About the WLS Annual Symposium
Inaugurated in 2000 as part of the 150th anniversary of the Wisconsin Synod, the annual symposium attracts several hundred pastors who gather together with seminary students and faculty to hear and discuss presentations on important church topics. Held on the Monday and Tuesday following the third Sunday in September, the symposium includes three essays, a festival service, and an evening of relaxation and fellowship. Sessions begin at 1:10 p.m. on Monday and end at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
The essays presented at the symposium can be found on the seminary website shortly after the symposium has concluded. For those who would like to participate in real-time but are not able to join as an in-person participant, an on-line only option for registration will be possible. In this option, a link will be provided for real-time access to the essays, reactions, and comments. As always, a live-streamed feed to the symposium worship service will be provided to the public.
Registration for the annual symposium opens on July 1 and closes on September 1 each year.
The 2026 WLS Symposium:
What is Man? Answers from Lutheran Anthropology
The 2026 WLS Annual Symposium will gather under the theme “What is Man? Answers from Lutheran Anthropology.” This topic was chosen due to the increasing importance of a foundational understanding of mankind’s creation, nature, and unique role among the rest of creation. Many current societal issues that confront Christianity are directly related to a misunderstanding of biblical anthropology and frequently result in a direct attack upon it. While the topic of Lutheran anthropology is broad and extensive, the time is right to explore a few of its key aspects. Our prayer is that the symposium will provide participants the opportunity to gain confidence and clarity on central truths related to biblical anthropology. In doing so, we also pray that those who attend will be equipped to articulate the value of Lutheran anthropology as they confront ideologies that reflect divergent understandings.
The three essayists for the 2026 Symposium are Rev. Joel Seifert, a parish pastor serving at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, Marietta, GA; Rev. Dr. Philip Moldenhauer, a parish pastor serving at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Madison, WI; and Rev. Brett Krause, a parish pastor serving at Zion Lutheran Church, Denver, CO. A brief description of each of their essays is found below:
Essay #1 –You: A Lutheran Anthropology of the Fallen Human, Created for Life with God
Rev. Joel Seifert
The scientific advances of the last century have deepened our understanding of the composition and capabilities of the human being in profound ways. Yet these insights have only sharpened other questions. Is there anything that essentially separates human beings from other creatures? How should we understand consciousness and the soul? Is it even proper to speak of human dignity or human rights?
Scripture does not simply equip us to proclaim truths about God; it also reveals the truth about humanity’s nature and purpose. This essay will consider the human being as God’s unique creature and explore the ways humanity’s status as the “crown of creation” has been understood (and perhaps misunderstood). It will also highlight the distinctive message the Lutheran Church proclaims not only about Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but about the creature created (and redeemed) to live in intimate relationship with God.
Essay #2 – Christ’s Dust: The Body in Light of the Incarnation and Resurrection
Rev. Dr. Philip Moldenhauer
What should we make of the body? Is it a canvas on which the inner self expresses itself? A prison from which we hope to escape? A limitation that can be overcome with technology? An instrument for pleasure-seeking? Much of the present confusion about what it means to be human seems to center on the body.
Lutherans are well-equipped to understand human embodiment in a manner that appreciates the gift of the body without idolizing it. This essay will ground our theology of the body in the human body of Christ and situate our approach to issues of embodiment in light of the incarnation and resurrection of our Lord.
Essay #3 – The Image of God: What Once Was Lost Has Now Been Found
Rev. Brett Krause
“Let us make man in our own image” (Gen 1:26). When our triune God decided in divine counsel to create human beings in his own image, he did not immediately define for us what that meant. Confessional Lutheranism has traditionally taken a “narrow view” of the image of God, defining it as God’s gift of righteousness and holiness (Eph 4; Col 3).
But does Scripture leave room for a broader definition of the image of God? If so, how is it more broadly defined? What was lost in the fall; what was not? What are the implications of emphasizing a broader view? In this essay we will examine such topics with the goal that our teaching of the image of God always leads us to affirm our need for Christ, who “is the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15) and “the exact representation of his being” (Heb 1:3), as our only hope for restoration. In addition, we will seek to rededicate ourselves, as restored image-bearers, to the Great Commission for the benefit of others who also need God’s image restored to them through Christ.
The 2026 Symposium will begin in the WLS campus auditorium at 1:10 p.m. on Monday, September 21, and will conclude on Tuesday, September 22, at 12:30 p.m. In addition to the three essays, the agenda will include opportunities for discussion and a closing worship service. As in past years, registration for in-person attendees also includes snacks, dinner, and an opportunity for fellowship on Monday evening.
Online registration for attending the symposium (in-person or virtually) will be available from July 1 to September 1, 2026, on the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary website. Additional information on the schedule of events and links for registration will be available in the future.
Contact
For specific questions, please contact Nola Zemlicka at nola.zemlicka@wls.edu or 262-242-8141.