Blessings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Five hundred years ago in 1523, Luther wrote Temporal Authority: To What Extent It Can Be Obeyed in which he articulated what has been called the doctrine of the two kingdoms. Luther taught that God rules in two kingdoms: one spiritual and the other earthly. Scripture reveals that the Kingdom of God is not of this world. But Scripture also affirms creation and human society as God’s realm, a kingdom in which He is exercising His providential care, for Christians and non-Christians alike. Every Christian is a subject of both kingdoms, which God rules in two different ways. In His temporal kingdom, God works by means of the Law, vocations in the family and the state, and His created order. In His eternal kingdom, God works through the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Word and Sacrament, the estate of the church, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
At the CCLE XXIII conference this year, speakers grappled with the question of how we as Christians should relate to and live within the two kingdoms—especially as we consider how best to educate our children.
CCLE Press is honored to present a selection of papers from this year’s conference in the Classical Lutheran Education Journal—Conference Edition, Vol. XV. The papers selected were given either as plenary or sectional presentations and represent only a few of the high-caliber, thought-provoking sessions that conference attendees enjoyed.
The papers we publish do not necessarily represent the views of the CCLE, but are intended to stimulate discussion about topics related to classical Lutheran education. In doing so, we continue to participate in the Great Conversation—the ongoing process of writers and thinkers reflecting on and refining the work of their predecessors. The journal represents part of the continued effort to go back to the sources, ad fontes, of classical education and our confessional Lutheran roots. We seek, however, not only to preserve this foundation, but to build on it, offering our own thoughts and ideas as we grapple with the ever-pressing question: how best can we educate our children?
May the Lord bless the furtherance of classical Lutheran education.
In Christ,
Anna Martin
Managing Editor
CCLE Board 2023-2024:
Rev. Stephen Kieser, Chair, permanent Board Member
Rev. Robert Paul, Vice-Chair, permanent Board Member
Rev. Paul Cain, Secretary, permanent Board Member
Mr. Justin Benson, Treasurer, term Board Member
Dr. Gene Veith, permanent Board Member
Dr. Gabriel Haley, term Board Member
Mr. Nathaniel Pullmann, term Board Member
Mrs. Anna Martin, Executive Director
Dr. Jackquelyn Veith, Director of Accreditation & Certification
Copyright © 2022 CCLE
