Today Mark, Sam, and I return from our spring break with the first of six proposals for how a revival of the Pietist ethos can benefit Christianity early in the 21st century. Continuing to parallel the structure of Pia Desideria (1675), we joined Philipp Jakob Spener in urging greater attentiveness to Scripture: Thought should be given to a more … More Thursday’s Podcast: A Greater Attentiveness to Scripture
In honor of Twitter turning 10, Andy Thomason of The Chronicle of Higher Education yesterday named “15 Indispensable Academic Twitter Accounts,” starting with the undisputed champion: I like my academic writing like I like my coffee: intentionally obfuscatory so as to propagate an inflationary in-crowd publishing oligarchy — Shit Academics Say (@AcademicsSay) March 18, 2016 Despite having been … More What Are Some Indispensable Christian Academic Twitter Accounts?
Now that I’ve signed my faculty contract for next year, I think I can formally announce that I’ll be on sabbatical in fall of 2016. Having any such sabbath is a remarkable blessing — so first off, I need to thank the trustees, administration, and faculty of Bethel University for making it possible! But this one is especially exciting: Our … More Looking Ahead to My Fall 2016 Sabbatical
Here… • I returned from a couple weeks of little to no activity here with some reflections on my principles for blogging. • I guessed that some share of Christians who are done with the label “evangelical” might actually embrace “Pietist” as an alternative. • And I argued that Christian unity is a task for Christian formation, … More That Was The Week That Was
In the course of trying to convince evangelicals that they might actually be Pietists, yesterday I argued again that the beginning of Christian witness is the unity of the church. With Jesus, we ought to pray that his followers “may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them … More Christian Unity Is a Task for Christian Formation
There are few terms more debated than “evangelical,” and never more so than during this election cycle, when Donald Trump’s ability to attract a significant share of self-identified evangelicals has caused enormous consternation among evangelical leaders and intellectuals. I doubt that last night’s primary results will do much to change that dynamic. Florida senator Marco … More Done with “Evangelical”? Maybe You Should Try “Pietist”
Back in my very first post, I looked forward to using this blog to engage in “intellectual spring cleaning… to clear out some stray thoughts taking up mental space, expose them to the harsh light of day, and see if they look as profound on screen as they can sound in my mind at 1am.” I’ve learned not … More Blogging’s Impossible… Here’s How I’ll Try to Do It
Here… • I paid tribute to a friend and mentor, gone too soon. • What if Christian colleges and universities modeled Christian unity for the world? • And it was good to have Jared back on the blog, for a guest-post on 18th century Moravians wrestling with pacifism. …There and Everywhere • If you’re still looking … More That Was The Week That Was
One of my favorite publications is The Cresset, which regularly publishes diverse collections of thoughtful essays on literature, art, education, politics, and more. Hosted by Valparaiso University, it “explores ideas and trends in contemporary culture from a perspective grounded in the Lutheran tradition of scholarship, freedom, and faith while informed by the wisdom of the … More An Ecumenical Vision for Christian Higher Education
A couple days late… The top ten posts of February: Is It Time for an Evangelical “Divorce”? Best of The Pietist Schoolman: A Tribute to G.W. Carlson If You Value Academic Freedom, Consider Signing This Petition The Spread of Technology Since 1900 “I Was a Stranger” (For GW) What’s Wrong with Chris(tianity) in 2016? What Qualities … More The Big Ten
The Pietist Schoolman 