So That All May Flourish provides a substantive and accessible introduction to the vocation, educational priorities, and theological foundations of Lutheran Higher Education (LHE) and the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities (NECU). Intended as a "primer," the book seeks to cultivate knowledge of LHE and NECU that is both appreciative, critical, and constructive. The book includes 16 chapters across three important organizing sections: Core Commitments, Distinctive Strengths, and Contemporary Callings. Each chapter is written by scholars from various NECU institutions and highlights a distinctive educational priority, explores its theological groundings, and offers examples of how it is embodied in a variety of distinctive ways on different NECU campuses. The result is a rich tour of Lutheran higher education as a site for important formative work. The book also includes a short preface, forward, and epilogue. Written by a veritable who's who of Lutheran higher education, this volume is a must read for everyone concerned about the work being done on Lutheran campuses.
Marcia J. Bunge is Professor of Religion and the Drell and Adeline Bernhardson Distinguished Chair of Lutheran Studies at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN, and an extraordinary research professor at North-West University, South Africa. She has published numerous articles and five books on conceptions of childhood in world religions, including The Child in Christian Thought, The Child in the Bible (both William B. Eerdmans), and Children, Adults, and Shared Responsibilities: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives (Cambridge University Press). Jason A. Mahn is the Conrad Bergendoff Chair in the Humanities and the director of the Presidential Center for Faith and Learning at Augustana College (Illinois). After completing his PhD at Emory University, Mahn taught writing and religion at Duke University before coming to Augustana, where he teaches courses in theology and contemporary religious belief. He is the author of Fortunate Fallibility: Kierkegaard and the Power of Sin (2011) and Becoming a Christian in Christendom (2016). Martha E. Stortz is Professor Emerita at Augsburg University, where she held the Bernhard M. Christensen Chair of Religion and Vocation from 2010-2021. With Rabbi Barry Cytron, she directs the Collegeville Institute's Multi-Religious Fellows Program. She writes, speaks, consults, and publishes, most recently, Called to Follow: Journeys in John's Gospel (Cascade, 2017). Other books include Blessed to Follow (2008) and A World According to God (2004).
