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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

February 6, 1997

LUTHERAN ETHICISTS COMPARE NOTES
97-03-007-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Initial work on "a multi-authored volume on
how Lutherans do ethics" was the center of attention for more than
30 Lutheran ethicists Jan. 9-10 at the Frairhurst Retreat Center in
Cincinnati.  The fourth annual Lutheran Ethics Gathering preceded
the meeting of the Society of Christian Ethics (SCE).
     The Lutheran gathering does not include a formal presentation
of papers, but panels of ethicists initiate discussion on
pre-determined topics.  This year three topics were discussed:
voices from the "margins," the Lutheran Ethics Project and "How can
we better equip people to engage in moral deliberation?"
     The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Rev. Karen
L. Bloomquist, ELCA director for studies, hosted the Lutheran
gathering.  Bloomquist oversees development of the church's volume
on ethics for the ELCA Division for Church in Society.
     About 80 people "who identify themselves in some way as
Lutheran ethicists" are invited to the annual gatherings, said
Bloomquist.  Most teach ethics in ELCA colleges and seminaries;
others are parish pastors or have some other direct interest in
Lutheran understandings of Christian ethics.
     Dr. Elizabeth Bettenhausen, Brighton, Mass.; the Rev. Richard
J. Perry Jr., Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago; Dr. Merle
Longwood, Siena College, Loudonville, N.Y.; and Dr. Mary Solberg,
Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn., opened discussion of
voices from the "margins."  They talked about the influences women,
people of color and people in Third World countries have on
Lutheran ethics.
     The Rev. James M. Childs Jr., Trinity Lutheran Seminary,
Columbus, Ohio; Dr. Martha Ellen Stortz, Pacific Lutheran
Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.; and Perry discussed
preliminary work they and four other authors have done on the
Lutheran ethics volume.  "They received from their colleagues a lot
of helpful criticism," said Bloomquist.
     "This becomes an important checking-in group," she said.  "The
authors will not only be interacting with one another but with a
wider circle of people who have particular interest in the topic of
Lutheran ethics."
     The Rev. John R. Stumme and the Rev. Roger A. Willer joined
Bloomquist in presenting details of three current ELCA studies:
economic life, church-state separation and genetic technology.
Colleagues from the Church of Sweden and the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Canada shared their thoughts on the topics.
     Several ELCA pastors from the Cincinnati area presented
experiences congregations and campus groups have had with moral
deliberation, especially around topics of human sexuality.  There
was also an update on the Church Innovations Institute's moral
deliberation project in the ELCA's Southeast Minnesota Synod.
     Many of the topics and much of the discussion carried over
from the Lutheran gathering to the SCE meeting.  "The visibility of
Lutherans at that event is growing more evident, partly because
we've gotten to know each other and the kind of conversations we
have," said Bloomquist.
     "There is an opportunity for people from other religious
traditions to get a sense of what Lutherans are up to, including a
group on political economics that heard a little bit about the
economic life study," she said.  It's also important that Lutherans
see there is some scholarly interest in ELCA documents.
     Bloomquist said Lutherans made up about 10 percent of the more
than 400 who attended the SCE meeting.  A gathering of Lutheran
ethicists will also precede the SCE meeting Jan. 9-11, 1998, in
Atlanta.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html