“If Lutheranism is the parent of Pietism,” I began my response this month in the Following Jesus conversation, “then surely the Wesleyan Tradition is the closest cousin to my own.” Started by English Protestants who had been profoundly shaped by their encounters with Pietism, Methodism and the other Christian movements that originated with John Wesley … More Following Jesus: The Wesleyan Tradition
This week I reported on my adult Sunday School class about evangelicalism and checked in on how Lutherans follow Jesus, while a couple of student journalists at Bethel wrote about me and my new book… which was reviewed in Front Porch Republic and the Portland (ME) Press Herald. Elsewhere: • If you’re not already reading … More That Was The Week That Was
As a Pietist who now worships within a Lutheran congregation, I’ve been eagerly awaiting this month’s installment of our year-long, ecumenical conversation about Following Jesus. Church historian Mark Ellingsen didn’t disappoint, offering a reflection on what he called Lutheranism’s “Evangelical Catholic” way of following Jesus. At least, that’s how he saw his more “confessional” branch … More Following Jesus: The Lutheran Tradition
Apart from announcing my first Lindbergh book talk (Zoom-ing your way on March 18th), things were quiet here as I worked on the index for that book. I’ll look to blog more in March. Meanwhile, here’s some of what I was reading: • I’ll probably come back to it in some way in more depth later, … More That Was The Week That Was
A couple days before Bethel announced its new president, I wrote about the risk of Christian colleges like ours closing. Elsewhere: Important piece from @cgehrz @anxious_bench. Hoping that institutions like Bethel thrive in the years ahead. Religious colleges and universities are a key piece of America's intellectual diversity and vibrancy. https://t.co/h7yODegP8b — John Turner (@JohnGTurner2020) … More That Was The Week That Was
This week I broke my blogging silence here to blog about silence. And over at The Anxious Bench, I explained what the history of “home missions” has to do with my current book project. Elsewhere… • To understand the stark difference in character between the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and the one from 2016, read … More That Was The Week That Was
I interviewed a former Pro Bowler, considered what’s being lost with the decline of mainline Protestantism, and explained why this blog is going to be relatively (but not completely) quiet for most of 2020. Elsewhere: • A local newspaper here in St. Paul reported that a local Methodist church was banning older people. Not surprisingly, … More That Was The Week That Was
When I wasn’t giving advice to Christian parents whose children are considering Christian colleges, this week I read lots of other good posts and articles around the web, including… • Philip Jenkins continued to look back over the key religious events of the 2010s. • To Dale Coulter, the impending split of the United Methodist … More That Was The Week That Was
This week I lamented how my home denomination continues to fracture over the human sexuality debate, encouraged Christians to focus more on biblical prophets and less on biblical kings, and reminded everyone that time is starting to run out to place deposits for our summer 2020 Sports in American History tour. Elsewhere: • One of my … More That Was The Week That Was
Lots of Lindbergh here at The Pietist Schoolman, where I considered Charles’ connections to the space program and Anne’s diaries and letters. Over at The Anxious Bench I reported that a recent book on hymnals says as much about the histories of reading and childhood as singing. Elsewhere: • Charles Lindbergh is far from the only famous … More That Was The Week That Was
The Pietist Schoolman 