Date of Award
5-21-2004
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Sacred Theology (STM)
Department
Systematic Theology
First Advisor
Joel Okamoto
Scripture References in this Resource
John 20:21-23; Romans 1:16; Ephesians 2:20; Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 5:3; 1 Peter 2:9; Matthew 5:14
Abstract
In recognition of this resolution it is important to examine President Bush's policy of faith-based initiatives. LCMS congregations that are faced with the opportunity to participate in faith-based initiatives should be informed of the nature and content of this government program. The purpose of this paper is to show that, theologically, legally, and practically, the church that participates in faith-based initiatives not only compromises but also loses her unique Christian witness. Theologically, the church that participates in faith-based initiatives is required by the government to separate her religious message from the social services she provides. By means of this requirement the church loses her religious message and identity and becomes simply another distributor of government funded social services. Legally, through the judgments of the United States Supreme Court concerning the separation of church and state, the church that participates in faith-based initiatives is left vulnerable to litigation. Practically, the church that participates in faith-based initiatives is confronted with the problems of applying, financing, and implementing the government funded social service program.
Recommended Citation
Olson, Darren, "A Lutheran Look at President Bush's Faith-Based Initatives" (2004). Master of Sacred Theology Thesis. 496.
https://scholar.csl.edu/stm/496
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
