What are you reading, watching, thinking about over Thanksgiving break? Anything special with some time off or is there too much going on with the holiday?
As usual, here’s a few which have been on our mind. Let us know your thoughts on any/all of them. In addition, if you have items you’d like us to consider for the top five, add them in the comments or send them to Tom or Mike.
1. Tom’s supervisor passed along a helpful slide show on how slide shows work. Time for some upgrades? Do you agree with the psychologist?
2. Take a moment to consider Adopted Objects: The Art of Kenneth Steinbach (James Romaine, Comment, November 20, 2009). Below’s a picture and quote to get you started.
Steinbach’s art is not immediately or evidently “Christian.” His drawings, such as Tape recorder, Paper bags, Lost Glove and Pistol, do not depict religious iconography, and he does not illustrate Bible stories. Steinbach’s art is a practice of faith realized in forms that materialize a transformed vision. His drawings are created by an unorthodox process of adoption and revision that parallels a life of faith.
3. Academic pledges to give away £1m – Toby Ord, a researcher with the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics (as opposed to impractical ethics?) has pledged to give away 10% of his income, plus any income over £20,000 (about $33,000) for the remainder of his academic career.
“I was living very happily as a student and worked out what I’d need to continue living like that through my life – or a little bit better, to allow some room for improvement – and then I worked out how much I could do with that amount of money.
“I could save thousands of people’s lives, and saving one person’s life is often thought to be an amazing kind of thing you can do over your whole career,” he said.
4. The APA and Christian Colleges – The American Philosophical Association is said to have decided on a new policy that will flag job listings from any college or university that doesn’t follow APA’s non-discrimination policy, which includes sexual orientation alongside race, religion, and gender. The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities objects to the policy, while Peter van Inwagen of Notre Dame has said that flagging job listings is preferable to the APA’s other desired course – banning those listings altogether.
5. There is no number five! Tom and Mike are heading out for Black Friday, so we encourage you to get shopping, too. Actually, that’s not true. Instead, take a look at this short film from Nathan Clarke about the prosperity gospel in Africa. I guess that is number five after all, isn’t it?
About the author:
Tom enjoys daily conversations regarding living out the Biblical Story with his wife Theresa and their four girls, around the block, at Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ Church (where he teaches adult electives and co-leads a small group), among healthcare professionals as the Northeast Regional Director for the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA), and in higher ed as a volunteer with the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN). For a number of years, the Christian Medical Society / CMDA at Penn State College of Medicine was the hub of his ministry with CMDA. Note: Tom served with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA for 20+ years, including 6+ years as the Associate Director of ESN. He has written for the ESN blog from its launch in August 2008. He has studied Biology (B.S.), Higher Education (M.A.), Spiritual Direction (Certificate), Spiritual Formation (M.A.R.), Ministry to Emerging Generations (D.Min.). To God be the glory!