Lutheran Higher Education In North America

This fascinating volume traces, for the first time, the history of the fifty presently operating Lutheran colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

The volumes in this set, originally published between 1964 and 2002, draw together research by leading academics in the area of higher education, and provide a rigorous examination of related key issues. The volume examines the concepts of learning, teaching, student experience and administration in relation to the higher education through the areas of business, sociology, education reforms, government, educational policy, business and religion, whilst also exploring the general principles and practices of higher education in various countries. This set will be of particular interest to students and practitioners of education, politics and sociology.

Originally published in 1996 Religious Higher Education in the United States looks at the issue of higher education and a lack of a clearly articulated purpose, an issue particularly challenging to religiously-affiliated institutions. This volume attempts to address the problems currently facing denomination-affiliated institutions of higher education, beginning with an introduction to government aid and the regulation of religious colleges and universities in the US. The greater part of the volume consists of 24 chapters, each of which begins with a historical essay followed by annotated bibliographical entries covering primary and secondary sources dating back to 1986 on various denomination-connected institutions.

Intended as a primer, the book seeks to cultivate knowledge of Lutheran Higher Education that is both appreciative, critical, and constructive. Written by a veritable who's who of faculty and administrators, this volume is a must read for everyone concerned about the work being done on Lutheran campuses.

Lutheran churches in the United States have included multiple ethnic cultures since the colonial era and continue to wrestle with increasing internal variety as one component of their identity. By combining the concerns of social history with an awareness for theological themes, this volume explores the history of this family of Lutheran churches and traces the development from the colonial era through the formation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 1988. An introduction details the origins of Lutheranism in the European Reformation and the practices significant to the group's life in the United States. Organized chronologically, subsequent chapters follow the churches' maturation as they form institutions, provide themselves with leaders, and expand their membership and geographic range. Attention is given throughout to the contributions of the laity and women within the context of the Lutherans' continued individual and corporate effort to be both authentically Lutheran and genuinely American. Offering a rich portrayal of the Lutherans' lives and their churches, the social historical approach of this study brings the Lutheran people to the foreground. The dynamic relationship between pietist, orthodox, and critical expressions of the tradition has remained among Lutherans even though they have divided themselves by several factors including ethnicity and confessional stance. Of interest to scholars and researchers of Lutheran history and religion in America, this engaging, multifaceted work balances narrative history with brief biographical essays. A chronological listing of important dates in the development of the Lutheran church is especially helpful.

Published in 1989, this bibliography considers religious seminaries that are affiliated with the various denominations of the theological institutions established in the United States by the Protestants in the early 1800s, it also considers non-denominational and independent settings. Divided into two sections, the first short section considers the relationship between the civil governments and the seminaries, the second, organized by denomination into 15 chapters provides an extensive bibliography with annotations. The work pulls together a wealth of reference material and identifies salient works, whether book, article, dissertation or essay, to provide a much-needed resource for those interested in seminary education in the United States, whether scholar, student, policy maker, or interested citizen.

Why are we here? How does what we do at Lutheran colleges and universities differ from other Christian institutions of higher learning or public universities? The Lutheran model of higher education affirms the importance of diversity and the need to dialogue with multiple points of view within a context of academic freedom and Christian presence. This means that all people are important and contribute to the character of a community of inquiry, including people of other faith traditions and a variety of disciplines. The great challenge for the future of Lutheran higher education is to keep the questions of faith and learning alive on our campuses. This book is intended to assist that process. it is not intended to determine its outcome.