I’m convinced that one of the main reasons that those of us who appreciate Pietism face an uphill struggle in reclaiming its contemporary value is that Pietism is often equated with piety. For some, piety connotes an intensely private kind of religiosity that detaches the Christian from concern for this world, leaving them “too heavenly minded to be earthly good.” But probably … More Reclaiming Piety
From my very first Christmastide as a blogger… Because it’s about the parents of Jesus, it makes for a decent sequel to my previous post. Not just Boxing Day, Return Unwanted Gifts Day, or Two Turtle Doves Day, the second day of Christmas has enormous theological importance: It reminds us that when the angels returned to the … More Best of The Pietist Schoolman: “What Child Is This?”
Earlier this month our church used a Wednesday night to experiment with a more contemplative form of worship. Calling it “Christmas Quiet,” our pastors led us in prayer, meditation, and song. It culminated in Pastor Mark asking us to reread one of Christianity’s most familiar texts using a technique that is both old and, to most evangelical Protestants, … More Christmas Through Mary’s Eyes
Earlier this fall I shared the text of a brief speech I made to a Christian College Consortium symposium at Wheaton College: a Pietist perspective on what it means for schools like the CCC’s thirteen members to “stay Christ-centered.” I suggested that “staying” cannot be static and that “Christ-centered” must be understood in terms of … More Practice and Affection, Not Just Belief: Further Thoughts on How Colleges and Universities Remain “Christ-Centered”
Here… • Beware the fearmongering of higher ed pundits… • …and find some hope in the opportunity of educating a “spiritual, but not religious” generation. • We probably came up with about fifteen C’s of institutional history at our Conference on Faith and History panel on the subject, but I narrowed it down to six. …There and Everywhere … More That Was The Week That Was
This past April the Baptist ethicist and theologian Glen Stassen died at age 78. Today I’m happy to share a tribute to Stassen written by my friend G.W. Carlson, professor emeritus of history and political science at Bethel University (where he still teaches a course on Christian Non-Violence). To know God as Son is to … More Glen Stassen: Living the Sermon on the Mount (G.W. Carlson)
The last two days I was honored to take part in a Christian College Consortium (CCC) gathering at Wheaton College. Our delegation from Bethel was assigned to help lead the Tuesday morning discussion, of what it means for colleges and universities to stay Christ-centered. I’m grateful to our president, Jay Barnes, for inviting me to prepare some remarks stemming from … More Staying Christ-Centered: A Pietist Perspective (My Remarks to the Christian College Consortium)
Here… • Did I mention that you can preorder our forthcoming book on Pietism and Christian higher education? Never too early for Christmas shopping, right? What? It comes out January 5th?… Yeah, I meant Christmas 2015 shopping. • I really do work during the summer, all evidence of goofing off to the contrary. • And while … More That Was The Week That Was
Doing a links post didn’t seem quite appropriate this particular Saturday. Instead, here’s my one and — to date — only attempt at an Easter Vigil reflection. Complete with what, at the time, were Sherlock spoilers. (H/T to Sara Misgen for reminding me I wrote this!) It’s been observed by many Christian preachers and writers that most of our … More Best of The Pietist Schoolman: “Just One More Miracle…”
I originally wrote this near the end of my January course on the history of World War II. But it seems a better fit for Good Friday… It was a day into Epiphany — the Christian season of light, when Jesus is revealed in many and various ways as God — when I began my J-term … More Best of The Pietist Schoolman: Looking Too Quickly for Light
The Pietist Schoolman 