From
Living Theology in the Metropolitan Chicago Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church In America
Volume 1, Number 2
Easter 1996
Ecumenism
Let’s Talk Wants You!
The purpose of this journal is to
promote a high standard of theological discourse among all the people of God in
the Metro Chicago Synod.
If we are to raise the level of
discourse we need fluency. If we are to have fluency we must have confidence in
thinking our theology locally. All of this demands that you, the church leader,
take pen in hand, and write to us your considered thoughts.
Fluency means you don’t wait to write
until you’ve got it right. We want Let’s
Talk to be a crucible for critical thinking--a laboratory where we all trust
the power of the process of sharing our passionate concerns, even when we don’t
have perfect syntax or an irresistible mass of footnotes to back us up. If you
have an itch--if you find your palms sweating over a concern where good or bad
theology is making a big difference in people’s lives--write down your
reflections, give them some muscle by bouncing them against Scripture and the
Confessions, and send them in.
And let’s all write and read comments
in Let’s Talk with a full confidence
that local theology can be honest,
robust, and valuable theology. If the
Word became flesh in Bethlehem, can it not also come alive in the musings of
Pastor Betty in Barrington? Is it not a grand exercise of our belief in the Incarnation
to put aside our snooty insistence on reading only what comes from Germany or
Harvard, and to quit discounting the power of our local experience and personal
perspective to instruct and guide us.
We need you to grab the universal
truths that nag at you in the beautiful particularity of your ministry context
and send them in that we might make them part of our faithful conversation.
Though we at Let’s Talk organize issues around themes, we will certainly print
worthwhile articles on concerns that do not fit an issue topic. Write on anything,
any time. Keep in mind that we are looking for articles between 1,000 and 4,000
words in length that deal with theological concerns that have impact in our
Synod. Please write theological reflection, not a list of recipes for ministry.
If you do wish to contribute to
upcoming themes, note that during Advent we will publish an issue on the impact
of women’s issues and feminist theology in the Church. Deadline for that issue
will be September 1. We are tentatively planning for Epiphany, 1997, an issue
about “discerning the spirits” or evaluating current spirituality and religious
movements. (Our ecclesiology issue will be published in mid-summer, 1996, but
the deadline for articles for that issue has already passed.)
Expect your submissions to be handled
with the same respect that we give to the most learned professional
theologians. But they will be edited.
Some will be returned for more of your editing. And we will not pay for them. Consider them contributions to our life
together!
Letters to the editor and short
responses to articles are welcome at any time. Send all of your submissions and
correspondence to the editor using the information provided in the publication
box on page 2.
Thanks for being part of this experiment in
theological conversation!