The last two weeks I’ve tried to convince Anxious Bench readers that we tend to overemphasize the influence of books on Christianity, while understating that of other types of writings: e.g., hymns and prayers. As I conclude that series today, I go beyond the written word altogether and offer some historical and theological reflections on the most famous American … More Beyond Books: The “Head of Christ”
For today’s sneak peek at the working draft of Hope for Better Times: Pietism and the Future of Christianity, I’m happy to share an excerpt from my co-author Mark Pattie. Following the lead of Philipp Jakob Spener, we’ll start by encouraging Christians to listen more attentively to the Word of God. In this excerpt from early in ch. … More Sneak Peeks of Our Pietism Book: The Transformational Power of Scripture
Here… • Hamilton! (Thanks for all the kind words on a post that obviously me took some time to write. But I especially appreciated the allusion in this tweet from Justin Taylor.) .@cgehrz is young, scrappy, and hungry. In this blog post, he doesn't waste his shot: https://t.co/REtuuACUgL — Justin Taylor (@between2worlds) September 21, 2016 • … More That Was The Week That Was
Of the all chapters that I’m primarily writing for our book on Pietism and the future of Christianity, none has been harder to write than the one that will lead things off. Here’s how it currently starts: We’re going to have a lot to say about “hope for better times” in this book, just as Pietist … More Sneak Peeks of Our Pietism Book: What’s Wrong with Christianity?
It’s probably foolhardy to post on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway sensation Hamilton. Even if there’s anything new to say at this point, there’s no way to write about something so exhilarating and creative without coming off as dry and trite by comparison. Aaron Burr, the show’s narrator and somewhat sympathetic villain, would no doubt advise me to “Talk less, smile more.” But in … More At Long Last, My Post on Hamilton and History
Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest And let these gifts to us be blessed Amen Today I’m happy to continue my new Anxious Bench series — on Christian writings that don’t take the form of books — by reflecting on the table grace that I’ve known all my life and am now teaching my children. Here’s an … More Beyond Books: “Come, Lord Jesus, Be Our Guest”
One of the distinctive features of how we’re writing about Pietism and the future of Christianity is that Mark and I have sought out feedback from potential readers long before the book is sent off to InterVarsity Press. (As with my previous Pietism project, I’d like to think of this book as letting people listen in on a small group … More Sneak Peeks of Our Pietism Book: The Common Priesthood for the Common Good
Here… • It’s been twenty years this fall since I started working on my doctorate at one of the universities that David Barton thinks is brainwashing Christian historians. He’s wrong, but it was worth thinking about how grad school does form its students. • I shared three alternatives for evangelicals looking to rethink how they engage with the … More That Was The Week That Was
I’ll leave it to my colleagues on Election Shock Therapy to engage in rigorous, trained analysis of American politics. But I have reached one conclusion based on my observation of the 2016 presidential election campaigns: Evangelicals need a political “third way.” I’ve never liked the idea of evangelicals being too closely identified with either of our two major … More Three “Third Ways” for Evangelicals in Politics
If you’re struggling to make sense of the 2016 election (that should be all of you — it’s confusing!), then let me recommend that you check out Election Shock Therapy, a weekly podcast from four of my colleagues at Bethel University. Produced by my frequent podcasting collaborator Sam Mulberry, EST features Chris Moore (PhD, Ohio State), Andy Bramsen (PhD, Notre Dame), … More My Favorite New Podcast on Politics
The Pietist Schoolman 