Tag: Martin Luther

Harmony and Liberty in the Covenant Church (Phil Anderson)

June 24, 2019

Having published an essay last Friday by Hauna Ondrey, the current church historian at North Park Seminary, I’m doubly thrilled today to share a piece by her illustrious predecessor, Philip Anderson. Entitled “Harmony and Congregational Liberty in the Tradition of the Evangelical Covenant Church,” it considers “the unintended consequences of establishing” a precedent to declare … More Harmony and Liberty in the Covenant Church (Phil Anderson)

Beyond Yes or No: Covenant History and the Third Way (Hauna Ondrey)

June 21, 2019

Today I’m honored to share a timely essay by Hauna Ondrey, assistant professor of church history at North Park Theological Seminary. Entitled “Beyond Yes or No: Covenant History & the Third Way,” Hauna’s piece offers necessary context for what’s at stake in next week in Omaha, when delegates to the annual meeting of the Evangelical … More Beyond Yes or No: Covenant History and the Third Way (Hauna Ondrey)

Waldensian Presbyterian Church - Valdese, NC

That Was The Week That Was

November 3, 2018

While I was starting a new podcast season and sharing some final thoughts on the affordability and sustainability of Christian liberal arts colleges, here’s what some other writers had to say: • A Reformation Day question from Jay Phelan: what does it mean to be Protestant? • If an annual listen to “The Reformation Polka” … More That Was The Week That Was

Humble Leadership and Gentle Persuasion: A Plea to the People of the Covenant Church (Mark Safstrom)

June 19, 2018

Tonight’s guest-blogger is Mark Safstrom, chief editor of the devotional journal Pietisten and assistant professor of Scandinavian Studies at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. More importantly, Mark is both a friend and a Mission Friend: that is, a fellow member of the Evangelical Covenant Church. What follows is adapted from his piece in next month’s issue … More Humble Leadership and Gentle Persuasion: A Plea to the People of the Covenant Church (Mark Safstrom)

Frankfurt's Barfüßerkirche

If I Ever Led a Trip to Germany on the History of Pietism…

May 8, 2018

This spring I’ve had the pleasure of teaching a group of adults who are planning a trip to Germany this fall. We started with a 90-minute tour of the Reformation last week and will conclude next Sunday with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, but for the middle of our three-Sunday course, they were kind enough to let me … More If I Ever Led a Trip to Germany on the History of Pietism…

Caldwell Hall at Catholic University of America

That Was The Week That Was

April 22, 2018

Here… • Liberty University Online was the subject of a troubling profile, in which Pres. Jerry Falwell, Jr. celebrated how he had found “a way to tame” professors who objected to the program. (For a bit more interesting historical context, see Adam Laats on the long history of evangelical institutions using technology to do education … More That Was The Week That Was

Scarsellino's painting of the cleansing of the Temple

The Path to Renewal: Be a Priest! (John 2:13-22)

March 5, 2018

Let me suspend my Lenten hiatus just long enough to share the text of the sermon I delivered yesterday at Salem Covenant Church in New Brighton, Minnesota. It was the fourth in a “Path to Renewal” series inspired by The Pietist Option: Hope for the Renewal of Christianity, with my co-author — and Salem’s senior pastor … More The Path to Renewal: Be a Priest! (John 2:13-22)

Elevator floor buttons

“Do You Believe in the Resurrection?”: My Elevator Speech for The Pietist Option

February 6, 2018

In my column for the Fall/Winter 2017 issue of the journal Pietisten, I took a shot at doing something I’ve been most leery to do. Here’s how the column starts: “You need an elevator speech.” So said a friend when I announced on Facebook the publication of our book on Pietism. What she meant is that … More “Do You Believe in the Resurrection?”: My Elevator Speech for The Pietist Option