Bible Study

Theme of “The Seduction of Extremes”

Do you want balance in life? Would you like to know from history the main bedrock teachings of the Bible? Do you believe as Socrates said “the unexamined life is not worth living?” Would you like to know how you are passionately loved by the Creator of the universe? Would you like the keys to identifying an extremist from a mile a way? Are you fed up with religionist extremists? Are you weary of lawless people pushing their contra-civilization agendas down the throats of people who love freedom? If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, the “The Seduction of Extremes” is for you!

“The Seduction of Extremes” is a book that based on the Doctorate degree of Pastor Peter Kurowski. During the study for his dissertation and defense, Pastor Kurowski examined closely four of the most brilliant minds in history: St. Augustine, Blaise Pascal, Martin Luther and C.S. Lewis. He noticed in these giants common conclusions and a similar pattern of thinking. That pattern will give you comfort, joy, insight, and the ability to identify extremists. Hitch your wagon to these four horsemen for a fascinating and rewarding ride through life. At stake is your eternity.

12 Benefits from reading “The Seduction of Extremes”

1. Provides help on the relationship between Church and State
2. Enables one to see clearly the two horns of Extremism
3. Shows the genius of the Founders and Framers of America
4. Reveals the similar pattern of thinking on the part of 10 of history’s greatest minds
5. Unlocks the key to interpreting the Bible properly
6. Tells how one can be fully certain of salvation
7. Answers enigmas people have had about the Bible
8. Gives a comforting view of End Times
9. Offers people a template for balance in life
10. Identifies the most important truths in history
11. Leaves one with a sense they are treasured
12. Cooks up the ultimate feast for people who love paradoxes

BRIEF VITA OF THE REV. DR. PETER M. KUROWSKI

Editor of The Berean Lutheran, contributer to Portals of Prayer, Concordia Pulpit Resources, Contemporary Faith Articles, New Orleans West Bank Guide–Rx For Faith, The California Democrat, author of The Lifelines of Love, The Seduction of Extremes, co-author to The Everlasting Angel and the Mountains of Fire, the forthcoming The Everlasting Angel and the Real Magic, co-editor of Leadership: Maps, Models, and Morals, a script writer for LLL animated video Red Boots For Christmas; Lutheran Hour Speaker, guest chaplain to United States Congress, local Kiwanis President and recipient of the Hixson award, LLL Pastoral Advisor of Missouri District, first vice president of the Missouri District, Chairman of the Board of Family Life of the Missouri District, guest lecturer to faculty and student body at Truman State University, guest speaker on numerous radio programs including Woman to Woman, KFUO Morning Bible Study and Ask the Pastor as well as Law and Gospel with Dr. Tom Baker, chosen as a member of the LCMS Think Tank, member of Concordia Historical Institute Advisory Member, Keynote Speaker at District Pastors’ Conferences, Professional Church Worker Conferences and Mission Planting Conference for the LCMS; Chosen to represent the state of Missouri as an attendee of the National Security Forum (Air Force War College); Circuit Counselor for Jefferson City Circuit; pastor the last 14 years at St. Paul’s Lutheran Congregation, California, Missouri.

Lettered in four sports in high school, two in college, member of the All-American Academic Wrestling team in college, born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, July 26, 1951, married Janice Lau on August 25, 1973 and has served as a pastor in University City, Missouri, New Orleans, Louisiana, Hoyleton, Illinois. He has attended college at Oshkosh State University, Concordia Milwaukee, Fort Wayne Senior College, and Concordia Seminary, Louis graduating in 1978 and receiving his Doctor of Ministry in 1997.

CONGRESSIONAL PRAYER

On June 8, 1999, Dr. Kurowski delivered the following prayer before the Congress of the United States of America.

Lord God, enlighten us to see that unless You build the house, in vain the artisans toil; and unless You stand sentry upon a nation, in vain do our guardians watch. Open our eyes to see Your awesome fingerprints in creation, Your amazing footprints int he realm of redemption, and Your architectural imprints upon the documents which helped to give birth to this Republic. May these revelations move citizens everywhere to walk humbly, do justice, and sow compassion. Inspire a desire in Americans everywhere to absorb the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes so that as a nation we do not repeat the melancholy moments of history. We ask this in the name of the Wisdom of the ages, the Savior of sinners, Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen.

DR. KUROWSKI’S RECENT RADIO INTERVIEWS

• KCIS-AM Greater Seattle area, Michelle Mendoza, Sept. 24, 2007
• KPJC Morning Show Greater Salem/Oregon radio KPJC-AM, March 10, 2008
• WCLY-AM (1550 AM) Greater Raleigh NC, Shelia Wilson April 1, 2008 (Great interview)
• WBFI-FM The Bible Breakfast Club, Greater Kentucky area, Ft. Knox Sept 25, 2007
• WMUZ/WEXL The Greater Detroit area, The Bob Dutko Show, May 21, 2007
• KFFF-AM Faith and Freedom Show, Jamie Johnson (Host) 1/2 of Iowa, April 20, 2007
• KFUO-AM radio St. Louis, with Diane Summers, Roland Lettner and Tom Baker four times.
• KSSZ Columbia, Missouri, Derek Gilbert Interview December 2006
• March 21, 2008 Good Friday Newspaper, Jefferson City Tribune

Endorsements for The Seduction of Extremes

Were I asked to recommend three books to help people understand Lutheranism/Biblical Christianity they would be The Small Catechism, Spirituality of the Cross, and The Seduction of the Extremes! Of course, that assumes they are already reading Scripture.
Pastor Rick Anderegg, Saint Robert, Missouri

Extremism is a mark of the human race. The church is not exempt from problems of extremism. On the one “side” the law is the dominant note, robbing Christ of his glory, and on the other “side” only the “gospel” is spoken of (which is no gospel at all). To walk the road of faith is to rightly understand law and gospel, sin and grace, that we are saint and sinner. Thanks be to God for a work like “The Seduction of Extremes” where we can further explore the paradox that the Christian faith, all centered on Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, yet fully God, born without sin, yet bore the weight of our sin, died, and yet was raised.
Samuel Powell, vicar candidate, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

The “Seduction of Extremes” is a fresh, impressive way to understand our faith and avoid perilous doctrinaire pitfalls in going off the deep end to either the right or the left….It will surely help us avoid those oh-so-unnecessary extremes that clutter the Christian world today.
Dr. Paul L. Maier, Seibert Professor of Ancient History, Western Michigan University

In his book, “The Seduction of Extremes,” Pastor Peter Kurowski offers readers—lay and clerical—a fine corrective to the bad theologies and bad practices so often met with at the far left and at the far right of today’s church scene. He writes with wit and learning from a solid Reformation background. On putting the book down, you will wish that you sat under his teaching every Sunday morning.
John Warwick Montgomery Ph.D. (Chicago), D.Theology (Strassbourg), L.L.D. (Cardiff)

Whether the issue is the tension between red states and blue states in our nation or between liberals and conservatives within the Christian Church, divisiveness is a painful reality of our everyday lives. What we are experiencing is not merely polite difference of opinion. Rather it is unreasoning, insulting, screaming divisiveness: in politics, in the media, in congregations, and even in our family circles. Given this context, the publication of “The Seduction of Extremes” couldn’t have been more timely!…Pastor Kurowski’s passionate and eloquent application of the Paradoxical Gospel to the malady of extremism is, to me, the chief virtue of his book.
Dr. Francis Rossow, Professor Emeritus, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

“Fix your eyes on Jesus,” declares the preacher to the Hebrews (Hebrews 12:2). Thus will the reader of “The Seduction of Extremes” have his heart, mind and soul fixed upon the Savor while he wrestles with Scriptural tensions and paradox. “The eternal God dies … In death, Jesus gives life … God prays to God …God is separated from God …The King of kings is dead; long live the King of kings!” With a unique style and as a well-seasoned student of paradox, Pastor Kurowski teaches how you can become a student of paradox, and you won’t be sorry you signed up for the class. The reader will simply and thankfully say, “What a blessing it is to have one’s eyes fixed on Jesus!”
Pastor Jeffery Pflug, Faith Lutheran Church, Madison, Indiana

Product Details

• Paperback: 178
• Publisher: Torelion Productions LLC (2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-13: 978-0-9800399-4-8
• Product Dimension: 7.7 x 5.8 x .4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.5 oz.
• Lawgospel.com Sales Rank: #2 in books; #4 in total products

The chapters are as follows:

1. Tension Deficit Disorder
2. Presuppositions
3. Eluding Extremes
4. Poet of Paradox: An Example
5. The Paradoxical Thread Throughout Scripture
6. Old Testament Paradoxes
7. New Testament Paradoxes
8. A Paradoxical Vision of the End Times
9. The Paradox of the Present Millennium
10. The Paradox of the Binding of Satan
11. The Paradox of the Antichrist
12. The Paradox of Israel
13. The Paradox of Life After Death
14. The Paradox of Hell
15. The Paradox of Judgment Day
16. Where the Rubber Hits the Road
17. The Ox is in the Well
18. Women’s Ordination and Tension Deficit Disorder
19. Conclusion

Ten Weeks of Just Words - $10.00

Be prepared to be challenged. This is a Bible study by Pastor Tom Baker not meant for the faint of heart. It is not that the material has never been taught before. In fact, most of it has been taught and written by seminary professors in over forty graduate courses taken by the author since being ordained in 1972. The content of this Bible study is also a constant theme in over 15 years of radio broadcasting by the author; the last 12 years have been on AM 850 KFUO in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Do not be discouraged if your answers are different from that of the author. Though there are some questions which have only one proper answer, answers to other questions are mediocre rather than wrong. The author explains this throughout the study. In a sense you will be participating in a journey which the author himself took in arriving at a deeper and fuller understanding of the application of Christian doctrine.

What is unique about this Bible study is the attempt to go beyond interpretation of the Bible to application of the Scriptures from a Law and Gospel perspective. Theology is the art of making distinctions. For example, who would disagree with the interpretation of the lost sheep in Luke 15 that a shepherd finds the sheep, places it on his shoulders, carries it back home and rejoices. However, a wrong application in a sermon would be to inform the members of the congregation that the parable is an example of what they are to do. Instead, the application of the parable is that this is what Jesus Christ did for you in carrying your sins to the cross. This is not a burden that we can carry for anyone else. Our task is to proclaim what Jesus did—not imitate His sufferings, death and resurrection for the sins of the world.

Christians may be aware of the purpose of preaching of the Law to prepare us for the hearing of the Gospel. In this study, however, another distinction is made between living under the Law and living under the Gospel. The theologians representing these distinctions are known as the Theologians of Glory and the Theologians of the Cross and are more fully explained during Week Three.

The Bible study makes use of questions at the beginning of each week that are to be answered prior to reading the material. These questions are written in such a way to challenge the thinking processes of the old Adam in each of us. Though some questions have more than one correct answer, the author chooses what he considers to be the improved answer from a Law and Gospel perspective.

The outline of each week is as follows: 1) A set of questions to be answered. 2) Three pages of ruminations or reflections on the part of the author to explain the answer. 3) An additional four pages in Part B of each week  includes material from the GOOD NEWSpublication, devotional material entitled Lambs and Sheep, selected readings from the holy Bible related to the ruminations, excerpts from the CONCORDIA Book of Concord as well as hymns and prayers.

It is suggested that each student be given a copy of the study the week before the first group study is held at the congregation. The student is to answer the questions and read the material at home followed by the Bible study held either during the week or on Sunday morning. This provides the pastor or Bible study leader an opportunity to answer questions, provide more Bible passages and include additional material that is suitable for that particular congregation. The pastor may also incorporate the metaphor in his sermon.

The word chosen for each week is found in Just Words written by Dr. Jacob A. O. Preus, president of Concordia University at Irvine, California and president of Concordia Mission Society. In chapter 2 of Just Words Dr. Preus explains his use of referring to these doctrinal concepts as metaphors. In summary, he uses the term “metaphor” in the sense of an analogy such as referring to Jesus as a shepherd or door or truth. Each of those terms expands our understanding of Jesus, the Christ. In the same way, the metaphors or analogies of the words from each week expand our understanding of the deeper meaning of the Gospel.

Tom Baker is presently Director of Development for Concordia Mission Society. He has been a pastor of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod since 1972. He is radio host of “Law and Gospel” on the Synod’s radio station AM 850 KFUO since 1997.

The themes for the 10 weeks of personal or group study are:

Forgiveness, Birth, Marriage, Ransom, Redemption, Property, Liberation, Reconciliation, Peace and Salvation.

Ten Weeks of More Just Words - $10.00

This is the second of two books by Pastor Tom Baker devoted to an expanded study of how the Gospel can be proclaimed in different circumstances as written in Just Wordsby Dr. Jacob A. O. Preus. The first book is entitled, “Ten Weeks of Just Words” and this book is entitled, “Ten Weeks of More Just Words.”

As with the former book, it is intended for study by the laity at home followed up with a weekly class led by the pastor at the church on each of the ten words used. Be prepared to be challenged. This is a Bible study not meant for the faint of heart. It is not that the material has never been taught before. In fact, most of it has been taught or written by seminary professors in over forty graduate courses taken by the author since being ordained in 1972. The content of this Bible study is also a constant theme in over 15 years of “Law and Gospel” radio broadcasting by the author; the last 12 of which were on AM 850 KFUO in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Do not be discouraged if your answers are different from that of the author. Though there are some questions which have only one proper answer, answers to other questions may not as in-depth rather than wrong. The author explains this throughout the study. In a sense you will be participating in a journey which the author himself took in arriving at a deeper and fuller understanding of the application of Christian doctrine.

What is unique about this Bible study is the attempt to go beyond interpretation of the Bible to application of the Scriptures from a Law and Gospel perspective. Theology is the art of making distinctions. For example, who would disagree with the interpretation of the lost sheep in Luke 15 that a shepherd finds the sheep, places it on his shoulders, carries it back home and rejoices. However, an inappropriate application in a sermon would be to inform the members of the congregation that the parable is an example of what they are to do. Instead, the application of the parable is that this is what Jesus Christ did for you in carrying your sins to the cross. This is not a burden that we can carry for anyone else. Our task is to proclaim what Jesus did—not imitate His sufferings, death and resurrection for the sins of the world.

Christians may be aware of the purpose of preaching of the Law to prepare us for the hearing of the Gospel. In this study, however, another distinction is made between “Living under the Law” and “Living under the Gospel.” The theologians representing these distinctions are known as the Theologians of Glory and the Theologians of the Cross.

The Bible study makes use of questions at the beginning of each week that are to be answered prior to reading the material. These questions are written in such a way to challenge the thinking processes of the old Adam in each of us. Though some questions have more than one correct answer, the author chooses what he considers to be the most in-depth answer from a Law and Gospel perspective.

The outline of each week is as follows: 1) A set of questions to be answered. 2) Three pages of ruminations or reflections on the part of the author to explain the answer. 3) An additional four pages in Part B of each week  includes material from the GOOD NEWS publication, devotional material entitled Lambs and Sheep, selected readings from the holy Bible related to the ruminations, excerpts from Lutheran Confessions as well as hymns and prayers.

It is suggested that each student be given a copy of the study the week before the first group study is held at the congregation. The student is to answer the questions and read the material at home followed by the Bible study held either during the week or on Sunday morning. This provides the Bible study leader an opportunity to answer questions, provide more Bible passages and include additional material that is suitable for that particular congregation. The pastor may also incorporate the metaphor in his sermon.

The word chosen for each week is found in Just Words written by Dr. Jacob A. O. Preus, president of Concordia University at Irvine, Californiaand president of Concordia Mission Society. In chapter 2 of Just WordsDr. Preus explains his use of referring to these doctrinal concepts as metaphors. In summary, he uses the term “metaphor” in the sense of an analogy such as referring to Jesus as a “shepherd” or “door” or “truth.” Each of those terms expands our understanding of Jesus, the Christ. In the same way, the metaphors or analogies of the words from each week expand our understanding of the deeper meaning of the Gospel.

Tom Baker is presently Director of Development for Concordia Mission Society. He has been a pastor of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod since 1972. He is the host of the radio program “Law and Gospel” on the Synod’s radio station AM 850 KFUO since 1997. You can access it on the Internet at kfuo.org.

The specific themes for the ten weeks of study are Life, Light, Expiation, Sacrificial Lamb, Intercession, Hallowing/Cleansing, Justification, Inheritance, Bread/Water and Victory.

The Lifelines of Love - $18.00

“The Lifelines of Love” written by Peter Kurowski has been acclaimed for applying “Law and Gospel to matrimony” and for revealing the “fundamentals that form the foundation of a successful Christian marriage.” It is highly recommended for Christian pastors, marriage counselors, marriage enrichment and encounter groups, Bible classes, youth groups and other Christian organizations.

The book also addresses how God transcends time and space to mark a marriage by grace; defines the source of love as well as the course of love and explains forgiveness of sins as a great gift and a great resource. See “The Everlasting Angel and the Mountains of Fire” for Pastor Kurowski’s bio and other info.

The Table of Contents are:

1. Foundation
2. Forgiveness
3. Faith
4. Fidelity
5. Freedom
6. Finances
7. Family
8. Finally

The Spirituality of the Cross - $12.00

“The Spirituality of the Cross” by Gene Edward Veith traces his journey to Christianity. He writes, “At different times in my life I have embraced liberal theology, accepting whatever is progressive and crusading for socialjustice, and I have been a raving, miracle-expecting fundamenatlist….What I needed was a spiritual framework big enough to embrace the whole range of human existence….I found it in Christianity, a religion that is not about God as such, but about God in the flesh, and God on the cross.”

If you know of someone who is struggling to find meaning in life or who is a Christian and wonders about Jesus being the way, the truth and the life, then this book would be a gift for which you might receive eternal thanks. The appendix alone is worth the cost of the book as Dr. Veith explains the unique and radical and paradoxical elements in truly understanding the Christian message.

The Contents are:

• INTRODUCTION:  The First Evangelicals
• JUSTIFICATION:  The Dynamics of Sin and Grace
• THE MEANS OF GRACE:  The Presence of God
• THEOLOGY OF THE CROSS:  The Hiddenness of God
• VOCATION:  The Spirituality of Ordinary Life
• LIVING IN TWO KINGDOMS:  The Sacred and the Secular
• CONCLUSION:  Worshiping God
• APPENDIX:  The First Evangelicals and Other Churches

The Third Greatest Miracle of Christianity - $15.00

According to author the Rev. Dr. William Hausmann, the third greatest miracle of Christianity is the conversion of St. Paul. Though this is a scholarly work, it is well adapted for lay readership. The following endorsements have been received:

Many thanks for your extremely well-thought-out book on the conversion of St Paul! Yours was a really first-class study of Paul, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I totally agree with you on his importance–second only to Jesus himself–and it’s not too much to name him the co-founder of Christianity itself.

The format you used–with the copious use of headers–lent itself to quick reference and understanding of the material. It was very helpful. You also tackled the most important issues surrounding Paul’s life and career, especially your extended discussion concerning the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem.

Carry on, worthy classmate! I’m proud of you!

Dr. Paul L Maier

 

The author, a retired parish pastor with a Ph.D. from Drew University, has devoted his retirement years to bringing together his lifetime interest in the life and writings of the apostle whom the author argues was the major figure in the apostolic church. After explaining why the conversion of Paul ranks only after Jesus’ resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, Hausmann divides his study into twelve chapters with each devoted to an aspect of the apostle’s life. Chapter two, the longest chapter, lays out theories for the conversion episode and answers questions of Paul’s character. Several chapters present how Paul was accepted and rejected in the early church and how the apostle’s theology was in agreement with that of Jesus as presented in the Gospels. Hausmann presents his case against the backdrop of contemporary scholarly views that are often at odds with the traditional appreciation of the apostle. Pastors will find here materials for their own reflection and for edificaion of their members in private study or for congregational seminars.

Dr. David P. Scaer, a book review in the “Concordia Theological Quarterly” 72 (2008)

The Pearl of Christian Comfort - $15.00

The distinctions of Law and Gospel are found throughout the holy Bible. While Martin Luther is normally credited with rediscovering these distinctions at the time of the Reformation, inThe Pearl of Christian Comfort we find Pastor Petrus Dathenus using them to help his church member Lady Elizabeth de Grave. This book is a collection of letters between the two of them as Elizabeth struggles with the burden of her sins and fear of eternal damnation.

And who is Petrus Dathenus and when were these letters written? He was a leading figure of the early Dutch Second Reformation instrumental in the development of Reformed worship through the translation of the Heidelberg Catehcism. This correspondence took place in the year 1584! It is one of the finest summaries that can be read of these important comforting distinctions between Law and Gospel.

Who Really Wrote The Book Of Mormon? - $15.00

In “Who Really Wrote The Book of Mormon?” by Cowdrey, Davis and Vanick, readers will become aware of a fascinating body of evidence that has continued to accumulate over the years and, despite efforts by pro-Mormon scholars to deny or dismiss it, has grown to such proportion that it now poses a signficiant challenge to history itself. At stake is nothing less than the Church’s most sacred text, The Book of Mormon. At issue is whether this long-revered book is actually a valuable, historical record of pre-Columbian North American or a deception of the first order, perpetrated upon the gullible and the credulous by the very founder of the Church himself, Prophet Joseph Smith.

The chapters are as follows:

1. Genesis
2. Memories
3. Synchronicities
4. The Letter
5. Red Herring
6. Hat Trick
7. Questions
8. Family Plot
9. The Elusive Oliver
10. The Gold Bible Business
11. The Mysterious Stranger
12. Revelations

Men, Medicine and Their Maker - $10.00

“Men, Medicine and Their Maker” has the following purpose according to the author,Dr. John W. Klotz: “…that the manuscript will not only stiumlate discussion but will also lead to a careful study of the Holy Scriptures so that decision makers will not only be aware of but will be guided by the principles laid down there.” He hopes also, “that it will lead to a humility as we recognize how difficult it is to make the decisions medical personnel and families must make every day. Even more important is the assurance we have of forgiveness when our decisions are based on selfish considerations and of God’s ability to overrule them when they are wrong because of the limitations imposed by our creaturehood.”

The chapters are:

1. Approaching Bioethical Problems
2. Bioethical Principles
3. Bioethical Problems: Reproduction
4. Bioethical Problems: The Prolonging of Life and The Care of the Sick

Teach These Things - $15.00

“Teach These Things” are essays in honor of Wallace Schulz celebrating the 35th anniversary of his ordination into the holy ministry. Wallace Schulz was the popular radio preacher on the Lutheran Hour and is the editor of the widely read GOOD NEWS publication which we encourage you to read about and subscribe to by clicking on the “Magazine” section of this website.

The essays found in this wonderful book are written by many who know and love Wallace Schulz and his wife Kathy, both who have been active in loving service for Lutheranism both here in the United States and abroad. They are very active in the missionary outreach ministry of Concordia Mission Society overseas as well as in other countries.

The Table of Contents is the following:

• Foreword by Robert Rahn
• An Introduction of Wallace Schulz by Kathy Schulz.
• Confessing the Faith in the Sixteenth Century by Cameron A. Mackenzie.
• Martin Luther’s Use of Dialogue and Monologue by Robert Kolb.
• Luther, the Lord’s Prayer and the Power of the Word by Erik Rottmann.
• What Is Lutheranism? by J. M. Reu.
• The Historic Missouri Synod Approach to Theology by Ken Schurb
• Evangelical Lutheranism or Lutheran Evangelicalism by David Adams.
• Confessional Lutheranism by Anssi Simojoki.
• The Theme of Missions in the Psalter by Walter A. Maier III.
• The First Commandment and Red-Brick Lutheran Churches by Edward Engelbrechet
• Developing An Indigenous Church In Guatemala by Douglas Rutt
• Epitome: Wallace Schulz as Confessor of Truth In Our Time by Vyacheslav Horpynchuk.