This is Part 1 in a five-part essay series. A version of this essay was originally published online and in print as part of “Faithful Presence in the Midst of Pluralism: Three Tensions” at Ad Fontes. How should we as Christians, with our distinctive beliefs, practices, and values, live faithfully in an increasingly pluralistic age? In his widely influential work To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World, Christian sociologist of religion James Davison Hunter … [Read more...] about Faithful Presence: Faithful Presence in the Midst of Pluralism: Introduction
Life in the Academy
Faithful Presence: Three Prophetic Pictures
Over the next few months, ESN will be running an article series on what James Davidson Hunter's idea of "faithful presence" might look like in our present time in the academy and in our fields of study. InterVarsity Regional Ministry Director Lisa Liou recently gave a talk on three images of faithful presence that is a wonderful way to introduce this series. Look for these posts each Friday. In the last few months, I have heard Christian leaders describe the society and times we are living in as “chaotic and confused,” … [Read more...] about Faithful Presence: Three Prophetic Pictures
Millennials: Depression, the Pandemic and Hope: Part 2
Introduction In Part 1 we explained how negative thoughts influence depressive symptoms and how depression is due to a brain health issue (a weakened frontal lobe) which can influence behavior and impulsivity. Impulsivity leads to bad habits such as alcohol and drug abuse alongside poor food choices, decreased exercise, increased screen time and decreased social interaction. This creates a negative cycle where bad habits and depressive symptoms influence each other. This downward cycle occurred with Millennials … [Read more...] about Millennials: Depression, the Pandemic and Hope: Part 2
Do You Have a Mentor?
Do you have a mentor? My guess is that many of us in academia would quickly respond with, “Yes.” I think we've grown accustomed to using the word “mentor” as a way of talking about our advisor, our professor, our dissertation chair, or even our boss. An advisor may help you decide what semester to take Calculus I and make sure that you've fulfilled all of your general education requirements. A professor may open your eyes to Max Weber or 18th-Century British Poetry. A dissertation chair may help you determine … [Read more...] about Do You Have a Mentor?
Millennials: Depression, the Pandemic and Hope (Part 1)
Recently, ESN hosted a webinar on Cultivating Mental Health in Grad School in response to the mental health crisis evident in universities and our wider society that has been exacerbated by COVID-19. We are grateful to Grace Chung and Cahleen Shrier for this two part series addressing this crisis and the distinctive hope we have as followers of Christ I. Introduction Millennials have had an increase in diagnoses of depression since 2013 (Blue Cross, 2019). Some individuals suffering from depression have a compromised … [Read more...] about Millennials: Depression, the Pandemic and Hope (Part 1)