Earlier this week I was invited to talk about Bethel’s history at a dinner celebrating the university’s 150th anniversary. For once I spoke without notes, but here’s the best I can do to reconstruct what I said: my attempt to make our history more personal for more people, rather than focusing on the stories of … More What Is Bethel? The Moments That Make Up Our History
I’ve kept things quiet here all February: in part because I’ve been launching spring courses; in part because I’ve been working on a small Bethel project that I’ll be happy to share soon, hopefully this time next week. But let me awaken The Pietist Schoolman long enough to check in on our Following Jesus conversation, … More Following Jesus: The Baptist Tradition
If you had told me twenty, ten, or even five years ago that a Pietist like me would find much common ground with a Reformed Christian, I’d have been skeptical. Yet when I read Wes Granberg-Michaelson’s January essay for the Following Jesus conversation, I found myself nodding along “with a version of following Jesus that … More Following Jesus: The Reformed Tradition
As a Pietist who now worships within a Lutheran congregation, I’ve been eagerly awaiting this month’s installment of our year-long, ecumenical conversation about Following Jesus. Church historian Mark Ellingsen didn’t disappoint, offering a reflection on what he called Lutheranism’s “Evangelical Catholic” way of following Jesus. At least, that’s how he saw his more “confessional” branch … More Following Jesus: The Lutheran Tradition
“Although I value this book,” wrote Martin Luther in introducing his translation of Jude’s brief letter, “it is an epistle that need not be counted among the chief books which are supposed to lay the foundations of faith.” To this day, many Christians join the Protestant reformer in wanting to skip a book that is … More The With-God Life: Hey Jude
Thanks to Pastor Doug Bixby, for effectively switching places with me yesterday: while he was back in my hometown participating in the annual meeting of the Covenant Church, I had the chance to preach and teach at the church he serves in Attleboro, Massachusetts. (And thanks to their associate pastor, Chris Wall, for being such … More Stories of Hope: Joseph… and Judah
In Saturday’s links wrap, I mentioned Rachel Denhollander, the former gymnast whose testimony at the sentencing hearing of serial sexual abuser Larry Nassar went viral — particularly among her fellow Christians, who were inspired that she used that difficult platform to talk about the Bible’s message of grace and forgiveness. But I also encouraged anyone … More On Sexual Abuse and the Church
Since today is a particularly significant Reformation Sunday, I’m going to forego my usual weekend links wrap and instead repost an updated version of my most recent piece for The Anxious Bench. “A red-letter date looms,” wrote Tal Howard in one of his many recent books, “31 October 2017, the five-hundredth anniversary of the Reformation, the widely recognized … More 3 Ways to Remember the Reformation
The newest episode of The Pietist Schoolman Podcast is now available! It features Sam and me talking about the Christianity that lies on the other side of 1517: the faith of the Middle Ages. We covered everything from grace and penance to Incarnation and sacramentalism, plus medievals’ relationship to the past. Our featured book this week is … More Thursday’s Podcast: Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians
I once wrote a post explaining three reasons that I’m “almost a Lutheran.” But given how Amazon has categorized my latest book, I’m wondering if I need to drop the modifier. I know enough to know that being the “#1 Best Seller” in an Amazon subcategory doesn’t mean that I should start cashing my royalty … More Am I a Lutheran?
The Pietist Schoolman 