Here We Stand: A Lutheran Response to Child Abuse - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798385205745

Publisher: Pickwick Publications, 2025

Synopsis

Although the life and writings of Martin Luther and other reformers have a great deal to say about children and our need to protect them from maltreatment, this legacy of the Lutheran churches, and of Christianity as a whole, has largely been forgotten. Here We Stand reclaims the Lutheran heritage as it sets forth a Lutheran theological and ethical foundation for the church’s response to child abuse. The book models rooting our response to child abuse in fertile biblical and theological soil. Written by Lutheran theologians and child-abuse prevention experts, the groundbreaking book provides practical direction for the pastoral ministry of clergy and for congregations that wish to develop robust policies and practices in order to protect children. Part 1, “Lutheran Theological Foundations for Addressing Child Abuse,” explores core Lutheran commitments by retrieving historical, confessional, and theological sources. Part 2, “Lutheran Interpretation of Challenging Biblical Texts,” addresses misinterpretations of Scripture and the Lutheran traditions. Part 3, “Lutheran Theology Addressing the Sin of Child Abuse,” provides practical instruction for ministry challenges related to child abuse.

About this title

About the Authors

Craig L. Nessan is William D. Streng Professor for the Education and Renewal of the Church and professor of contextual theology and ethics at Wartburg Theological Seminary. He is the author of several books, including Wilhelm Loehe and North America (2020).


Victor I. Vieth is a former prosecutor who went on to direct the National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse. He is also the founder of the National Child Protection Training Center, the president of the Academy on Violence and Abuse, and serves on the board of directors of GRACE. His honors include the Pro Humanitate Award from the North American Resource Center for Child Welfare. His degrees include an MA from Wartburg Theological Seminary.


Robert Kolb is professor of systematic theology emeritus at Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis. He is the coeditor of the translation of the Book of Concord (2000) and of the Oxford Handbook of Martin Luther's Theology (2014). He has authored Luther's Wittenberg World (2018), Martin Luther and the Enduring Word of God (2016), Luther and the Stories of God (2012), and Martin Luther: Confessor of the Faith (2009).

Edition details

• Publisher: Pickwick Publications
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798385205745
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 472
• Editor: Nessan Craig L., Vieth Victor I.