Category: Education

Dimnent Chapel, Hope College

Two Christian Colleges Change Policy after the Obergefell Ruling

July 6, 2015

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling late last month in the Obergefell case, there was much speculation that religiously-affiliated schools and universities could feel pressure to change their policies vis-à-vis LGBT individuals. For a calm, well-informed consideration of potential issues facing Christian colleges and universities after Obergefell, I recommend John Hawthorne’s response to an earlier post from Philip Bethancourt of the … More Two Christian Colleges Change Policy after the Obergefell Ruling

Bethel University: Community Life Center and Benson Great Hall

In Dubiis Libertas: Opening Up the Sexuality Conversation at Christian Universities (Mark Bruce)

July 1, 2015

In recent posts, I’ve called on evangelicals to have a genuine conversation about sexuality, in fitting with their Reformation heritage as Christians who are “reformed and always reforming.” In this guest post, my colleague Mark Bruce explains why it’s especially important — and difficult — to have such conversations at Christian colleges and universities. When asked for … More In Dubiis Libertas: Opening Up the Sexuality Conversation at Christian Universities (Mark Bruce)

Thursday’s Podcast: All Tribes and Peoples

June 4, 2015

6/4/15 – Today we wrap up the first half of the first season of The Pietist Schoolman Podcast with an especially important episode: Ruben Rivera helps me understand why Christian colleges and universities so often struggle to embody the community described in Revelation 7:9 (“a great multitude… from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages”), with an … More Thursday’s Podcast: All Tribes and Peoples

Old Main, Augsburg College

Are These the Best Christian Colleges and Universities?

June 4, 2015

My friend Christian Collins Winn must have had a maliciously gleeful twinkle in his eye when he posted this link on my Facebook page yesterday, with the caption “Fodder for the PS…” Yes, I’ve managed to go about a year without analyzing such nonsense, but Christian knew that I couldn’t possibly avoid bait as tempting as a … More Are These the Best Christian Colleges and Universities?

Notre Dame's basilica, Golden Dome, and Washington Hall

Best of The Pietist Schoolman: Notre Dame and the Idea of the Catholic University

May 28, 2015

From April 9… Having spent a couple of posts last week unpacking Liberty University’s ambition (and the older one of Baylor University) to become “the Protestant Notre Dame” — and asking just what that meant, I’m surprised it took almost four days to see this comment appear: The question isn’t so much whether Liberty is a … More Best of The Pietist Schoolman: Notre Dame and the Idea of the Catholic University

Why you’ll be interested in our new book about Grace College and Seminary

May 22, 2015

Even if you don’t have any personal connection with Grace College or Seminary, there are lots of topics that emerge in Becoming Grace that may pique your interest, especially if you’re interested in American religious history or the trajectory of Christian colleges and universities. Here are a few prominent themes and tensions in the book. They … More Why you’ll be interested in our new book about Grace College and Seminary

Leonardo, Vitruvian Man

Thursday’s Podcast: Body and Soul

May 22, 2015

5/22/15 – Good grief – two weeks in a row of posting a Pietist Schoolman Podcast a day late! But don’t let that discourage you from listening to episode 6 on iTunes and the Christian Humanist website. This time we dive deeper into the meaning of “whole-person education,” talking athletics and academics with Gretchen Hunt and everything from biokinetics to spiritual disciplines with Seth Paradis.

West by Midwest 2015 poster

West by Midwest 2015

May 20, 2015

5/20/15 – For the third year in a row, this afternoon I’ll spend part of my Study Day taking part in West by Midwest, a gathering of Bethel University folks who want to share innovative ideas for teaching and course design. I’ll be reporting on my experience teaching our new Intro to History course as a hybrid, blending face-to-face seminar … More West by Midwest 2015