Concordia University Chicago’s Lutheran Education Journal (LEJ) is relaunching, with a new volume anticipated for spring 2027. With more than 150 volumes in print and digital formats, the journal has reflected on the latest research in Lutheran Christian education across a wide range of topics and levels—from the classroom, home, and parish to early childhood and higher education.  

While the journal's most recent editions have been published within the last decade, its roots trace all the way back to the 19th century.   

In 1864, while the construction of Addison Teachers Seminary was still underway, 53 teachers in the Western District Teachers Conference of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) resolved to publish an education journal. Rev. J.C.W. Lindemann, president of the newly established teachers seminary, served as its first editor.    

The inaugural edition, titled Evangelisch-Lutherisches Schulblatt (Evangelical Lutheran School Paper), debuted in 1865 as a 32-page magazine published entirely in German.   

In 1921, the periodical became bilingual and was renamed the Lutheran School Journal. Over time, the journal saw a gradual elimination of German, with the last German article published in 1935. In 1947, the journal acquired its present name: the Lutheran Education Journal.    

After a brief hiatus beginning in 2020, the LEJ is relaunching under the direction of Dr. Ann Frkovich, professor of research, whose scholarship examines the experiences of teachers and students within a changing educational landscape. Frkovich will serve as editor-in-chief following previous editor-in-chief Shirley Morgenthaler (BS '59), distinguished professor emerita of teaching, learning & diversity and head of the Early Childhood Education program at CUC for over 40 years. The journal will also have an advisory council of CUC faculty and an editorial board of individuals from across the Concordia University System.  

For Frkovich, the relaunch carries a clear sense of purpose.    

“[The relaunch highlights] the importance of what Luther’s message can offer education today, and those ideas should be shared with the world,” said Frkovich, who draws on the ideas in Katherine Scherer Cronk’s essay “Martin Luther as Educational Pioneer.”   

Cronk’s work, originally published in the LEJ in 1921, captures Luther’s contributions to education.    

“He was the pioneer of compulsory education,” wrote Cronk. “Martin Luther, the fearless Reformer of the 16th century… lay upon the consciences of civic officials their duty to make adequate provision for the education, not of selected classes or people alone, but of every man, woman, and child in the realm.”    

Rooted firmly in the Gospel, Martin Luther’s ideas on education have shaped the journal’s more than 150-year history. Now, the University honors Luther’s legacy while extending the enduring values of Lutheran education to new teachers, congregations, families, and the broader educational community in both traditional and classical Lutheran education settings.   

“The relaunch of the LEJ marks a return to one of Concordia-Chicago’s oldest and most meaningful scholarly traditions,” said University President Dr. Russell P. Dawn. “We’re renewing a conversation that has helped shape Lutheran education for generations as educators pursue truth with rigor, teach with conviction, and serve students faithfully year after year.”    

Looking ahead, the 157th volume, targeted for spring 2027, will celebrate the history of the LEJ and highlight trailblazing contributions from past editions. A call for submissions is also anticipated for fall 2027, with details to come.   

For more information, contact Dr. Ann Frkovich at Ann.Frkovich@CUChicago.edu. To read through past issues of the LEJ, head to CUC’s digital archive.