News reports of the report and recommendations of the task force
for the ELCA Studies on Sexuality displayed various
headlines. "No change" was followed by "Gays Win," "Tolerate"
and "Be Flexible" as news outlets tried to characterize the
recommendations. Those unfamiliar with the history of the
issue in the ELCA, the present regulations, Lutheran history, and
Luther's theology might easily find themselves bemused-what are
these people up to, anyway? The report relies upon the
particularly Lutheran sense of the pastoral, the Lutheran bound
conscience, and requires us as simul justus et peccator to
live with ambiguity.
In the time intervening between the release of the report and
recommendations and the 2005 Churchwide Assembly, endless
permutations of discussion can occur. What does it mean to be
conscience bound? What is the true basis of the community we
share? Can we adjudicate very different interpretations of
scripture? What does it mean to be pastoral to people when
their life and faith are intricately tied to different visions of
sexuality? Our wish is that these discussions all contribute
to wisdom, discernment, and the faith life of the church. In
Journal of Lutheran Ethics we will attempt to explore the
questions which contribute to our enlightened engagement, bringing
together people from a variety of perspectives. We have asked
three people from very different perspectives to comment on the
report and recommendations.
To provide a historical overview, Journal of Lutheran
Ethics has gathered documents from the ELCA, its predecessor
church bodies, and beyond, which describe marriage or
sexuality. Note that the issue of couples living together
outside of marriage is not new to this church, and witness how
societal realities such as rising divorce rates first challenged
our social teachings decades ago. Next to war, it is
difficult to imagine another subject about which so much ink has
been spilled. Put into historical perspective, our struggles
are all too familiar.
ELCA Documents
Documents from The American Lutheran Church
(ALC)
Documents from the Lutheran Church in America
(LCA)
Documents from Prior Church Bodies