ELCA NEWS SERVICE

April 24, 2008

ELCA 'Book of Faith' Initiative Gets its 'Opening' Resource
08-051-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Dr. Diane L. Jacobson likes the analogy,
but she doesn't take credit for it. She heard "Opening the Book
of Faith: Lutheran Insights for Bible Study" described as the GPS
(global positioning system) of the "Book of Faith" initiative of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
     Jacobson, professor of Old Testament, Luther Seminary, St.
Paul, Minn., is director of the ELCA initiative. She said Dr.
Robert A. Bendiksen, retired professor of sociology and
archaeology, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, called the new
publication the GPS of the initiative during a recent "faith
forum" in the ELCA La Crosse Area Synod.
     Transmissions from a series of orbiting satellites enable a
GPS receiver to determine its location on Earth. Bendiksen said
"Opening the Book of Faith" shows where Lutherans are as
Christians studying the Bible.
     The ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted the "Book of Faith"
initiative in August 2007, and the new publication is one of
several resources being developed to help Lutherans as they read
the Bible in private and in groups.
     The 65 synods of the ELCA meet in assemblies across the
United States and Caribbean through the end of June. The Rev.
Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, sent a report to each
assembly and included an update on the initiative, Jacobson said.
     "Many synod assemblies are having workshops or speakers,
talking about the initiative and galvanizing enthusiasm," she
said. Those who attend assemblies can arrange to receive free
copies of "Opening the Book of Faith" from Augsburg Fortress, the
publishing ministry of the ELCA, Minneapolis.
     Augsburg Fortress is also developing an "introducing the
Bible" curriculum for fall 2008; a "Lutheran Study Bible" will be
published in March 2009; and an adult Bible study curriculum will
be issued in spring 2009 is support the initiative.
     Jacobson said "Book of Faith" is an initiative and not a
step-by-step program for Bible study. "There's some real
strength to (such a program), but that's neither the world nor
the church we live in any more. Instead, what we have is a
vision and a calling to read Scripture together, to have
Scripture be more central to our life as church and in our
individual lives." Each congregation, camp and campus ministry
might approach that calling in a different way, she said.
     Each ELCA synod will have a "Book of Faith" advocate,
Jacobson said. The advocate may work with a committee to create
networks of lifelong learning centers, seminaries, universities,
colleges, campus ministries, camps and other theological
education sources in the synod to plan teaching events for 2009.
     "The teaching events will build on local strengths and use
local advocates," Jacobson said. "It won't be a cookie-cutter
thing." She said a direction of the initiative is to identify
those who do well in teaching leaders to teach the Bible and to
learn from them through the teaching events.
     In the true sense of an initiative, Jacobson said the
members of the ELCA are not "waiting for the church to do
something." They're asking: "What can we do to make this come
alive in our setting?"
-- -- --
     Information about the "Book of Faith" initiative is at
http://www.ELCA.org/bookoffaith/ on the ELCA Web site. Details
about "Opening the Book of Faith: Lutheran Insights for Bible
Study" are there under "Resources."

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John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
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