The Institute of Lutheran Theology: Mission and Vision
The Institute of Lutheran Theology is an independent, pan-Lutheran theological project, holding that God in Jesus Christ brings sinners to repentance and new life. Committed both to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, and to deep dialogue with the contemporary intellectual horizon, the Institute works with supporting congregations to educate the next generation of faithful Lutheran preachers and teachers.
Theological Values
These are the five foundational theological principles which shape our curriculum and thinking:
- Theological Realism: God is real and exists beyond human awareness, conception and language. Accordingly, we do not pray to ourselves, but to a real God.
- Semantic Realism: God's gift of language enables us make truth claims about God. Human emotion, thought and language do not ultimately determine what is true or false about God.
- Theophysical Causality: God can and does act in the world. Divine action must not be construed as mere metaphor.
- A Lutheran Theology of Nature: Conversation with science and technology furthers our recognition that God expresses God’s self in the natural order in ways that inform our understanding of the divine.
- The Internal Clarity of Scripture: God's revelation is expressed clearly in Holy Scripture, whose words can be understood by the reader as the Holy Spirit interprets their meaning.
Board of Directors
Anderson, G. Barry – Associate Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court
Bielfeldt, Dennis – President, Institute of Lutheran Theology
Erickson, Paul – Entrepreneur/Investor, Sioux Falls, SD
Hillerbrand, Hans J. – Professor of Religion, Duke University
Schickedanz, Fred – Real Estate Developer, Calgary, Alberta
Siemon-Netto, Uwe – Executive Director, The League of Faithful Masks, Irvine, CA
Tyler, Kip – Senior Pastor, Lutheran Church of the Master, Omaha, NE, and Chair of the Board
