Last week, to celebrate the launch of the new EmergingScholars.org, we announced we were giving away 5 copies of Greg Jao's new book, Your Mind's Mission. We have collected the entries and randomly chosen our winners: Angelica Daniel Sophia Gerald John Congratulations! We'll be in touch by email to arrange delivery. If you didn't win, you'll have some additional chances. We will be holding some additional giveaways here on the blog between now and Christmas. We will also have a drawing to win Greg's … [Read more...] about The Winners of Your Mind’s Mission
Reading Pagans (and Christians) with Charity
Two weeks ago, James Sire addressed a question from me about learning from artists and writers who have a different world view than my own. In his response, he mentioned Alan Jacobs's A Theology of Reading, which I have been reading and blogging through lately. I'd like to expand a bit on Jim's reference to Jacobs's book with a few examples of charitable reading. Throughout the book, Jacobs offers “interludes,” which are essentially case studies of different styles and methods of reading. “Interlude D: Two Charitable … [Read more...] about Reading Pagans (and Christians) with Charity
Announcing the New ESN Website (and a Chance to Win a Free Book)!
The Emerging Scholars Network has a new website! We invite you to visit and explore. To celebrate the launch of the new Emerging Scholars Network website, we're offering you the chance to win one of 5 copies of Your Mind's Mission, the new book from InterVarsity national field director (and Urbana 12 emcee) Greg Jao! This book, part of the new Urbana Onward series, explores God's invitation to love him with our mind. We've just published an excerpt from Your Mind's Mission on the new ESN website. Take a few … [Read more...] about Announcing the New ESN Website (and a Chance to Win a Free Book)!
What Are You Thankful For? The Spiritual Discipline of Gratitude
All this month, my Facebook feed has been filled with friends participating in 30 Days of Thanksgiving, posting each day about something for which they are thankful —their family, their friends, the goodness of God's provision, etc. The regular practice of gratitude is an important guard against cynicism and self-righteousness and something that I endorse. Even so, it was hard for me not to laugh at the Facebook post of a friend, who recently left a PhD program in Second Temple Judaism and is currently struggling to … [Read more...] about What Are You Thankful For? The Spiritual Discipline of Gratitude
Are There Any Books That You Revere?
In my continued reading of Alan Jacobs' A Theology of Reading, I've come to his chapter “Kenosis.” He addresses the question of whether someone can love a text in the same self-giving way that one can —even ought to —love another person. Kenosis is the Greek word used in Philippians 2:7 to describe the “self-emptying” movement of Christ in his Incarnation: [Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the … [Read more...] about Are There Any Books That You Revere?