Category: Christianity

Aerial view of Bluffton University

Another Mennonite School Leaves the CCCU Over Sexuality

December 8, 2015

Inside Higher Ed reports that Bluffton University has become the latest Christian college to allow for the hiring of gay and lesbian employees, after it added sexual orientation to its anti-bias policy. At the same time, Bluffton announced that it was leaving the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), which currently has a task force reviewing its membership categories after Goshen … More Another Mennonite School Leaves the CCCU Over Sexuality

Jerry Falwell, Jr.

The Shadow of Death: A Response to Jerry Falwell, Jr.

December 6, 2015

Calling out Christian college presidents isn’t really how I wanted to spend Advent, but then I didn’t expect one such leader to devote part of a chapel talk to encouraging his students to carry concealed weapons. But that’s just what Liberty University president Jerry Falwell, Jr. did on Friday, two days after the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California. In a … More The Shadow of Death: A Response to Jerry Falwell, Jr.

Enstrom, "Grace"

“Thoughts and Prayers”

December 4, 2015

My thoughts and prayers are with the shooting victims and their families in San Bernardino. — Dr. Ben Carson (@RealBenCarson) December 2, 2015 In the wake of the mass shootings on Wednesday, social media was predictably filled with politicians and others saying that their “thoughts and prayers” were with the victims’ families. But that prompted a fierce … More “Thoughts and Prayers”

Aerial view of the Oklahoma Wesleyan University campus

This is Not Leadership: A Response to Everett Piper’s “Day Care” Post

December 3, 2015

When it was first posted last month, I had little desire to respond to a blog post in which Oklahoma Wesleyan University president Everett Piper railed against “victimization” culture on American college campuses. To an anonymous OKWU student who was apparently upset that a recent chapel talk about love (1 Cor 13) “made him feel bad for not … More This is Not Leadership: A Response to Everett Piper’s “Day Care” Post

Are These the Top 25 Christian Writings?

November 24, 2015

Okay, I really hadn’t meant to blog this week. But then my onetime colleague Chris Armstrong posted a link to the newest issue of Christian History Magazine (he’s the senior editor) and I knew that I had to put up at least one post. How could a self-respecting Christian historian-blogger fail to make some kind of response to a list claiming … More Are These the Top 25 Christian Writings?

Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving Break

November 23, 2015

While Bethel doesn’t actually start its break until Wednesday, I plan to take the entire week off from blogging. In the meantime, let me suggest some alternate reading material: • Tracy McKenzie’s Thanksgiving countdown: “As an alternative to the ubiquitous countdown to Black Friday, each weekday this month I have been posting brief essays on … More Thanksgiving Break

Leith Anderson

Who’s an Evangelical?

November 20, 2015

So I was all ready to take up the questions that closed my last post — Who’s an evangelical? and What shapes their response to issues like the refugee crisis? — when the National Association of Evangelicals and LifeWay Research announced their own answer to the first question. As reported by Bob Smietana of Christianity Today: “Evangelicals are people … More Who’s an Evangelical?

Refugees in Budapest train station, Sept. 2015

What Do Evangelicals Actually Think about Refugees?

November 18, 2015

As the debate over refugees, terrorism, and Islam continued to swirl yesterday, some of you probably saw this story pop up on social media: Christian groups break with GOP over Syrian refugees https://t.co/irrUcDTv5v | AP Photo pic.twitter.com/cc2ZkYxRgw — POLITICO (@politico) November 18, 2015 “Christian groups break with GOP over Syrian refugees,” claimed the headline of … More What Do Evangelicals Actually Think about Refugees?

IVP Readers Choice Awards finalists

The Pietist Vision a Finalist for an IVP Readers’ Choice Award!

November 17, 2015

For a long time, it was considered unseemly for American presidential candidates to campaign actively in their own behalf. While that ship has long since sailed, I’m not sure that it’s any more appropriate for authors to clamor for year-end book awards. However, if you wanted to cast a vote for The Pietist Vision of Christian Higher Education… Well, I … More The Pietist Vision a Finalist for an IVP Readers’ Choice Award!