Here… • As we neared the end of our J-term sprint through the history of World War II and my students heard from a Holocaust survivor, I returned to my Epiphany theme of “thick darkness.” • Lots of MLK Day posts claiming to reclaim some lost or neglected dimension of MLK: e.g., that he was … More That Was The Week That Was
In part because it only happens twice a year, but mostly because I appreciate its aims and quality, the arrival of the Fall/Winter 2013 issue of the newsletter Pietisten made for a good start to finals week. As always, there’s a lot of diverse content to savor in this issue, let me just note a … More In the Fall/Winter 2013 Issue of Pietisten…
Track this and tell me that God doesn’t work in mysterious ways: 1. When I was hired to come to a Baptist/Pietist/evangelical college as the new European historian, I was expected to teach an upper-level course on the Reformations. The last time I had studied this chapter in history was… oh, the first week of … More Why I’m Almost a Lutheran
Here… • Are Christian colleges facing financial crises because doctrinal “drift” has cost them the support of churches? (And if it has, is that the cost of doing business?) • I’m not sure I could stand listening to me say anything more about a crisis in Christian higher ed… But if you feel differently, head … More That Was The Week That Was
Part two of a series of posts following up on comments on my open letter urging American churches to recommit to Christian higher education by increasing their direct and indirect financial support of colleges like Bethel. “This one is tough for me,” commented a reader named Mike, in response to last Tuesday’s open letter, “as … More Are Christian Colleges Good Financial Stewards?
I’m honored to announce the publication of a theme issue of The Covenant Quarterly, guest edited by my colleague Christian Collins Winn and myself, that features articles on the historical and contemporary significance of Pietism. If you’re not familiar with it, The Covenant Quarterly is published by the Evangelical Covenant Church through its seminary, North … More Announcing a New Issue of The Covenant Quarterly on Pietism
Here… • Announcements: Books & Culture is alive and kicking; Efrem Smith took a new job; the U.S. News Best Colleges report came out and it’s still ridiculous. That is all. • Not exactly the finest hour for either Britain or France: the Phoney War of 1939-1940. And WWII would get worse for both countries … More That Was The Week That Was
Here… • A tour of memorial sites got me thinking about how to teach a new course on World War II, and prompted two new series: one on the commemoration of WWII started by asking why “living memorials” were so popular among architects, artists, and others in the 1940s; then a second looked chapters in … More That Was The Week That Was
The late Karl A. Olsson (whose 100th birthday we celebrated yesterday) had a lithograph in his home office with the following caption: “A Pietist disturbs the joy in a tavern.” Given the importance Olsson attached to joy, it’s not surprising that he wrestled with the legacy of Pietism: disturbed by the ways in which its … More “An Honorable Word as a Dishonorable Handle”: Karl Olsson on Pietism
It’s been a long weekend teaching and preaching, but a rewarding, exhilarating one. Thanks again to the people of Bethlehem Covenant Church for making me feel so welcome as the guest speaker for their Winter Seminar! I’m particularly grateful to their senior pastor, Ryan Eikenbary-Barber, for extending the invitation and for being an active participant … More Further Reading on Pietism
The Pietist Schoolman 