"Civilization and the New Frontier" contains four essays by one of the leading scholars engaged in discussions of the relationship between science and religion in the field of space exploration. Bishop Heiser is a founding member of the Mars Society and currently serves on the Board of Directors and Steering Committee of that organization. He has also served in parish ministry for fourteen years and has been bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America since 2006. The essays in this volume focus on the relationship between Virtue and the establishment of a civilization and draw...

Writing to the Church in Corinth, St. Paul referred to himself and other called servants of Christ as "stewards of the mysteries of God." The work of the office of the holy ministry is still defined in this way, as pastors are sent by Christ to bring God's gifts of Word and Sacrament to His Church. The essays in this volume were written by the Rt. Rev. James D. Heiser, who serves as bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America (ELDoNA) and as pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Malone, Texas. In these essays, Bishop Heiser addresses many aspects of the work of the ministry, but...

Before Martin Luther called upon the Church to return "ad fontes" to Holy Scripture, Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499) and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494) endeavored to call the Church to a far different 'font'-the writings of the "prisci theologi" (ancient theologians) of pagan antiquity. Zoroaster and Hermes Trismegistus were interpreted as inspired teachers whom men such as Ficino and Pico believed could provide guidance for the Church in their time. Their students included future popes (most notably Pope Leo X) and leaders of the Renaissance, such as Johannes Reuchlin (1455-1522)....

Over two decades have passed since the "Cold War" between the Soviet Union and the West ended. Many citizens of the former Soviet republics and Warsaw Pact nations have embraced the opportunities which come with expanded civil liberties and economic growth, but extremists exploit nostalgia for the days of empire. In the words of Vladimir Putin, "the collapse of the Soviet Union was a major geopolitical disaster of the century."
A new ideology-Eurasianism-is being advanced by those who dream of a new empire and revenge on the Western powers which brought about the collapse of the Soviet...

In The Method of Theological Study, Johann Gerhard (1582-1637) sets forth the aims and topics of theological study which form a five year educational program for the preparation of Candidates for the Office of the Holy Ministry. In the words of Gerhard, "Speaking concisely and by way of outline, the study of theology is the remedy for our innate ignorance of spiritual matters and for the inherent disorder in our emotions; the stronghold for the cultivation of holiness and piety; the means for listening to God daily in the Word and for speaking to God daily in prayers; and, finally, a...