I encourage you to take a few minutes this week to give these 3 questions prayerful consideration. Read more…
Summer Book Suggestion: Every Job a Parable by John Van Sloten
The purpose of “Every Job a Parable” is to help kindle a new kind of vocational imagination, to help you experience God at work
more, and to help you read the parable that is your job.Read more…
Summer Book Suggestion: Spiritual Rhythm by Mark Buchanan
We’re looking for summer reading suggestions from our readers. Blog editor Hannah Eagleson shares one of her favorites to help get us started. Read more…
Academic Writing as Christian Action (Masterclass in Writing, Part 12)
With today’s consideration of Academic Writing as Christian Action, Dr. Royce Francis wraps up his Masterclass in writing. I have been inspired by his weaving together of theological reflection and practical suggestions on becoming a skilled writer in general and within one’sRead more…
Writing in Obedience and Love Leads to Worship (Masterclass in Writing, Part 11)
What this means is that when we write to pursue an area of inquiry in obedient and affectionate response to the call of Christ, our writing is an act of worship that reveals both us and God in the process.Read more…
Love (Masterclass in Writing, Part 10)
Your vocation, your calling, must be undertaken in love. It is a response to the call of the Holy Spirit into places you didn’t even know existed. He has selected a place for you in the body of Christ, and for us this includes academic inquiry.Read more…
Obedience (Masterclass in Writing, Part 9)
For the past 8 weeks, we have been reflecting on writing disciplines for an academic who believes in Jesus. But for the next four weeks, let’s talk about why your writing is important. I want to speak first about obedience.Read more…
Authority, Awareness, Attention Span (Masterclass in Writing, Part 8)
When writing, always consider the needs of your audience as more important than your own writing needs.Read more…
What is Your Trajectory? (Masterclass in Writing, Part 7)
As we are writing, it is not enough to focus on our community’s framing and rhetorical expectations. We must always look towards how we will become integral members of those who shape the direction of the community. Is your trajectory towards the center of the community of practice? What is your plan for developing a sustained, systematic program of research?Read more…
Where Are You Planted? (Masterclass in Writing, Part 6)
The goal of writing is to communicate your message with authority to your intended audience in the form they expect and the limited time they have. This post addresses the first of these A’s: audience awareness.Read more…
Master Yourself by Choosing Your Master (Masterclass in Writing, Part 5)
To manage your time well, make sure you know your Master’s voice. Otherwise, you may end up choosing the wrong master.Read more…
Discipline Produces Freedom (Masterclass in Writing, Part 4)
There is a question I have been thinking of for some time now: “What does it mean to say that I am free?” Closely related to this is: “Can I truly be free?”Read more…
Read Because You Love Ideas (Masterclass in Writing, Part 3)
I view reading as one of the primary ways we express our love for ideas.Read more…
Time Management and the Daily Routine (Time Management Series)
For me, time management means cutting more things out instead of managing anything particularly well. I have a wife, a two-year-old son, Hunter, a fun, albeit demanding, job teaching high school and the prospect of doctoral work.Read more…
Writing Starts With Reading (Masterclass in Writing, Part 2)
To some, it may seem counter-intuitive to start a discussion on writing with an imperative to read.Read more…
Written on Their Hearts: Writing, Worship, and Spiritual Formation in the Life of the Mind
Take a masterclass in writing with a professor experienced in writing, engineering, and teaching writing. Read more…
2018 Christian Scholars Foundation Grant: Opportunity for ESN Members
Mark your calendars for March 15, 2018: that’s the deadline for the annual Christian Scholars Foundation Grant application. Two grants were awarded in 2017, so stay tuned for interviews with the recipients.Read more…
Science Corner: My Mental Health Story
November is when advocates for mental health and suicide prevention make a push for awarenessRead more…
Teaching As Relationship (Teaching Tips)
Last summer I was given the opportunity to teach my first college-level class: a senior-level lecture course on the history of the American Civil War and Reconstruction. I frankly wasn’t that nervous and I went into the course thinking that my job consisted of a simple two-step process where I simply downloaded information into my students’ brains and then challenged them to think critically about the past and its connection to the present. Read more…
Humility, Caring, and Cheerleading (Teaching Tips Series)
Even after 20+ years in teaching, I still struggle daily with pride which is my greatest barrier to effectively reaching my students to instill in them a passion for science and especially, a passion for Christ.Read more…
As Christ First Loved Us (Teaching Tips Series)
Every Monday morning, my work week begins the way I always dreamed it would, with chalk hitting the chalk board as I pace in front of thirty something young minds who were befuddled by the reading assignment I gave them over the weekend. Teaching at the university level is not only my dream job; it is also my real life job! Read more…
Letter to My Self, Starting Graduate School
Well, congratulations—you’re going to graduate school! So—this is your future self, writing from a decade ahead to let you know that you’ll have a lot of fun. On the other hand . . . it won’t all be easy. Read more…
Teaching Tips: Engineering in the Real World
In my field it is challenging to keep the students motivated, because as they are slogging through the mathematical details and techniques, they constantly wonder to themselves, “Is it worth it? Why am I doing this?” Read more…
How Can Christians in Science Respond to Claims that Faith Is Irrational? (STEAM Grant Series March Question)
Is faith in God fundamentally irrational? Many people think it is. As someone with a PhD in theoretical chemistry who worked in academia for over a decade, I’ve heard my scientific colleagues offer three main justifications for this comparison.Read more…