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Lutheran Church in America

Christian Unity
Manifesto: God's Call to the Church in Each Place (1966)
World Community: Ethical Imperatives in an Age of Interdependence (1970)

Church and State
Church and State: A Lutheran Perspective (1966)
Prayer and Bible Reading (1964)
Religious Liberty in the United States (1968)

Economic Justice
Commercialism (1964)
Economic Justice: Stewardship of Creation in Human Community (1980)
Listening to People: Plant Closings (1983)
Plant Closings: A Study Paper (no date)
The Church as Shareholder: Socially Concerned Investing for Groups and Individuals (no date)

Education
The Basis for Partnership Between Church and College (1976)
The Church and Child Day Care (1984)

Environment
The Human Crisis in Ecology (1972)

Health and Wellness
Organ Donation (1984)
Pastoral Counseling and the Alcoholic (no date)

Human Rights
Abortion (1978)
Aging and the Older Adult (1978)
Capital Punishment (1966)
Death and Dying (1982)
Death and Dying Addendum (1982)
Human Rights: A Gift Denied (no date)
Human Rights: Doing Justice in God's World (1978)
Human Rights: Doing Justice in God's World, Implementing Resolutions (1978)
Hunger and Poverty in America (no date)
In Pursuit of Justice and Dignity: Society, the Offender, and Systems of Correction (1972)
Minority Ministry 1978–1984, Goals and Plans for (1978)
Race Relations (1964)
Sanctuary: A Question for the Church (1984)
Women: A Questioning of the Past and Present (1972)

Marriage and Family
Marriage and Family (1964)
Sex, Marriage and Family (1970)

Peace
Conscientious Objection (1968)
Conscientious Objection to Military Service (1964)
Peace and Politics (1984)
Vietnam (1966)

Social Ministry
The Church and Social Welfare (1968)
Social Ministry: Biblical and Theological Perspectives (1966)

Please note
The document(s) on this page were voted on by a church body which preceded the founding of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Any such statement has the status of a "historical document." These documents may guide the ELCA and inform the work of the Office of the Presiding Bishop and act as policy when sufficient agreement exists and the ELCA has not adopted another statement on the same subject. However, social statements of predecessor church bodies to not constitute ELCA policy, as they have not been voted on by a Churchwide Assembly. When quoting or referring to these documents, please take care to make the non-binding nature of this relationship clear.

For current social policy of the ELCA, click here.