Unless you limit its definition to that relatively small group of German Lutherans inspired by Philipp Jakob Spener and then led by August Hermann Francke in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Pietism is a tremendously diverse movement within Christianity — spanning centuries, oceans, languages, and confessions. So what do Pietists have in common? … More Pietism, Resurrection, and the Virtue of Hope
It’s a testament to the power of Jesus’ parables that you can hear one for what seems like the millionth time and still find something new in it to ponder. For example: the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), which was our lectionary text earlier this month. As familiar as it is, I sometimes … More The Prodigal Father
3/26/13 – It’s Sweet Sixteen time in the Best Christian Books of All Time tournament. Among other compelling match-ups… Two Doctors of the Church (Augustine vs. Aquinas), two famously initialed Britons (C.S. Lewis vs. G.K. Chesterton), and two living gurus of spiritual formation (Dallas Willard vs. Richard Foster). Plus Dietrich Bonhoeffer vs. himself! Cast your … More Update: Best Christian Books Tournament
I didn’t quite watch the first season of House of Cards in one binge, but I’m sure the fact that I made it through all thirteen episodes in about a week registered on some computer at the headquarters of NetFlix, the TV and movie-streaming service gambling not only that it could produce its own programming, … More House of Cards
That’s the topic of this morning’s Room for Debate forum at the New York Times website. It asks six contributors, “…in today’s economy, what should ambitious young people pursue? Which majors and careers have a reliable “return on investment?” Click here for the full forum. Just to pull out a few responses… Katie Bardaro, an … More College and Jobs: Are There Safe Bets?
Here… • What’s the greatest Christian book of all time? Cast your vote today. • Why Augustine of Hippo might be a useful model for Pope Francis. (But if you’re more interested in the new pope’s namesake, stop by Salem Covenant Church for adult Sunday School next month.) • The narcissism of “spiritual, but not … More That Was The Week That Was
When Marquette pulled out a last-second win over Davidson and Butler turned back a late Bucknell rally, I lost two of the upsets I’d predicted in my NCAA men’s basketball bracket. (And I clearly should have had more faith in my graduate alma mater’s conference!) Adding more evidence to counter the notion that human beings … More March Madness: The Best Christian Book of All Time?
The ten most popular posts in the last month here at The Pietist Schoolman: Pietism Studies Group on Twitter Philosophy at Evangelical Colleges What If? A Mainline Critique of “Spiritual, but Not Religious” The Spread of Technology since 1900 Which Country (and Continent) Dominates Each Olympic Sport? Francis and Augustine Tolkien, Lewis, and the Memory … More The Big Ten
In yesterday’s post, I mentioned singer-songwriter Marcus Mumford’s desire to follow Jesus but distance himself from “the culture of Christianity,” a combination critiqued by UCC pastor Lillian Daniel, author of When “Spiritual but Not Religious” Is Not Enough, in a recent op-ed. She might have added that Jesus himself was deeply religious, so bound up with … More “Religious, but Not Spiritual”: Jesus and the Pharisees
3/20/13 – Lately there’s been much talk here about the medieval monastic Francis of Assisi because of the election of a pope who took that name… If you’d like to learn more about the saint himself and you happen to live in the Twin Cities (or are willing to relocate for a time), Salem Covenant … More Adult Sunday School Class on Francis of Assisi
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