It is not a surprise that
colleges founded in the tradition of Martin Luther, the alternately dynamic and brooding founder of Protestantism, the Christian colleges nurtured by this sect are often tolerant of diversity. At the same time, one can expect rigorous intellectual life and high standards of personal conduct appropriate for a religiously-affiliated school. As Baptist schools and churches are concentrated in the Southeast, so Lutheran institutions, though found everywhere, congregate particularly in the northern tier of the Midwest.
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1. Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, Minnesota
This Minnesota establishment is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and describes itself as "committed to the Holy Scriptures, the inspired and inerrant Word of God, as the sole authority for faith and life."
2. Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Lutheran College states with lawyerlike precision that its faculty "believes, teaches and confesses that the 66 canonical books of the Old and New Testaments – in all their words and all their parts – are the inspired and inerrant Word of God." This is as conservative a doctrinal statement as one is likely to find among the Southern Baptists.
3. Immanuel Lutheran High School, College, and Seminary, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
"Since every word of the Holy Bible has come from the Triune God, we at Immanuel are committed to the proclamation of all its teachings," the college says.
4. Midland University
Associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Midland believes that "faith and learning are inexorably linked."
5. Concordia College, Selma, Alabama
Associated with the Lutheran Church's Missouri synod, Concordia offers a "Christ-centered education for lives of responsible service in the Church, community and the world."
6. Trinity Lutheran College, Everett, Washington
"If collegiate study is a feast, the Bible is Trinity’s main course," the college says.
7. St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
Some consider St. Olaf a liberal college, though they may be speaking of political rather than religious libertinism. It is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and "provides an education committed to the liberal arts, rooted in the Christian Gospel, and incorporating a global perspective," according to the college.
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8. Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio
"Wittenberg expresses its Lutheran heritage through its continuing relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America," the college says.
9. Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa
Wartburg College pushes no doctrinal agenda, but promises to help students connect "their learning with faith and values" and find their place in the church and the larger society.
10. Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota
"An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings," according to the college.
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