Category: Christianity

Campbell, Soul Among Lions

Will D. Campbell: A Radical Baptist Peacemaker (G.W. Carlson) – part 2

June 26, 2013

Today G.W. Carlson concludes his two-part tribute to Will D. Campbell, the minister, writer, and activist who died earlier this month. His first post concluded with one major theme in Campbell’s life and work: his understanding of what it meant to be a Baptist, as influenced by the Anabaptist tradition. GW continues with two more … More Will D. Campbell: A Radical Baptist Peacemaker (G.W. Carlson) – part 2

Campbell, Brother to a Dragonfly

Will D. Campbell: A Radical Baptist Peacemaker (G.W. Carlson) – part 1

June 25, 2013

Our favorite guest eulogist, G.W. Carlson, is back to pay tribute to another member of his cloud of witnesses: the Baptist minister and civil rights activist Will Campbell, who died earlier this month. In the first of a two-part post, G.W. characterizes Campbell as a “radical Baptist” influenced by Anabaptists. On June 4 I received … More Will D. Campbell: A Radical Baptist Peacemaker (G.W. Carlson) – part 1

Man of Steel

Superman and Salvation

June 21, 2013

I have almost no interest in superheroes. Never owned a comic book; didn’t get remotely excited about The Avengers coming together; and think that the only really great superhero movie was the one where Heath Ledger’s Joker embodied evil — I honestly can’t remember anything Batman said or did in The Dark Knight. But I … More Superman and Salvation

Pietisten cover

Summer 2013 Pietisten

June 18, 2013

As much as any periodical, I look forward to receiving a new issue of Pietisten, the “Herald of Awakening and Spiritual Upbuilding” whose contributors “draw heavy inspiration from the collective heritage of Lutheran Pietism.” (Its name honors the 19th century Swedish publication edited by C.O. Rosenius and P.P. Waldenström that was at the center of … More Summer 2013 Pietisten

Pietist Idea of a Christian College word cloud

Thoughts on The Pietist Idea of a Christian College

June 17, 2013

As I mentioned in passing here, I spent last Wednesday and Thursday facilitating a workshop at Bethel University: “The Pietist Idea of a Christian College.” Twelve current Bethel colleagues, two former faculty back as guest speakers — theologian Roger Olson (Baylor University’s Truett Seminary) and philosopher David Williams (Azusa Pacific University’s High Sierra Program) — … More Thoughts on The Pietist Idea of a Christian College

BGC world missions ad, 1956

Virgil Olson: A Faithful Disciple of Jesus Christ (G.W. Carlson) – part 2

June 14, 2013

GW Carlson’s tribute to the late Virgil Olson continues today. While the first part focused on Virgil’s understanding of the Baptist Pietist heritage and how it shaped the Baptist General Conference and Bethel College and Seminary, today GW turns to Virgil’s advocacy for missions and Christianity in the Global South. (Virgil headed the World Missions … More Virgil Olson: A Faithful Disciple of Jesus Christ (G.W. Carlson) – part 2

Virgil Olson (1916-2013)

Virgil Olson: A Faithful Disciple of Jesus Christ (G.W. Carlson) – part 1

June 13, 2013

As mentioned here last week, Virgil Olson, a longtime professor at what’s now Bethel University and the leading historian of what used to be the Baptist General Conference, died last Tuesday at age 96. His friend G.W. Carlson offered to share this two-part tribute with readers of this blog. (Previously, GW has contributed essays on … More Virgil Olson: A Faithful Disciple of Jesus Christ (G.W. Carlson) – part 1

Benson Great Hall at Bethel University

Workshopping Pietism and Higher Education

June 12, 2013

6/12/13 – I’ll be away from the blog today and tomorrow while I lead a workshop: “The Pietist Idea of a Christian College: Bethel University” (made possible by a grant from the Lilly Fellows Program National Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities). We’ll spend Wednesday exploring the history of Pietism and its influence on Bethel … More Workshopping Pietism and Higher Education

Olsson, Come to the Party

“An Honorable Word as a Dishonorable Handle”: Karl Olsson on Pietism

June 11, 2013

The late Karl A. Olsson (whose 100th birthday we celebrated yesterday) had a lithograph in his home office with the following caption: “A Pietist disturbs the joy in a tavern.” Given the importance Olsson attached to joy, it’s not surprising that he wrestled with the legacy of Pietism: disturbed by the ways in which its … More “An Honorable Word as a Dishonorable Handle”: Karl Olsson on Pietism