If nothing else, this is a wonderful time for all of us to catch up on our reading. To that end, let me encourage you to check out the April e-book sale at Eerdmans, which has discounted 300+ titles to prices as low as $1.99. (Most are under $4.) The sale runs through the end … More Time to Load Up on E-Books
A couple days before Bethel announced its new president, I wrote about the risk of Christian colleges like ours closing. Elsewhere: Important piece from @cgehrz @anxious_bench. Hoping that institutions like Bethel thrive in the years ahead. Religious colleges and universities are a key piece of America's intellectual diversity and vibrancy. https://t.co/h7yODegP8b — John Turner (@JohnGTurner2020) … More That Was The Week That Was
I interviewed a former Pro Bowler, considered what’s being lost with the decline of mainline Protestantism, and explained why this blog is going to be relatively (but not completely) quiet for most of 2020. Elsewhere: • A local newspaper here in St. Paul reported that a local Methodist church was banning older people. Not surprisingly, … More That Was The Week That Was
Is evangelical opposition to Donald Trump simply evidence of elitism? That was the argument of Matthew Schmitz, who didn’t so much counter Christianity Today editor-in-chief Mark Galli’s critique of Trump as dismiss Galli and his CT colleagues as elite evangelicals — and therefore, by Schmitz’s definition, not really evangelical at all: …evangelical leaders who have come … More The Problems and Possibilities of Evangelical Populism
One consequence of living in a time of political polarization, echo chambers, and epistemic closure is that it’s rare to be genuinely surprised by any political statement. For example, I struggle to think of any response to the impeachment of Donald Trump that wasn’t predictable — on either side of that debate. Any response, that … More On Christianity Today Calling for Trump’s Removal from Office
Over the weekend, it seemed like virtually every Christian college professor in my social media feed was reading “The Evangelical Mind,” an essay by theologian Adam Kotsko, who was raised in a conservative evangelical home, by parents who were in many ways at the vanguard of the movement. The more I have reflected on my … More Am I an Evangelical?
A funeral made me reflect on Thanksgiving, the approach of Christmas made me consider some gift options for history buffs, and I filled in some holes in my knowledge about the Salvation Army. Elsewhere… • Speaking of Salvationists… Stephen Carter cautioned progressives against boycotting the Army’s activities because of its stance on marriage. • Do I … More That Was The Week That Was
In between podcasting about gender and sports and preparing a chapel talk on Pietism, I enjoyed the following articles and posts this week: • By far the most-discussed Anxious Bench post this week was David Swartz’s reflection on the difference between “cosmopolitan” and “populist” evangelicals. • I’ll be sorry to see David Heim (r.) no longer at … More That Was The Week That Was
Having spent an energizing Reformation Sunday morning at an Evangelical Covenant church, I’m looking forward to visiting a Lutheran church this coming Sunday to teach the history of evangelicalism If you’re in the Twin Cities, join us at Incarnation Lutheran in Shoreview, MN for the Kairos Forum — offered both 8:45am and 10:05am. Here’s the … More Next Sunday’s Adult Class: Who’s an Evangelical?
I wrote about Ethiopian Pentecostals like the new Nobel Peace Prize winner and debates in this country over religious liberty for Christian colleges. Elsewhere: • For a more serious case of a religious group being persecuted by the state, read this firsthand account of life for Uyghur Muslims imprisoned in Chinese “reeducation” camps. • According … More That Was The Week That Was
The Pietist Schoolman 