Author: Chris Gehrz

MLK's April 1963 mugshot

Best of The Pietist Schoolman: Birmingham Revolution

January 18, 2016

For Martin Luther King, Jr. Day… Here’s a series of three posts I wrote in the summer of 2014, inspired by Ed Gilbreath’s Birmingham Revolution, on King’s famous letter from a jail in that Alabama city. Gilbreath (author of Reconciliation Blues and executive director of communications for my denomination) provides enough biographical and historical context that I began to realize just how little … More Best of The Pietist Schoolman: Birmingham Revolution

"Lest We Forget" poster in the churchyard of St Paul's Cathedral

My Essay on WWI Commemoration in Books and Culture

January 15, 2016

Regular readers know both that World War I is one of my favorite topics and Books & Culture one of my favorite publications. So it was a joy to write the essay that went up on the B&C website this morning, “We Will Remember Them.” The title comes from one of the war’s most-quoted poems, and refers back to the … More My Essay on WWI Commemoration in Books and Culture

Memorial plaque for Phillip Spener

Thursday’s Podcast: What’s Pietism?

January 14, 2016

This morning’s new episode of The Pietist Schoolman Podcast finds Mark Pattie and me talking about a question that’s foundational to the book we’re going to be writing this year: What is Pietism? And, almost as importantly, what is it not? Anti-intellectualism, legalism, quietism… though the seeds of such pathologies are present in the Pietist “instincts” that we … More Thursday’s Podcast: What’s Pietism?

Winter 2016 issue of Christian Scholar's Review

The Pietist Vision in Christian Scholar’s Review

January 13, 2016

If I could have our book on Pietism and higher education reviewed in just one journal, it would be Christian Scholar’s Review, meant as it is to encourage reflection on “the integration of Christian faith and learning” and discussion of “the theoretical issues of Christian higher education.” So I can’t thank John Hawthorne enough for sharing his thoughts on The Pietist … More The Pietist Vision in Christian Scholar’s Review

Photo of Chris speaking in Oct. 2015

Where You Can Hear Me Speak This Winter

January 12, 2016

One advantage of having this J-term off is that I’ve been able to accept and prepare for a few more speaking engagements than usual for this time of year. Remarkably, they all cover different topics: • This Sunday morning (Jan. 17, 10am), I’ll be at Presbyterian Church of the Way (Shoreview, MN) to address their “Third Sunday … More Where You Can Hear Me Speak This Winter

Billy Graham Center at Wheaton

Why Wheaton Matters – and Why I Need to Move On

January 12, 2016

The Larycia Hawkins story at Wheaton continued to develop over the weekend, as Time published an article by reporter Elizabeth Dias (herself a Wheaton alum) that raised further concerns about how the school’s administration had handled the situation. (See, for example, political scientist Tobin Grant’s analysis, which raised six big questions about the process.) Dias’ report also quoted several Wheaton faculty … More Why Wheaton Matters – and Why I Need to Move On

Vikings fans at a 2013 game

How To Survive Being a Vikings Fan

January 10, 2016

If you read this blog on a regular basis, I hope you’ve generally come away feeling like I’m an optimistic, cheerful, goodhearted person who does none harm, says none harm, thinks none harm. But if you’ve occasionally perceived cracks in that facade, as hints of cynicism, bitterness, and misanthropy seep into my writing… Well, I should explain: I’m … More How To Survive Being a Vikings Fan