Here… • Two big, related announcements: not only has InterVarsity Press agreed to publish my next book on Pietism, but my co-author and I will be thinking aloud about each chapter when the second season of The Pietist Schoolman Podcast debuts next month. • Can a historian be both truthful and hopeful? • I wasn’t quite buying the notion that … More That Was The Week That Was
Here… • The Azusa Street Revival, World War I, Vatican II… What were some of the other turning points in the history of Christianity in the 20th century? • Speaking of WWI… Americans shouldn’t wait until 2017 to start thinking about its centenary. • Check out Adam Laats’ blog for interesting insights on Christian higher education … More That Was The Week That Was
Sharp-eyed readers might have noticed a new name popping up in the right-hand column of this blog, on my rotating list of “A Few of the Blogs, Publications, and Writers I Follow.” Adam Laats is historian of education at SUNY-Binghamton, currently writing a book tentatively titled Fundamentalist U: Keeping the Faith in American Higher Education. (John Fea got … More I Love You, But…
Here… • “Groaning” for the kingdom of God as a spiritual practice: Christian Collins Winn on Blumhardt Pietism and social justice. • Examining the waxing and waning popularity of America’s favorite patriotic hymns. • Almost a hundred years later, World War I is still adding to its death toll. • John Calvin doesn’t look a … More That Was The Week That Was
One group of Christianity-related links that I left out of my January links recap stemmed from Marcia Pally’s post at The Immanent Frame, about “Evangelicals who have left the right” and are embracing more progressive political positions. While commentators like Sarah Posner have poked legitimate holes in Pally’s case that “where once there was the … More Evangelicalism: A “Global Renewal Movement,” Not an American Political Faction
Are evangelical colleges and universities becoming more cautious about identifying themselves with political (not theological) conservatism? This month’s issue of Christianity Today features a brief story following up on the recent resignation of conservative pundit Dinesh D’Souza from the presidency of The King’s College (TKC), a conservative Christian school in New York City. Reporter Melissa … More The Depoliticization of Conservative Christian Colleges?
Here • 2012 has been busy, and 2013 is shaping up to be even more hectic, but I was happy to add this speaking engagement on the Pietist impulse in the 21st century. • And I’ll always make time for a mock trial that, year in and year out, is probably the best, most challenging … More That Was The Week That Was
Yesterday Conor Friedersdorf of The Atlantic extended his critique of what he sees as “epistemic closure” among many conservatives, chastising them for having abandoned genuine engagement in order to shelter inside of their own institutions: For decades, conservatives have complained about liberal control of academia and the media, often with good reason. Diversity of thought … More Close-Minded Christian Colleges?
Last Monday I encouraged readers to reject the temptation to expose themselves only to those sources that reconfirm their own opinions, as if they have nothing to learn from those with whom they disagree. Julian Sanchez of the libertarian Cato Institute called the phenomenon a type of “epistemic closure” in a series of 2010 posts … More Rejecting Epistemic Closure: Progressives for Conservatives to Read
Yesterday I lauded a variety of conservative writers whom I encouraged my left-leaning friends to include in their regular reading rotation. One reason I recommended many of them is that they possess the rare ability to engage in critical reflection on their own movement. To wit, David Brooks’ New York Times column this morning and … More Two of My “Conservatives for Progressives” Reflect on the State of Conservatism
