"I Came That They May Have Life": Cultivating a Culture of Life in the Lutheran Parish

Durance, Matthew Hudson

Etd

"I Came That They May Have Life": Cultivating a Culture of Life in the Lutheran Parish

Public Deposited

MLA citation style (9th ed.)

Durance, Matthew Hudson. "i Came That They May Have Life": Cultivating a Culture of Life In the Lutheran Parish. rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/031e72d6-eb77-4091-8680-54c58f27ee90.

APA citation style (7th ed.)

D. M. Hudson. "I Came That They May Have Life": Cultivating a Culture of Life in the Lutheran Parish. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/031e72d6-eb77-4091-8680-54c58f27ee90

Chicago citation style (CMOS 17, author-date)

Durance, Matthew Hudson. "i Came That They May Have Life": Cultivating a Culture of Life In the Lutheran Parish. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/031e72d6-eb77-4091-8680-54c58f27ee90.

Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.

Creator

Durance, Matthew Hudson

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Abstract

Throughout history, the Christian Church has stood for the sanctity of life as central to the Gospel. In America the Church for many years enjoyed a preferred place in society, and the confession of the Church was seen as being in conformity with the world. This is no longer the case, and has not been for several decades. While the church has been on the front lines for the battle over abortion since 1973, the devil was busy attacking not only children, but also man and woman and marriage. The purpose of this dissertation is briefly to introduce to congregations how to teach on life issues using the Scriptures, the Lutheran Confessions, and the Divine Service of the Lutheran Church. The project I conducted at Bethlehem and St. Peter’s Lutheran Parish gave a brief overview of marriage, the biblical perspectives on man and woman, the blessings of children, and Satan’s assault on these good gifts from God. The project had a second portion of study, which dealt with Luther’s three estates as he outlines in the Fourth Commandment in the Large Catechism. Finally, the project engaged with the Kansas District Life Conference of which I oversaw planning, leading, and advertising within the district. The participants in the project were members of Bethlehem and St. Peter’s who attended the nine week bible study, which began with a questionnaire to obtain a baseline of understanding concerning life issues and political issues in our country, as well as frequency of attendance, political views, the age of each participant, and gender. The Bible study was broken into three sections, the first dealing with marriage, man and woman, and children, using the example of the Holy Family. The second section dealt with Satan’s assault on these gifts which God gives, and matters in the culture we are facing today such as transgenderism, toxic masculinity, feminism, and homosexual marriage. The final three weeks dealt with the Christian life within Luther’s three estates: home, church, and state. Following the Bible study the participants were asked to complete a second questionnaire to indicate changes in opinion or knowledge on life issues and political issues, and if they found this method useful to help confess the truth of God’s Word in the world. Four participants were asked to give one hour interviews with me to further reflect upon their answers, as well as give other thoughts on the project and the Christian life. The results were studied and reflected upon at the end of this paper, as well as my concluding thoughts and areas of further study. In summary, catechesis on life issues has to be addressed in the home and the school as well as the church, with pastors assisting parents to teach and lead their families. As the Church finds herself at odds with the world, and the threat of persecution looms over us, it is all the more important that we speak the truth of God’s Word and guard ourselves and children through faithful instruction so we may face the world with courage.

Year