Some more Reformation Day fun… A few of my favorite — and not-so-favorite, but significant or revealing — quotations from Martin Luther: On Faith Faith is God’s work in us, which transforms us and by which we are reborn from God. By faith the old Adam is crucified. Faith makes us entirely different in heart, … More The Quotable Luther
Wondering how to celebrate the 495th anniversary of Martin Luther posting his 95 theses? Well, if you happen to study or work at Bethel University (or live in the area), you could stop by my office for our department’s “Reformation ‘PUN’ Day” (10:00-12:00) and enjoy a diet of (gummy) worms. Otherwise… Remember that the original … More Reformation Day Reflections from Around the Web
Ninety-four years today, the Armistice of Mudros ended the First World War in the Middle East. It was signed aboard a British battleship harbored at a Greek island, by an English admiral and a minister of a government that would cease to exist within four years, an indirect result of the armistice he signed. That … More Ottoman Nostalgia
While I catch up on grading some overdue midterms… Enjoy one of the reflections I wrote after reading Lauren Winner’s Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis this past summer. As you might guess from the title, Lauren Winner spends plenty of time alone with her thoughts in Still, but it doesn’t usually take more than … More Best of The Pietist Schoolman: The Potluck Church
Here • Thanks to G.W. Carlson, professor emeritus of History and Political Science at Bethel University, for paying tribute to Paul Wellstone on the 10th anniversary of his death. • This week also saw the death of another liberal Midwestern senator. Unlike Paul Wellstone, however, George McGovern did run for president (three times, I think). … More That Was The Week That Was
10/26/12 – Readers interested in Pietism and how that term continues be used in the larger evangelical and Protestant world should read Scot McKnight’s response to Tim Keller‘s argument (in Center Church) that the influence of pietism led 20th century evangelicals to “ignore culture and put all stress on conversions and on the spiritual growth … More Scot McKnight: “After Pietism”
Ten years ago today, Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN), his wife Sheila, his daughter Marcia, and five others died when their small plane crashed en route to Eveleth, MN. Running for a third term in the Senate, Wellstone was scheduled to debate Republican challenger Norm Coleman later that night. It was less than two weeks before … More Paul Wellstone: The Conscience of a Liberal (G.W. Carlson)
I know that Godwin’s law pertains to Internet discussions, but perhaps it’s also true that the closer we get to a vote on a contentious issue in the culture wars, “the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.” Take, for example, the state of Minnesota, whose voters will be asked to answer … More For the Last Time, It’s Not a Good Idea to Make Nazi Analogies
I may play the role, but I’m not a historian of Christianity, or any other religion. I edit books, write articles, give papers, and blog about Pietism, and I teach courses on Christianity and Western Culture and The Reformations, but my graduate education was overseen by this guy and this guy; I somehow never took … More Matthew Bowman’s The Mormon People
On Sunday night this blog received its 50,000th visit. Which both got me feeling profoundly grateful to all of those who take the time to read my digital scribbling, and in a mood to reflect on the blog’s founding. The choice of name, for example. As I wrote in an early post, “The Pietist Schoolman” … More The Pietist as a “Catholic Evangelical”
The Pietist Schoolman 