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An exploration of church and society produced by the United Lutheran Seminary with campuses in Gettysburg and Philadelphia, PA.
Episodes
Monday Mar 11, 2024
Top Stories in Religion for 2023
Monday Mar 11, 2024
Monday Mar 11, 2024
Dr. William Avery, Professor Emeritus of Stewardship and Parish Ministry, shares his thoughts on three top issues from the previous year, 2023: The Hamas-Israel conflict, the exit of from church participation, and clergy burnout. He reminds us that that the Middle East conflict is not recent but has its roots from the biblical period. From his years of teaching and research, Avery suggests that the membership in our American congregations started to decline in the early 1960s. Avery indicates that the issue of clergy burnout has developed from lack of communication between the clergyperson and the congregation. While these issues are troubling, Avery leaves the conversation with words of hope.
Monday Dec 04, 2023
Global Lutheranism: The Lutheran World Federation 2023
Monday Dec 04, 2023
Monday Dec 04, 2023
Andrew Taminger, a third-year seminarian at United Lutheran Seminary, talks about his attendance at the Lutheran World Federation Assembly (LWF) in Krakow, Poland. After a brief introduction to the history of the Federation, he continues by sharing his personal highlights of the Assembly along with some of the discussions including climate change, women’s rights, disabilities, and gender issues. He goes on to discuss the tensions that were present in the deliberations including the use of languages and the concerns of youth. He describes a youth strike that took place at the Assembly. He concludes the by sharing some of the seventeen resolutions that were passed for the ongoing work of the LWF.
Monday Jul 31, 2023
The Way of St. James
Monday Jul 31, 2023
Monday Jul 31, 2023
Fr. Andrew Durbidge, Rector St. Luke and St. Matthew Episcopal Church in Brooklyn New York Joins us to talk about his recent pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago or the Way of St. James. Each year thousands of individuals start from various points in France, Spain, and other locations to take the journey. This pilgrimage dates from the medieval period. Durbidge used his walking time for meditation and reflection. The walk reinforced his own spiritual growth. He began his 60-mile journey from Camino de Portugues and culminated at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwest Spain. Ending the journey with worship at the Cathedral, Fr. Durbidge noted the emotional impact of the journey in the tearful eyes of his fellow travelers.
Monday May 22, 2023
Monday May 22, 2023
Dr. Crump, former Professor of Systematic Theology at LTSG, named Karl Barth, Rudolph Bultmann, and Paul Tillich as the leading theologians of the 20th century and briefly described the central themes in the work of each. Common to all three would be close to Tillich’s phrase, “Accept the fact that you are accepted.” Crump described the crucial importance of the two World Wars on each. He compared the “big three” with American Lutheran theologian and Gettysburg professor, Robert Jensen, who is most respected for his work on the Trinity, but concluded that Tillich has the most enduring legacy.
Monday May 08, 2023
A Journey in Pastoral Ministry
Monday May 08, 2023
Monday May 08, 2023
This episode of The Seminary Explores features Pastor Ed Smith, the recipient of the Called to Lead – Excellence in Ministry Award by the Alumni Association of United Lutheran Seminary. Ed shared his various areas of ministry after graduating from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg.
While a pastor in the Pocono area of Pennsylvania, he developed a ski ministry. After a few years, he received a call to a parish in Colorado where he participated in the beginning years of Habitat for Humanity and worked with former President Carter. That involvement led him to similar building projects in Nicaragua amid the political strife there in the 1980s. For over 30 years, Ed was also a chaplain for the Loveland, Colorado police department.
Throughout his years of involvement in activities beyond the congregations, he shared the important support of congregational members. His advice to women and men involved in pastoral ministry is to visit, love, and respect the gifts of the people you are called to serve.
Monday Apr 24, 2023
In Search of Family
Monday Apr 24, 2023
Monday Apr 24, 2023
On this episode of the Seminary Explores Prue Yelinek discusses research on her familial roots which date back to 1754. Her discussion combined the history of her family in relation to the history of the Church of the Brethren in the Shenandoah Valley. That history is intertwined with the events of the Civil War in that area. Yelinek shared the surprises she found in her research as well as the published articles that emerged from her research on family members during the Civil War, “Colonel John Francis Neff – Dunker Rebel, Son of the Shenandoah” and “Uncle John Bowman’s and his Uncle Sam and Their Families are Going to Ohio”: Sheridan’s Refugee Wagon Train,” both published in the Journal of the Shenandoah Valley During the Civil War Era. At the conclusion of the interview she shared her advice to others who are interested in doing genealogical research.
Monday Feb 27, 2023
The World of the Church Organist
Monday Feb 27, 2023
Monday Feb 27, 2023
Mr. Jonathan Noel, Minister of Music at St. James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg Pennsylvania discussed the role of the organist in the life of the church. He described the organist as helping the music life of the congregation. He recalled his early interest in the instrument and connecting it in the worship life of the church. Noel noted the challenges as well as the opportunities of the organist in this age of technology. While the organ is less used in many churches today, technology and the internet has helped to expose people to the organ repertoire as well as the performance of professional organists. Noel suggested how a new generation of music students might be inspired to become music professionals in congregations.
Monday Feb 13, 2023
Monday Feb 13, 2023
This is a program of remembrance. Three colleagues and friends of Dr. Richard Stewart share their memories of him.
Dr. Joseph Donnella emphasizes Stewart’s work on making connections among people, groups and churches. He highlighted the collegiality he experienced with Stewart when they both were serving parishes in St. Croix.
For Mark Staples, his conversations with Stewart were important of him. Stewart’s work on African American history and the Lutheran Church was a labor of love.
Dr. Charles Leonard focused on Stewart’s global interests. He and Stewart co-led trips to Africa with seminarians. Leonard also reflected on Stewart’s interest in making sure that the contributions of Blacks in the Lutheran church were not omitted as demonstrated in his digital interviews of Black rostered leaders.
Please join us in celebrating the life and legacy Richard Stewart.
Other interviews with Dr. Stewart:
- http://seminaryexplores.uls.edu/e/african-american-lutheran-clergy-an-oral-history/
- http://seminaryexplores.uls.edu/e/black-lives-matter/
Monday Jan 16, 2023
The Top Stories in Religion 2022
Monday Jan 16, 2023
Monday Jan 16, 2023
Dr. Teresa Smallwood, The James Franklin Kelly and Hope Eyster Kelly Associate Professor of Public Theology, United Lutheran Seminary discussed her choice of the top stories in religion for 2022. She discussed her concern for Democracy in the United States, the current role of the Supreme Court, religious freedom, the care for children and their health, and the challenges facing the Black community. She emphasized the importance of our mainline churches to educate its members in the Christian tradition in order to counter the forces that are taking away our God-given human freedom.
Monday Apr 11, 2022
A Pope Retires: What Went Right; What Went Wrong
Monday Apr 11, 2022
Monday Apr 11, 2022
Dr. Christopher Bellitto, Professor of History, Kean University, author of 101 Questions and Answers about Popes and the Papacy suggests that the resignation of Pope Benedict and the election of Pope Francis had few if any precedents to follow. It will encourage future popes to do the same because of age or infirmity, but we’ve learned that some mistakes must be addressed to avoid uncertainty over who is true pope: dress and insignia, name and forms of address, publishing or being interviewed on controversial topics.
Dr. Bellitto is the author of ten books, including most recently Ageless Wisdom: Lifetime Lessons from the Bible (Paulist Press, 2016), along with 101 Questions and Answers on Popes and the Papacy (Paulist Press, 2008), and the companion volumes, The General Councils: A History of the 21 Church Councils from Nicaea to Vatican II and Renewing Christianity: A History of Church Reform from Day One to Vatican II (Paulist Press 2001-2002).