Top Posts of 2017

Everyone seems to do these kind of lists at the end of the year, but mine will not be based on web traffic, but on my own preference. So “top” means “favorite.” This list in some ways is only meaningful as a tool for me to later look back at a summary of my focus in previous years.

1. The series on the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. This series evaluated the joint statement between Lutherans and Roman Catholics on justification in light of the World Communion of Reformed Churches joining the statement over the summer.
2. The effects of social media. The documentation on the mental health and sociological impacts of social media is growing, and the results are not pretty. The medium is conducive to a heightening of narcism.
3. The American Civil Religion became much more evident throughout 2017, particularly in regards to racism and the American flag. This is one of the greatest pastoral challenges of our current moment.
4. Knowledge of the biblical languages matters for pastors. There is a strong populist current right now that devalues this skill, but I have found its pastoral uses to be meaningful.
5. A set of three posts, all dealing with different subjects, are good examples of the pastoral need for robust theology. The first is on unconditional election, the second on infant dedications, and the third on Nicene Orthodoxy and marriage.