This week I reflected on why I (unlike many my age and younger) still think of myself as a Protestant, and I celebrated the birthday of one of my favorite Protestant theologians by reviewing a new collection of his writings. Elsewhere: • A century after a leading liberal Protestant warned against the triumph of Fundamentalism, Dan … More That Was The Week That Was
After a busy start to the New Year, I gave The Pietist Schoolman a week off and worked on syllabi for the spring semester. But elsewhere, I reviewed a new Winston Churchill biography for Christianity Today and convened a group of Anxious Bench contributors to suggest books that serve as important artifacts and analyses of … More That Was The Week That Was
This week I shared a Pentecost reflection inspired (in part) by George Floyd and explained why academic freedom is deeply rooted in Bethel’s religious heritage. Elsewhere: • My Bethel colleague Sara Shady filled in for me at The Anxious Bench with a powerful reflection on the Floyd protests and riots in light of some words from Martin … More That Was The Week That Was
I considered the similarities between professional hockey and evangelical Christianity, and encouraged my home denomination to cling to its distinctive heritage in Pietism. Elsewhere: • U.S. historians are debating a new article alleging sexual misconduct by Martin Luther King, Jr., on the basis of documents from the FBI agents who spied on him. • One … More That Was The Week That Was
Today I’m happy to welcome my Bethel colleague Ruben Rivera to the blog. Educated at Vanguard University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Boston University, Ruben came to Bethel in 1997 as a history professor, and now serves as our chief diversity officer. He regularly speaks to Christian and community groups about shalom, diversity, and reconciliation. What … More Diversity, Shalom, and Remarkable Christianity (Ruben Rivera)
Aside from sharing part of my Pietist Option for Baptists class (on reading the Bible) and being interviewed for a new podcast by a Covenant pastor, I spent most of the week preparing for the start of the academic year. Here’s some of what was happening elsewhere in the realms of Christianity, history, and education: • Rest … More That Was The Week That Was
Here… • I couldn’t spend four weeks at Yale without writing about its World War I memorials… • …which are right next to the auditorium where Charles Lindbergh made his first public address against U.S. participation in World War II. • In other news, I preached a sermon about sibling conflict, grace, and Christian unity. … More That Was The Week That Was
I’ll leave it to actual American historians like my Anxious Bench colleague Kristin Du Mez to explain the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. on this, the 50th anniversary of his assassination. But one topic about which I can perhaps say something meaningful is MLK’s response to the Reformation initiated by his namesake. (As you may know, … More Martin Luther King, Jr. on Martin Luther
While I was busy passing the plate and celebrating a miraculous Vikings win, others were writing about Christianity, history, education, and other things I find interesting: • I’m not sure I’ve ever willingly read a book by a current, former, or would-be U.S. president. That might change. • I missed this last week: the most … More That Was The Week That Was
Yesterday I put my Modern Europe students through what’s become a pre-Thanksgiving ritual: watching the 2005 German movie, Sophie Scholl: The Final Days, about the anti-Nazi student resistance group known as the White Rose. About, that is, the arrest, interrogation, and execution of its leaders, Sophie and Hans Scholl. Coming after our week on the Final Solution, it’s a wrenching … More The Prayers at the Heart of the White Rose
The Pietist Schoolman 