‘Twas a quiet week here at the home office, primarily because I ended up writing obituaries at our department blog for two retired colleagues who died within a few days of each other: political scientist Bill Johnson and historian Kevin Cragg. I added a longer, more personal tribute to Kevin at The Anxious Bench, where … More That Was The Week That Was
This week I wrote about a doomed Arctic explorer and celebrated the launch of a new initiative from John Fea. Elsewhere: • In the week of Yom HaShoah, there was a lot to find fascinating in historian James Loeffler’s article on the little-known poetry of Raphael Lemkin, the Jewish lawyer who gave us the word … More That Was The Week That Was
It’s been a busy last week as we (finally) near the end of our year at Bethel. But I found time to critique a proposed overhaul of academics at a leading Christian college, celebrate the “spiritual mothers” of my faith, note that some churches weren’t rebuilt after the destruction of the world wars, and even … More That Was The Week That Was
While I was starting a new podcast season and sharing some final thoughts on the affordability and sustainability of Christian liberal arts colleges, here’s what some other writers had to say: • A Reformation Day question from Jay Phelan: what does it mean to be Protestant? • If an annual listen to “The Reformation Polka” … More That Was The Week That Was
I have little doubt that this is a list of twelve highly effective preachers: Alistair Begg, Tony Evans, Joel Gregory, Tim Keller, Thomas Long, Otis Moss III, John Piper, Haddon Robinson, Andy Stanley, Chuck Swindoll, Barbara Brown Taylor, and Ralph Douglas West. I have even less doubt that they are not the “twelve most effective preachers … More These Are Not the “Twelve Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World”
I was busy last week writing a sermon and Pietist Option talk (more on those tomorrow) and so didn’t have a chance to blog about the latest fracas involving Liberty University and its controversial president, Jerry Falwell, Jr. A quick recap: • On Friday Jack Jenkins of Religion News Service reported that Liberty officials were eliminating its common … More What Counts as a Christian College or University?
Here… • Early notices on The Pietist Option have been very encouraging! • One endorsement made me think of Stan Grenz, the self-proclaimed “Pietist with a Ph.D.” • I revisited a question I first asked four years ago: How much do Christian college presidents make? • And as I work this summer, here’s what you’ll find in … More That Was The Week That Was
It’s been a few weeks now since a Washington Post profile of Second Lady Karen Pence reminded everyone of comments made by her husband back when he was still an Indiana congressman: that Mike Pence “never eats alone with a woman other than his wife and that he won’t attend events featuring alcohol without her by his side, … More The Graham Rule and Barriers to Women in Leadership at Christian Colleges
Having been one of the earliest, most vocal evangelical supporters of Donald Trump, Liberty University president Jerry Falwell, Jr. was widely rumored to be in the running for a cabinet spot in the new administration. But Falwell told Religion News Service that he turned down an appointment as Secretary of Education, in part because his family members … More Following Up: Liberty University as the “Protestant Notre Dame”
Come back in a couple days for an exciting announcement about a new blogging gig of mine… but first, here’s some of what was blogged about last week. Here… • How should the Church respond to Donald Trump? By “telling it like it is.” • Are historians and other humanists leaning too heavily on “utilitarian” apologetics? Yes (not that I’m going to stop trying … More That Was The Week That Was
The Pietist Schoolman 