At the end of the 6th century AD, Pope Gregory the Great launched one of the most significant missions in Christian history. “Do not let the toil of the journey or the tongues of men, discourage you,” he told the apprehensive monks tasked with converting the Anglo-Saxon people of England, “but with all earnestness and … More The With-God Life: Idols
Before classes start at the end of the month, I hope to finish revisions to the manuscript for my spiritual biography of Charles Lindbergh. It’s not going to be drastically different from what I submitted in July, but I do think it will be improved, thanks to some insightful suggestions from my editor, Heath Carter. … More African American Responses to Lindbergh’s Flight
Of all the supporting cast in my Charles Lindbergh biography, only a couple of non-relatives are mentioned as often — and known to so few today — as Grace Lee Nute. In fact, until I read an article about her last week in the [Minneapolis] Star Tribune, I knew little about Nute beyond what I gleaned from … More Meet a Previous Lindbergh Biographer: Grace Lee Nute
It’s been almost four years since I first considered the idea of writing a spiritual biography of Charles A. Lindbergh, and three years since I signed the contract for that book with Eerdmans. And the calendar will have turned to 2021 before anyone can actually pick up a copy of that book. But yesterday I … More My Lindbergh Biography Is One Step Closer to Publication…
Warning #1: today’s post has absolutely nothing to do with the typical themes of this blog, save that it’s about a kind of history. Warning #2: today’s post will reveal me to be far nerdier than already is widely assumed. If you’re still here… I’m excited — and a little bit horrified — to report … More The Greatest Players in Baseball History: A Simulation
Most readers of this blog are aware that I’m in the middle of working on a new book: a “spiritual, but not religious” biography of Charles A. Lindbergh. I’m happy to report that I finished the first draft yesterday and should have the manuscript to the publisher next month. It’s scheduled to come out sometime … More Announcing Our New Devotional: Faith and History!
This week I’m co-leading a faculty development workshop meant to help Bethel colleagues write a tenure application essay on how they relate faith to learning. As that workshop concludes this afternoon, I’ll try to explain our topic in the context of Bethel’s religious heritage. I don’t expect that all of our faculty be Baptist (I’m … More A Pietist (and Baptist) Vision for Academic Freedom
Last night word spread that one of the nation’s two largest Christian universities had eliminated its entire Philosophy department, giving those seven professors just a few weeks’ notice for a June 30 end to their employment. Sad as that news is, neither the decision nor the means of announcing and implementing it can be all … More Hope for Better Times for the Humanities
As I’ve spent more and more time on Charles Lindbergh, I’ve had less and less time to spend on Pietism. So I’m always thrilled when a church asks me to give a talk on our 2017 book, The Pietist Option, which was always meant for large and small group discussion in churches and is still … More Announcing… A Free Online Adult Education Course on The Pietist Option
On this week’s episode of The 252, Chris, Sam, and I kept talking about the Olympics: analyzing an assignment that had students draft a “fantasy team” of nations competing in the Olympics (and what medal counts do and don’t signify about countries); considering what effect the 2008 Olympics had on Chinese politics; and predicting what the … More Thursday’s Podcast: Fantasy Olympics
