st550
Lutheran Confessions
A focused seminar on the Book of Concord as the Lutheran Church’s public confession, engaging the historical setting of each document, its central theological claims, and its pastoral purpose. Students will read the catechisms and confessional writings closely, trace themes such as justification, Word and sacrament, ecclesiology, and vocation, and consider how these texts function ecumenically. The course frames Lutheran confessional theology within the wider Christian tradition, inviting constructive dialogue with Anglican doctrine and practice for faithful ministry in parish life.
Dr. Alexander Pierce found his calling to theological education confirmed while teaching the Gospel of Mark to African refugees in Athens, Greece. With a PhD from the University of Notre Dame and dual degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, he serves as Assistant Professor of Historical Theology at the North American Lutheran Seminary and General Editor of Word & Sacrament Magazine. His passion is enriching the lives and ministries of future pastors with the insights of the catholic faith, especially the early Christian witness and Lutheran tradition. Studying in evangelical and Roman Catholic institutions fostered an ecumenical spirit in him that yearns for Christian unity.
Dr. Pierce provides robust theological education that invites students into a journey of seeking the face of God. Known for demanding academic rigor, he prays it also stimulates in students a greater desire to know and love God and their neighbors. He teaches the history and theology of the catholic faith and confessional Lutheranism to form pastors committed to contemplating the deep things of God, faithfully caring for souls, building up Christ's Church, and proclaiming the Gospel.
He is grateful for Trinity's commitment to spiritual formation in tight-knit community. With his family, he enjoys traveling, playing games, doing puzzles, and solving murder mysteries. For quieter pleasure, he enjoys fishing and reading. He roots for Minnesota's Vikings, Wild, Timberwolves, and Twins (a form of mortification) and cheers for the Notre Dame Irish. GO IRISH!
Trinity is to be an evangelical seminary in the Anglican tradition. To this end we develop Christian leaders who can plant, renew, and grow churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ.
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