Author: Chris Gehrz

Bethel football in 1964

Football at Christian Colleges and Universities

September 18, 2015

It’s relatively unusual for a religious private college to have a football team. While George Fox, Missouri Baptist, and Southeastern are among the most recent of the 270 NCAA football programs to have started in the last thirty-five years, it appears that about three in five schools in the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities do not have football teams, … More Football at Christian Colleges and Universities

Steven Plocker (DE)

Christianity, Comedy, and Joy

September 16, 2015

There are other things I’d love to see my university get recognized for, but if hilarious pictures of our nationally-ranked football team are going to get Bethel publicity, so be it. Apparently, this all started a few years back when now-assistant coach Jesse Phenow (also a Pietist Schoolman guest-blogger, I should point out) took this picture. When roster photo-taking time rolled … More Christianity, Comedy, and Joy

Esther and Myron Augsburger

A Prophetic Impulse: Myron Augsburger and the Mennonite History of the CCCU (Devin Manzullo-Thomas)

September 14, 2015

One of the blessings of getting caught up in the ongoing debate over the future of Christian higher education is that I’ve been prompted to learn more about Myron Augsburger, the former president of both Eastern Mennonite University and the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU). With the latter a week away from deciding whether the … More A Prophetic Impulse: Myron Augsburger and the Mennonite History of the CCCU (Devin Manzullo-Thomas)

Goshen soccer practice, undated

Anabaptist Visions of Sport

September 11, 2015

Sharp-eyed followers of this blog might have noted a recent addition to my speaking schedule. This November I’ll be one of many scholars giving a paper at The Spirit of Sports, the 2015 Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. I’ll be part of a session organized by Baylor grad student/blogger Paul Putz, speaking on “Anabaptist … More Anabaptist Visions of Sport

First day of kindergarten for our kids

For My Children, On Their First Day of Kindergarten

September 9, 2015

At the risk of saying what people like my former colleague Kyle Roberts have already said quite well, I’m going to share a rather personal blog post today — the first day of kindergarten for our twins. Dear Lena and Isaiah, Today I’ll try to find ways to say these things to you, but I know that … More For My Children, On Their First Day of Kindergarten

Marilynne Robinson

“Not a Christian Habit of Mind”: Marilynne Robinson on Fear

September 8, 2015

In my “Body of Christ” address last week, I spent a fair amount of time trying to argue that anyone who follows the Resurrected Christ need not live in fear. For example: Do you live as a member of the body of a resurrected Christ? Or are you like the disciples? At the end of John’s account … More “Not a Christian Habit of Mind”: Marilynne Robinson on Fear

Balsam Lake at Sunset

Gone Fishin’

September 4, 2015

Well, not fishin’ — but I will be spending the long weekend at by the side of a lake, with little or no Internet access. So we’ll give That Was The Week That Was a break tomorrow, and indeed, I’m tempted to use Labor Day to usher in a slowing down of my blogging pace. Not the total, month-long … More Gone Fishin’

Ben Zobrist, 2014

The Christian College Baseball All-Stars: Position Players

September 4, 2015

Yesterday the pitchers; today the position players for your Christian college baseball all-stars! Starting Lineup 1. *Dee Gordon (SS, Southeastern) 2. Freddy Sanchez (3B, Dallas Baptist) 3. Dale Alexander (1B, Milligan) 4. †Ben Zobrist (RF, Olivet Nazarene and Dallas Baptist) 5. *Stephen Vogt (C, Azusa Pacific) 6. *Larry Sheets (DH, Eastern Mennonite) 7. Lew Ford (LF, Dallas … More The Christian College Baseball All-Stars: Position Players

Todd Worrell in 1987

The Christian College Baseball All-Stars: Pitchers

September 3, 2015

In Monday afternoon’s post on Christian college alumni I observed that those schools seem to do surprisingly well — given their typically small sizes — at placing former students in professional sports. One sport in particular: In fact, you could build at least a mediocre major league baseball roster with nothing but players who spent at least a year or … More The Christian College Baseball All-Stars: Pitchers