Author: Chris Gehrz

Ad for PBS' Great War miniseries

How I Live-Tweeted The Great War on PBS

April 13, 2017

Last night marked the conclusion of The Great War, the three-part episode of PBS’ venerable American Experience documentary series focused on World War I. I live-tweeted each night of the miniseries, highlighting interesting facts and quotations from the episodes, but also trying to enrich it by sharing photos from our WWI travel course, suggesting further readings, and linking to newspapers, memoirs, … More How I Live-Tweeted The Great War on PBS

"Americans All" display

Go See the WW1 America Exhibit!

April 12, 2017

It’s not quite the “forgotten war” that the Korean War is, but World War I is certainly overshadowed in American memory by WWII, the Civil War, Vietnam, and the Revolutionary War. Nevertheless, the United States’ relatively short involvement in “the Great War” intersected with some of the most significant social, cultural, political, and economic shifts in American history. And now … More Go See the WW1 America Exhibit!

Glen Wiberg (1960s?)

The Big Ten

April 3, 2017

Presenting the top ten posts of March at The Pietist Schoolman: “Pietism is the way the pastor does things”: Glen Wiberg (1925-2017) A Friendly Critique of the “Confessing Faculty” Statement (Ray VanArragon) Confessing Faculty: Why I Signed (and Why I Hesitated) The Spread of Technology Since 1900 “Plotting the Resurrection”: Final Thoughts on Glen Wiberg That Was The … More The Big Ten

Protestors standing on the Wall in 1989

That Was The Week That Was

April 1, 2017

Here… • The Confessing Faculty statement drew attention from Inside Higher Ed (and, a day later, The Chronicle of Higher Education), though my colleague and co-signer Ray VanArragon had some reservations about it. • Was 2016 a turning point in the history of American evangelicalism? Martin Marty, Grant Wacker, and other historians weighed in. • As we prepared to say farewell … More That Was The Week That Was

Glen's book of worship, seeds, and gardening gloves

“Plotting the Resurrection”: Final Thoughts on Glen Wiberg

March 30, 2017

I hadn’t realized how much I would miss Glen Wiberg until halfway through worship last Sunday at Salem. As soon as I opened the bulletin and saw a Lina Sandell song listed as the pulpit hymn, I knew my voice would tighten. But the tears began to flow as I looked over to Glen’s former spot in … More “Plotting the Resurrection”: Final Thoughts on Glen Wiberg

Carter & Porter (eds.), Turning Points in the History of American Evangelicalism

Was 2016 a Turning Point in the History of Evangelicalism?

March 30, 2017

I’m eager to crack open Turning Points in the History of American Evangelicalism, edited by Heath Carter and Laura Rominger Porter and featuring a who’s who of American religious historians. Dedicated to Mark Noll, the book “seeks to both honor and build upon his contributions” via Noll’s own concept of “turning points.” I summarized it last year in a … More Was 2016 a Turning Point in the History of Evangelicalism?

Confessing Faculty logo

Confessing Faculty in Inside Higher Ed

March 29, 2017

This isn’t exactly how I imagined my week going, but I’m honored to be quoted at some length in this morning’s Inside Higher Ed article on the Confessing Faculty statement. Here’s a taste of Colleen Flaherty’s article, including some of what I said: Academics largely lean to the political left. It’s unsurprising, then, that so many have spoken out … More Confessing Faculty in Inside Higher Ed

Ray VanArragon

A Friendly Critique of the “Confessing Faculty” Statement (Ray VanArragon)

March 27, 2017

As of yesterday afternoon, the Confessing Faculty statement of confession and commitment had 424 signatures from faculty and staff at seventy Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries. One of my 34 colleagues from Bethel to sign the statement was philosopher Ray VanArragon, who nonetheless had some reservations about the document. I invited him to share those concerns (and his reasons for … More A Friendly Critique of the “Confessing Faculty” Statement (Ray VanArragon)

Gardner Hall, Eastern Nazarene College

That Was The Week That Was

March 25, 2017

Here… • I announced that I’d be taking some time off from blogging in order to focus on revising the manuscript for our forthcoming book on Pietism… • …then went right ahead and wrote a reflection on why I (eventually) signed the Confessing Faculty statement… • …and paid tribute to one of my favorite Pietists, Glen Wiberg (1925-2017). … More That Was The Week That Was