Anniversary Lecture Series Overview
Course 1: Martin Luther | Course 2: Luthernism | Course 3: The Messiah
Course 4: The Book of Daniel | Course 5: How Christians Ritualize Death
Lecture Series Pdf Files | Lecture Series Video Files

Anniversary Lecture Series Overview

Exploring Martin Luther’s Life, Lutheranism, Messianic Promises and the Book of Daniel

As part of the 125th anniversary celebration of Grace Lutheran Church of La Grange, we are pleased to welcome two distinguished professors to lecture in the areas of Lutheran and Biblical heritage. Professors Ralph W. Klein and Kurt K. Hendel from Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago will serve as guides on this transformative journey of faith.

The Anniversary Lecture Series will help renew and nurture one's faith.
Discover the extraordinary faith and courage that came to define Martin Luther’s life.
Experience the transformative struggle at the heart of Martin Luther’s journey.
Delve into Lutheran theology, learn about the central tenets of the Lutheran tradition, and consider the difference they can make in one's life.
Investigate Old Testament promises about the Messiah and contemplate their fulfillment in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, through his followers, and at his second coming.

All are welcome to attend. Please invite a friend and plan to come! Use the links below to see specifics details for each course and access video and pdf files of the lectures.

Course Details

Each course is several weeks long with a 1-hour lecture each week.
Each course is offered at 2 convenient times. Participants choose the time that works best for their schedule:
Monday evenings from 7–8 p.m.
Wednesday mornings from 10–11 a.m
Five courses are being offered:
Course 1—The Life of Martin Luther and the Reformation (September 12th through October 5th)
Course 2—Lutheranism 101 (October 10th through November 2nd)
Course 3—The Messiah in the Old Testament and Jesus Christ (November 7th through December 7th)
Course 4—The Book of Daniel—Remaining Faithful in Difficult Times (January 4th through January 30th)
Course 5—How Christians ritualize death and what is says about life (February 1st through February 20th) Advance registration is required, but there is NO fee to participate.
Child care will be provided.
The courses will be taught in the Grace Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall.
Course materials will be made available online via PowerPoint pdf files and video recording.
Click Here to View or Register for one or all courses

Course 1 - The Life of Martin Luther and the Reformation
In these illustrated lectures, we will follow the life of Luther from his birth in 1483 to his death in 1546. Along the way Luther published an amazing number of books and essays and was the guiding theological light in what was to become the Lutheran church. For a detailed course description and to register, Click Here.

Course 2 - Lutheranism 101
The course will explore central themes of the Lutheran theological tradition. Both Martin Luther’s writings and the Lutheran confessional documents included in the Book of Concord will be the chief sources for this exploration. Lectures will be presented. However, there will also be time for questions and discussion. For a detailed course description and to register, Click Here.

Course 3 - The Messiah in the Old Testament and Jesus Christ
In four weekly sessions this course will look at the central messianic promises in the Old Testament and how they shaped Jewish expectations of God’s deliverance. The New Testament and Christianity find these promises fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Many of these promises are still to be fulfilled through the ministry of Christians or at the second coming of Jesus. For a detailed course description and to register, Click Here.

Course 4 - The Book of Daniel—Remaining Faithful in Difficult Times
Taught by Ralph W. Klein, Christ Seminary-Seminex Professor of the Old Testament emeritus, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
In four weekly sessions this course will look at the wonderful stories and the vivid visions that are part of the biblical book of Daniel. Daniel was written in the second century B. C. when the Jewish faith and the Jewish people were being threatened by a Syrian tyrant, Antiochus Epiphanes. Like the book of Revelation, Daniel uses picturesque language and is an example of apocalyptic literature. For a detailed course description and to register, Click Here.

Course 5 - How Christians ritualize death and what is says about life
Dr. Benjamin M. Stewart is the Gordon A. Braatz Assistant Professor of Worship and Dean of Augustana Chapel at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Ben is the author of A Watered Garden: Christian Worship and Earth’s Ecology (2011), and is currently on research leave to study Christian burial practices. Ben and his family live in Western Springs.

This three-week course explores the theology of Christian funeral and burial practices, with a special interest in how these practices embody wisdom about life and death that is relevant in contemporary North America. For a detailed course description and to register, Click Here.

Lecture Presentations in PDF format

COURSE 1: THE LIFE OF MARTIN LUTHER AND THE REFORMATION

Lecture #1 September 12, 2011
Luther: The Road to Reformation; November 10, 1483-October 31, 1517

Lecture #2 September 19, 2011
Luther: The Greatest Years 1517-1522

Lecture #3 September 26, 2011
Luther: Husband, Father, Hymn-writer and Teacher; Fissures within the Ranks 1523-1529

Lecture #4 October 3, 2011
Luther: the Final Years 1530-1546

COURSE 2: LUTHERANISM 101

Lecture #1 October 10, 2011
The Doctrine of Justification

Lecture #2: October 17, 2011
Sacramental Theology: Baptism

Lecture #3: October 24, 2011
Sacramental Theology: The Lord’s Supper

Lecture #4: November 2, 2011
Faith Active in Love - Three slides with speaker notes.

COURSE 3: THE MESSIAH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND JESUS CHRIST

Lecture #1 November 9, 2011
The Messiah in the Old Testament and Jesus Christ

Lecture #2 November 14, 2011
The Messiah in Isaiah

Lecture #3 November 30, 2011
The Messiah in Jeremiah

Lecture #4 December 7, 2011
Expectation of the Messiah in Non-Canonical Texts

COURSE 4: THE BOOK OF DANIEL — REMAING FAITHFUL IN DIFFICULT TIMES

Lecture #1 January 4, 2012
The Book of Daniel 1-3 — Remaining Faithful in Difficult Times

Lecture #2 January 11, 2012
The Book of Daniel 4-6 — Remaining Faithful in Difficult Times

Lecture #3 January 18, 2012
The Book of Daniel 7 — Remaining Faithful in Difficult Times

Lecture #4 January 25, 2012
The Book of Daniel — Susanna

COURSE 5: HOW CHRISTIANS RITUALIZE DEATH

Lecture #1 February 1, 2012
The Body of Christ: Honoring the Body in Death

Lecture #2 February 8, 2012
Carried in Procession: worship at the funeral liturgy

Video Recordings of all lectures are available.

Anniversary Lecture Series Info | Course 1: Martin Luther | Course 2: Luthernism | Course 3: The Messiah

Course 4: The Book of Daniel | Course 5: How Christians Ritual ize Death

Lecture Series Pdf Files | | Lecture Series Video Files