next draft.  Bloomquist collected responses from the theologians.
     Participants also ventured answers to the theme question, "Does Faith Work?" in eight topical seminars: criminal justice, delivery of health care, global development, household economics, local community development, political life, public education and workplace economics.
     The U.S. criminal justice system is a challenging place to apply one's faith, said Kathryn L. Johnson, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky.  It is possible to experience God's grace while dealing with crime and punishment, she said.
     "We noted that many of our questions about criminal justice are intertwined with questions about our economic system," said Johnson. Noting that theologians are not touched by the criminal justice system in the same way that it touches others, she said the group must "use its best ears" to listen to the experiences of others.
     Chief Judge Alan Pearson of Iowa's 1st Judicial District, Dubuque, joined the criminal justice seminar as a resource person.  Resource people for other seminars included Dr. Jane Rossing Frankenberger, West Lafayette, Ind.; Dr. Rebecca Judge, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.; Dr. John P. Kretzmann, Chicago; Kenneth J. Rojek, Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, Ill.; State Senator Brian D. Rude, Coon Valley, Wis.; and Dr. Dean Ryerson, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
     The seminar on the delivery of health care worked on describing "care," reported the Rev. Ronald W. Duty, ELCA assistant director for studies.  "Is healing the aim, or is health care the aim?" he asked.  "Are they the same?"
     "There are things that we can do that do not require a hospital," Duty said.  Faith works when we keep in touch with those who are sick or dying, he said.  It works when we are sick or dying, he added.
     The church is called by God to be involved in global development, said the Rev. Winston D. Persaud, Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa.  Christians must see the realities of life and look for signs of hope, he said.
     The good news is that we are not alone, said Persaud.  "The question is not 'What will I do tomorrow?' but 'What will God do tomorrow, and how am I to be involved?'"
     Personal, social and church economics are so integrated that they are difficult to separate, said Dr. Russell C. Kleckley, Newberry College, Newberry, S.C.  The seminar on household economics said Christians can see their time and financial management directly linked to their faith.
     Household decisions about what is wanted and what is needed are influenced by Christian practices of stewardship, said Kleckley.  "Find small ways to begin, and those issues will lead you to the bigger issues," he said.
     Local community development begins "by focusing on its assets," said the Rev. Arthur Leichnitz, North America regional officer for the Lutheran World Federation.  He said the most successful development happened in communities after looking at "what resources are already available rather than what needs to be brought in."
     "Our society seems to be very experienced in developing policy out of sin," said Leichnitz.  "Can we practice developing policy out of grace" to build on our strengths?
     The Lutheran church has "trouble motivating our members to be involved in public life, specifically politics," said the Rev. H. Frederick Reisz Jr., president of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C.  While it is known to advocate for justice in public policies, he said, "the Lutheran community doesn't have a grand tradition of being in the center of public life."
     Speaking for the seminar on political life, Reisz acknowledged that pastors are trained to be counselors and to deal with individual needs. They don't have a lot of training in reaching out to their communities.
     "We have no unique insights as Lutherans in the problems of public education," said Dr. Mark C. Mattes, Grand View College, Des Moines, Iowa, "nor could we recommend any specific policies to solve those problems."
     Public education and Christian faith have a lot in common, said Mattes.  "Serving the neighbor is the key to what public education is all about," he said.  "We don't need to Christianize public schools."
     Biblical truths are difficult to apply to the specifics of workplace economics, said  Robert A. Sitze, ELCA associate director for ministry in daily life resources.  "Economic systems are basically truths about social relationships," he said, and it is possible to apply "godly" purposes to "ungodly" systems.
     Christianity provides a community within which workplace economics exist, said Sitze.  Christianity also provides a witness of "the model context" for such economics.

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