The Ethics of Unending Happiness in Jesus

Registrar Lucy and Librarian Caroline joined the class in the library when Professor Schulz introduced the writings of Augustine.

Greetings, Dear Friend!

April marked the close of the spring semester. Students traveled home to be with their families and to serve their congregations for nearly two months. As the campus quieted, the LST hosted the Lutherans in Africa annual general meeting, which brought together board members and observers for two days of reflection on the previous year and deliberation on plans to faithfully serve the Church in Africa in the years ahead.

In this letter, we look back on the African Christian Ethics course taught by the LST Academic Dean, Dr. Schulz. Elvis Ongosi, one of his students, is featured in the letter’s student spotlight.

Interview with Dr. Gregory Schulz

Everyone passed this semester’s African Christian Ethics course. But the smiles in this picture are because Dr. Schulz had just told everyone, “No ethics quiz today!”

What is ethics, and how does a class like this work at the Lutheran School of Theology?

According to our Professor of Theology, ethics is the study of our best efforts to understand how human beings should act toward one another. “Should” indicates that there has to be a standard or norm behind ethics—something that thoughtful people across the centuries have disagreed on. Lutherans, he explained, have something unique to contribute, namely the norm, standard, or rule of the Scriptures, as we confess in our Lutheran Formula of Concord, a confession that speaks to every Lutheran church and school.

But there are two problems, one of which is uniquely African. According to one scholarly analysis that the students read and discussed (and took a couple of quizzes on!), there is no word for ethics in the African languages the author researched; only words for community expectations and character. The other problem, as Dr. Schulz insisted, is that twenty-first-century Africans do not know how great African churchmen in the past taught ethics from the Scriptures.

This is how he outlined his class’s syllabus: First, they considered a number of passages from the Old Testament prophets that preached how God wants people to act toward Him and toward one another. Then they discussed this quote from Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s unfinished book Ethics:

The knowledge of good and evil seems to be the aim of all ethical reflection.

The first task of Christian ethics is to invalidate this knowledge.

Dr. Schulz concluded the course with a final week of reading from Augustine of Hippo, whom he regards as “the most important African thinker of the 21st century,” even though Augustine lived around 400 A.D. The LST library has a complete forty-book set of Augustine’s writings. Reading from Augustine’s Confessions, Book 2, they learned the famous Story of the Pears, which shows the impact of original sin on our human wills, a theme Bonhoeffer described as “the knowledge of good and evil.” Next, they studied Augustine’s City of God, Book 19, and learned Augustine’s norm or standard of beatus, the Latin word for everlasting happiness that translates the word makarios, “blessed” or “truly happy,” from our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.

While Dr. Schulz confirmed that the students were not jumping and shouting for joy during the final exam, he reported that he was very happy as he thought about their faces when he told them, “Now you know for yourself something that Africa has forgotten: the ethics of unending happiness in Jesus and His Word. This means that you should preach and teach His Word to all of today’s Africans!”

Perhaps the picture of our happy students is the perfect picture of African Christian Ethics at the Lutheran School of Theology.

Student Spotlight

Let me introduce myself: My name is Elvis Ongosi, and I’m from Itierio in southwestern Kenya. I’m married with three children; God willing, we will have many more! I love my family and miss them while I’m in school. I was born into a Lutheran home. My grandfather must have been among the first Lutheran pastors in the ELCK! I’m proud to be part of such a family.

While I was working multiple jobs, I never imagined I would one day become a pastor. Neither my father nor any of my uncles, brothers, or cousins followed my grandfather into ministry. I, too, initially avoided it, yet each time I tried to distance myself from church work, I was drawn back. Ultimately, after my bishop, Rev. Omwoyo, recommended me for pastoral studies at the LST, I left everything behind. Now, my family continues the pastoral legacy my grandfather established.

I rate the LST among the very best theological schools because it equips us with the skills and knowledge we need. In the world, there is much heresy, with people preaching all kinds of false doctrines and engaging in poor practices. When I came here, I found that the Word of God is taught to a high standard. That has been very important to me. We must go out with correct teaching that will bless our people! Our professors are highly intelligent and approachable, and we have very good interactions with them. They help us so much. I also find it rewarding to associate with students from different countries. I even enjoy working on the farm here. After all, I was used to working back home. At the LST, we are mentored to be self-reliant, which will help us, as future pastors, put food on the table and live fulfilling lives.

Christian Ethics was taught by our academic dean, Dr. Schulz. The central question is how we, as human beings, should live together. Ethics guide us, fallen and corrupted creatures of God, to realign our will with God’s. Evil is everywhere, and human nature is weak. We must be nurtured by the Word of God.

Each student gave a presentation in class. The topics ranged from the Ten Commandments and the Creed to the Lord’s Prayer. I presented on the Lord’s Prayer, focusing on the third petition, “Thy will be done.” When we ask that God’s will, not our own, be done in our lives, we learn to lean on Him. All things will work together for our good. If we continue to reject Him and persist in our evil ways, we will perish. God’s good and gracious will is that we be partakers of the eternal salvation He gives us through Christ.

We Are Looking for LIA Treasurer

The requirements include quarterly Zoom meetings, maintaining up-to-date financial records, filing returns with the IRS, undergoing an audit, making occasional payments, and working with our accountant to ensure payroll is up to date.

Please direct all inquiries and interest to Rev. James May, proliturgy@icloud.com.

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