Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, last month launched a new Web site that’s designed to provide a place for the seminary’s faculty to “engage relevant theological topics in a timely manner” and encourage “constructive, ongoing theological discussion between faculty, pastors, and other theologians” in The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.
The “Concordia Theology” Web site — located at www.concordiatheology.org — also offers theological resources.
The new Web site includes:
- “Snackbar,” with regularly updated, faculty-written articles that focus on a particular interest and relevant topic of the day, reflections on religious stories in the news, updates by traveling faculty about Lutheranism in other countries, “devotional treasures” by Martin Luther and other “church fathers,” opinions about politics and its effect on the church, movie reviews, and book reports. Visitors to the site also can interact with faculty members about what they have written.
- “Theology and Practice,” or the “Homiletics Room,” with tips for preaching, sample sermons and sermon structures, and interviews with pastors about preaching. This section links to a “Bible Room” where users can download Bible studies, listen to professors discuss themes and backgrounds of biblical books, and read the latest installment of the “Grammarian’s Corner” highlighting the “nuts and bolts” of the Hebrew and Greek texts.
- a “Worship Room” and a “Catechetical Institute,” currently undergoing construction, which will provide background and introductory discussions about the Lutheran Confessions and downloadable study courses for new members.
- a “Library” section, with “searchable” texts of journals published by the faculty — including Concordia Journal, Concordia Theological Monthly, and Lehre und Wehre — as well as an audio/video archive of events such as the seminary’s annual Theological Symposium and “Day of Homiletical Reflection.”
Editor of the “Concordia Theology” Web site is Dr. Timothy Saleska, associate professor of exegetical theology.
Dr. William Schumacher, the seminary’s dean of theological research and publication, described the new Web site as “just one part of the faculty’s commitment to deliver theological resources that bring together solid Lutheran confessional faithfulness, world-class scholarship, and responsiveness to the complex world of various cultures and contexts in which we live and serve.”
Posted Dec. 13, 2006
