Curriculum Development Partnership Announced
Press release from LAMPa, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania, April 9th, 2024:
| April 9th is the day the ELCA commemorates the life and death of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor-theologian who resisted the Nazi regime in Germany before and during WWII. For many, Bonhoeffer is an inspiration of faithful witness in the face of evil and is an example of how discipleship can be lived out in the public sphere. As we continue in the season of discernment around the Draft Social Statement on Civic Life and Faith, LAMPa is excited to lift up Bonhoeffer as a conversation partner. Our current context and struggles are different from what Bonhoeffer faced, and yet we find his writings offer compelling and important questions for us to consider. Especially for Lutheran Christians in this election season, Bonhoeffer offers reminders of our call to work for peace and care for the neighbor. We’re honored to announce our partnership with Dr. Lori Brandt Hale of Augsburg University and President of the International Bonhoeffer Society-English Language Section, in crafting a curriculum for congregations and communities. The series, titled “Lessons from Dietrich Bonhoeffer in a House Divided and a World on Fire,” will walk participants through several weeks of learning and discussion rooted in the life and theology of Bonhoeffer, in conversation with our current context and call to ask ourselves Bonhoeffer’s central question, “Who is Jesus Christ for us today?” The curriculum will be available in the coming months, and you can plan to use it for faith formation groups starting in September and beyond. It will be easily adapted to various contexts, levels of engagement, and length of study. In this, we hope to encourage many congregations to engage with Bonhoeffer and one another. To begin our preparation for this curriculum, and to show how engaging with Bonhoeffer can shape our understanding of discipleship and civic engagement, read Pastor Erin’s reflection on our Substack. We’ve also compiled a list of resources on our website; this list attempts to balance accessibility with proven scholarship. Please join us as we engage and discern as the Body of Christ, Church Together, how to move forward as faithful witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus. |
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