Category: Christianity

Episcopal Shield

“The ones that should go”: One Liberal Protestant Explanation for Mainline Decline

July 20, 2012

“Can liberal Christianity be saved?“, asked New York Times columnist Ross Douthat a few days ago. He was virtually certain that the answer was No, based on what he saw as the fifty-year decline of denominations like The Episcopal Church (TEC). The conservative Catholic Douthat’s thesis was echoed by at least two commentators with connections to Episcopalianism: … More “The ones that should go”: One Liberal Protestant Explanation for Mainline Decline

The Byrds, Sweetheart of the Rodeo

Evangelicals and Popular Music: Philip Jenkins on The Byrds

July 12, 2012

Earlier today I continued my series revisiting parts of my CD collection I haven’t listened to in a while by blogging about a terrific 1988 album by the Minneapolis alternative rock band Soul Asylum. Throughout the whole series, not once had it occurred to me that — were this a different time — no professor … More Evangelicals and Popular Music: Philip Jenkins on The Byrds

Pilgrims on the Road to Canterbury

Reclaiming Travel

July 9, 2012

This morning I spent some time booking London hotel rooms for next January, when I’ll take a group of Bethel students to Europe for a three-week course on the history of World War I. Having that kind of planning in mind, I was glad for the recent reminder, from literary scholar Ilan Stevens and editor … More Reclaiming Travel

The Glory of Black Gospel (Vol. 1)

Albums A to Z: The Glory of Black Gospel

July 6, 2012

In yesterday’s post on online education, I mentioned that I’m spending part of my summer working with my friend Sam on a series of short documentary films for the online version of our Western Civ/church history course, and that we’re sensitive to the challenge of producing something polished enough to appeal to our media-savvy students. … More Albums A to Z: The Glory of Black Gospel

4th of July Fireworks Display

Best of The Pietist Schoolman: Pledging Allegiance

July 4, 2012

I wrote this last year for the United States’ Independence Day. Still seems right… Though, for a slightly different take — one more amenable to a celebration of American independence by Christians — see the new Christianity Today interview with Os Guinness and Catholic philosopher Gary Gutting’s most recent post at The Stone. Both contend that … More Best of The Pietist Schoolman: Pledging Allegiance

Turner, Brigham Young

The Mormon Moment

July 3, 2012

In part because he wrapped up the Republican race so quickly, it’s almost been treated as a footnote that Mitt Romney will soon become the first member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to receive the presidential nomination of a major American political party. As the Washington Post noted in a late … More The Mormon Moment

Pyle, Tory Refugees on the Way to Canada

Should Christians Have Fought in the U.S. War of Independence?

July 3, 2012

That’s the question asked by political scientist Tony Gill on his podcast, Research on Religion, of three Christian scholars familiar with religion and politics in 18th century America: Gregg Frazer (The Master’s College), Jonathan Den Hartog (Northwestern College, MN), and Mark David Hall (George Fox University). More specifically, he asked each: “As a Christian in … More Should Christians Have Fought in the U.S. War of Independence?

Roger Olson

Roger Olson on Pietism and Postmodernism

June 29, 2012

For once, it was easy this week to know where to start my post-vacation ritual of sifting through stacks of new publications requiring some reading attention: with Roger Olson’s article in the Summer 2012 issue of Christian Scholar’s Review, “Pietism and Postmodernism: Points of Congeniality.” A refined version of the second of two lectures he … More Roger Olson on Pietism and Postmodernism