Christianity – Page 62 – The Pietist Schoolman

Paper Clips as Relics, or Historical Research as an Encounter with the Sacred

February 26, 2015

One of my favorite aspects of producing our department’s weekly webisodes is that it has afforded our faculty the chance to film conversations about our discipline. All have been interesting, but the one we posted yesterday stood out: my conversation with Americanists Diana Magnuson and AnneMarie Kooistra about historical evidence and research. As usual for these conversations, … More Paper Clips as Relics, or Historical Research as an Encounter with the Sacred

Listen to My Interview on Christian Humanist Profiles

February 23, 2015

2/23/15 – I’m quite sure I have no business being admitted to any intellectual club whose membership includes Stanley Hauerwas, Merold Westphal, and John Milbank. So it was beyond kind of Nathan Gilmour to interview me for the newest episode of Christian Humanist Profiles, one of several terrific podcasts produced by the prolific team of Christian Humanists. We touched on several chapters … More Listen to My Interview on Christian Humanist Profiles

Taking Our Book on the Road: Messiah College

February 23, 2015

I’m very excited to announce that I’ll be at Messiah College on April 30th to give a variety of presentations related to our book, The Pietist Vision of Christian Higher Education: Forming Whole and Holy Persons! We’ll kick off at 9:45am with a chapel talk on “New Persons, New Church, New World: Pietism and Today’s Christian College.” After lunch … More Taking Our Book on the Road: Messiah College

Happy Birthday, John Alexis Edgren!

February 20, 2015

Like many American colleges and universities founded in the nineteenth century, the place I work came into being thanks largely to the efforts of a pioneering figure who is as venerated within the school as he is unknown outside of it. For Bethel, that figure is John Alexis Edgren, whose 176th birthday our campus celebrates today. Born in Sweden … More Happy Birthday, John Alexis Edgren!

Reclaiming Piety

February 18, 2015

I’m convinced that one of the main reasons that those of us who appreciate Pietism face an uphill struggle in reclaiming its contemporary value is that Pietism is often equated with piety. For some, piety connotes an intensely private kind of religiosity that detaches the Christian from concern for this world, leaving them “too heavenly minded to be earthly good.” But probably … More Reclaiming Piety

Martin Luther, Child’s Plaything

February 13, 2015

Of all the ways the 500th anniversary of a German monk posting ninety-five Latin theses on a church door is being celebrated, this is clearly the best. Reports Deutsche Welle: Nearly 500 years after his death, the German monk who symbolizes the Protestant Reformation movement, has his own Playmobil figurine. Playmobil, maker of plastic toy sets … More Martin Luther, Child’s Plaything

Alyce’s Song: Reflections on a Funeral

February 12, 2015

The church is never more the church than at a funeral. Or so I decided last week, as the members and friends of Salem Covenant joined five families in paying final respects to five saints of the church. I didn’t know all five well, but I am glad that I was able to attend last Friday’s memorial service for Alyce Hawkinson … More Alyce’s Song: Reflections on a Funeral

Emotion or Belief? Starting on Francis Spufford’s Unapologetic

February 6, 2015

Just a short post this morning to wrap up what’s been a pretty quiet return to blogging. Once I’m past a week that’s included not only the start of a semester but a fairly big series of meetings at work, I’ll have more to say next week: about our World War I trip, but also about … More Emotion or Belief? Starting on Francis Spufford’s Unapologetic

That Was The Month That Was: Christianity

January 31, 2015

One last month-long set of links covers posts and articles on Christianity. That Was The Week That Was will return next Saturday. • Why kick off a list of links on Christianity with Miles Mullin’s Anxious Bench post on American Sniper? Because Clint Eastwood’s Iraq War film “raises questions about the thinness of American Civil religion, a religion in which the … More That Was The Month That Was: Christianity

Announcements: How You Can Support a Documentary Series on Pietism

January 29, 2015

Please join me in supporting an exciting new project being spearheaded by Mark Safstrom (University of Illinois; editor of Pietisten) and Michelle Clifton-Soderstrom (North Park Theological Seminary; author of Angels, Worms, and Bogeys: The Christian Ethic of Pietism): a six-part documentary film series on the history of Pietism! God’s Glory, Neighbor’s Good will be written by Michelle and … More Announcements: How You Can Support a Documentary Series on Pietism

The Pietist Schoolman

The website of historian Chris Gehrz

Category: Christianity