That Was The Week That Was

Here… • Five of my Bethel colleagues joined dozens of other Christian theologians to issue a modern-day version of the Barmen Declaration. Dean Pamela Lightsey and Dr @ccollinswinn draft the #BostonDeclaration at Boston University School of Theology #aarsbl17 pic.twitter.com/ZdnNuujexD — Peter Heltzel (@PeterHeltzel) November 18, 2017 • How prayer sustained two of the most famous … More That Was The Week That Was

How Christian Scholars Seek Truth in a “Post-Truth” World

Fake news. Alternative facts. Post-truth. When those are the catch phrases of the moment, this portion of my employer’s statement of core values can seem both quaint and urgently needed: As learners, we are critical thinkers and problem-solvers committed to academic excellence and intellectual rigor. At the same time, we are truth-seekers, recognizing that all truth-scientific, artistic, philosophical, … More How Christian Scholars Seek Truth in a “Post-Truth” World

That Was The Week That Was

Here… • Why historians “need to get in the way of death and practice resurrection.” • Once again, the rumors of the lecture’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. • According to one British historian, German Pietism “[rekindled] the love affair with God that had been Protestantism’s beating heart since Luther.” …There and Everywhere • Oddly, the firing of an FBI … More That Was The Week That Was

Moral Psychology and Politics: Why Is the Trump Tape Such a Revelation to Evangelicals? (Adam Johnson)

One of the benefits of working at a place like Bethel is that I get to learn from brilliant colleagues like Adam Johnson, who teaches cognitive neuroscience in our psychology department. Adam’s research focuses on memory, decision-making, and moral psychology and has been supported by grants from BioLogos and the National Institutes of Health.  In this guest post, he draws on insights … More Moral Psychology and Politics: Why Is the Trump Tape Such a Revelation to Evangelicals? (Adam Johnson)

Quantifying the Crisis in Humanities at Christian Colleges

So is Messiah College history professor John Fea correct that “Enrollments in humanities fields — history, philosophy, literature, theology — at evangelical colleges have experienced a precipitous decline over the last decade”? Last week I looked at my own institution to begin to offer an answer to that question. But I admitted that I didn’t … More Quantifying the Crisis in Humanities at Christian Colleges

When Does a Liberal Arts College Cease to Be a Liberal Arts College?

Troubling news from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, where twelve faculty spots are at risk of disappearing, including tenure-track positions in art, English, and ethics and open positions in French, philosophy, and theater. While a college spokesman pointed to a $3.7 million budget deficit and persistent decline in enrollment (down from over 1800 four years … More When Does a Liberal Arts College Cease to Be a Liberal Arts College?

Best of The Pietist Schoolman: Notre Dame and the Idea of the Catholic University

From April 9… Having spent a couple of posts last week unpacking Liberty University’s ambition (and the older one of Baylor University) to become “the Protestant Notre Dame” — and asking just what that meant, I’m surprised it took almost four days to see this comment appear: The question isn’t so much whether Liberty is a … More Best of The Pietist Schoolman: Notre Dame and the Idea of the Catholic University