Category: Christianity

Old Main at Gustavus Adolphus College

Student Politics at Church-Related Colleges and Universities

August 16, 2012

On Wednesday I noted that the new Newsweek/Daily Beast college rankings included a dozen members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities on their list of the Top 25 Most [Politically] Conservative schools (referring to the student bodies and not to faculty, staff, administrators, curriculum, assigned readings, guest speakers, etc., though all that might … More Student Politics at Church-Related Colleges and Universities

Clarence Jordan

Clarence Jordan: Celebrating a Conscientious Christian Dissenter (G.W. Carlson)

August 16, 2012

Today I’m happy to welcome our newest guest blogger, G.W. Carlson. Not long ago I blogged about GW and one of his passions: reading. In today’s post, he talks about another of his passions: Christian commitment to peace and justice. Specifically, he encourages readers to consider attending next month’s Clarence Jordan Symposium, at which he’ll … More Clarence Jordan: Celebrating a Conscientious Christian Dissenter (G.W. Carlson)

Prayer Chapel at Biola

Surprise! Evangelical Colleges among the Most Politically Conservative in the Country

August 15, 2012

For once, I thought I’d take some common blogging advice to heart and write a headline for a title instead of anything remotely clever. Some context before we get to the lede: Newsweek/Daily Beast have joined the college rankings racket frenzy, though thankfully they’re taking a slightly quirkier tack than U.S. News and issuing a variety of … More Surprise! Evangelical Colleges among the Most Politically Conservative in the Country

Winner, Still

Reflections on Lauren Winner’s Still: Friendship

August 14, 2012

It’s been almost three weeks since my last post inspired by Lauren Winner’s Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis. So let’s start with some review: Still finds Winner (a historian who teaches Christian spirituality at Duke Divinity School and writes for a wide array of publications) “in the middle of the spiritual life,” an awkward place … More Reflections on Lauren Winner’s Still: Friendship

Butler Bass, Christianity after Religion

Is “Christianity after Religion” a Kind of “Neo-Pietism”?

August 9, 2012

In the current issue of my denomination’s magazine, The Covenant Companion, Jay Phelan reviews the newest book from historian Diana Butler Bass, Christianity after Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening. (Alas, the review isn’t available for download at the Companion site.) As summarized by Phelan, Bass stresses that … More Is “Christianity after Religion” a Kind of “Neo-Pietism”?

Stained glass image of the stoning of St. Stephen

Praying with the International Religious Freedom Report

August 7, 2012

Today’s report of nineteen more Christians being killed in Nigeria hastened along a post I’ve been meaning to write for a week or so: in which I tweak some advice that Karl Barth may or may not have given and encourage readers to join me in spending some time praying with the Bible in one … More Praying with the International Religious Freedom Report

Carl Olof Rosenius

Pietism: Interdenominational, Nondenominational, or Anti-denominational? (Jim Rohrer)

August 1, 2012

Today I’m pleased to present the first guest post in the thirteen-month history of this blog, by Jim Rohrer (PhD, U. Michigan), a professor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. A longtime reader and commenter here at The Pietist Schoolman, Jim holds a master’s in sacred theology and leads senior worship services six times … More Pietism: Interdenominational, Nondenominational, or Anti-denominational? (Jim Rohrer)

Pie Social

Reflections on Lauren Winner’s Still: The Potluck Church

July 26, 2012

Today: a second reflection inspired by Lauren Winner’s Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis. Read the first here. 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 a page or two before a relative or friend or pastor … More Reflections on Lauren Winner’s Still: The Potluck Church