How Do You Define Religion?

"Don’t speak to me about your religion; First show it to me in how you treat other people. Don't tell me how much you love your God; show me in how much you love all her children. Don't preach to me your passion for your faith; teach me through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I'm not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as in how you choose to live and give." (Cory Booker on Religion)

How do you define religion? And how do we as Lutherans understand religion and spirituality?
This year we celebrate 40 years of Lutheran women as Religious Leaders in the ELCA. More specifically, we celebrate 40 years of the ordination of women in this church. Have women defined religion and spirituality and theology differently? In an upcoming book edited by Dr. Mary Streufert, Transformative Lutheran Theologies due out Fall 2010 from Fortress Press, Lutheran women theologians write about their perspective on the Lutheran religion and theologies from Feminist, Womanist, and Mujerista perspectives. My chapter, entitled, “Hush No More – Constructing a Lutheran Womanist Ethic” used the voices of African American Lutheran women from across the country in their understanding of why we do what we do – our religiosity, our spirituality, our ethic.

This year is also the 100th Anniversary of the American Academy of Religion, (AAR) an organization that looks at and fosters excellence in the study, scholarship, and teaching of religion. AAR understand that in a world where religion plays a central role in social, political, and economic events as well as in the lives of communities and individuals, there is a critical need for ongoing reflections upon and understanding of religious traditions, issues, questions, and values. The Centennial celebration will be occurring October 30 – November 1 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Downtown Atlanta.

Each year, prior to AAR, Lutheran Women in Theological and Religious Studies (LWTRS) hold a pre-conference. This year, the theme will be “Listening Closely; Defining the Conversation” informed by the words of the writer, Audre Lorde:

“Where the words of women are crying to be heard, we must each of us recognize our responsibility to seek those words out, to read them and share them and examine them in their pertinence to our lives.”

The planners recognize that the face of the Lutheran church is changing in a continually globalizing world. In an ever-fragmenting world, there is, therefore, a need to work to build community through careful listening and critical engagement. This LWTRS Conference will be held at the Lutheran Theological Center in Atlanta, Friday, October 29th and will bring together Lutheran women scholars, students, and leaders of all ethnicities from as far away as Sweden and Africa to begin to define a religious and theological conversation and discourse. A lay woman, Ms. Gail Dudley from Columbus, Ohio, will be the preacher, and our own Pastor Katie Pasch will be the celebrant at the Friday evening worship service. All are welcome.

That Sunday, October 31st, Reformation Sunday, there will also be a grand celebration recognizing the anniversary of the ordination of women in the ELCA (more information to come.)

So how do you define religion? And how do we as Lutherans understand religion and spirituality? How do you live and how do you give? How do we listen to each other? Respond to any one of these queries. Let us hear from you – the people in the pew.