Bringing Politicians to Christian College Campuses

Embedded in last week’s post about how Christian voters evaluate political candidates was an educational issue: How do colleges decide which speakers to invite to campus? First, Oklahoma Wesleyan president Everett Piper, who made clear that he and his institution — unlike Jerry Falwell, Jr. and Liberty University — would not invite one particular Republican presidential candidate to speak: In selecting … More Bringing Politicians to Christian College Campuses

What Qualities Should Christian Voters Seek in Political Candidates?

I observed late last month that the candidacy of Donald Trump should push pastors — and others looked to for pastoral counsel — to take up the work of political theology and help their parishioners answer questions about Christian participation in politics. With the Iowa caucuses just hours away, at least one such question has come … More What Qualities Should Christian Voters Seek in Political Candidates?

John Piper’s Argument Against Concealed Weapons

When Liberty University president Jerry Falwell, Jr. exhorted the audience at the school’s convocation to (legally) carry concealed weapons, it was his careless allusion to the religion of the shooters at San Bernardino that seemed to generate the most controversy: “I’ve always thought that if more good people had concealed-carry permits, then we could end those … More John Piper’s Argument Against Concealed Weapons

From One Christian College President in Virginia to Another…

If I’d just been a bit more patient, I could have saved myself the time and trouble of writing my own response to Liberty University president Jerry Falwell, Jr. and just let Eastern Mennonite University president Loren Swartzendruber talk. (H/T Scot McKnight) Mine ended by reflecting on the season of Advent; that’s where Loren’s starts: … More From One Christian College President in Virginia to Another…

The Shadow of Death: A Response to Jerry Falwell, Jr.

Calling out Christian college presidents isn’t really how I wanted to spend Advent, but then I didn’t expect one such leader to devote part of a chapel talk to encouraging his students to carry concealed weapons. But that’s just what Liberty University president Jerry Falwell, Jr. did on Friday, two days after the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California. In a … More The Shadow of Death: A Response to Jerry Falwell, Jr.

That Was The Week That Was

Here… • Devin Manzullo-Thomas returned with a second CCCU-inspired post on the relationship between Anabaptists and Evangelicals, this one featuring former Eastern Mennonite and CCCU president Myron Augsburger. (Thanks to both Real Clear Religion and Mennonite World Review for reposting this one!) • Thanks in part to some Anabaptist studies of my own, I felt led to wrestle aloud … More That Was The Week That Was

Coming to Liberty University This Fall: Bernie Sanders

What do these people have in common: Korie and Sadie Robertson of Duck Dynasty, Christian music star David Crowder, Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson, conservative pundit William Bennett, and presidential candidates Ben Carson and Bernie Sanders? Yes, all will speaking this fall at Liberty University’s thrice-weekly convocations, “the world’s largest weekly gathering of Christian young people.” One … More Coming to Liberty University This Fall: Bernie Sanders