Imagine if you will a holiday on which it is customary to bring flowers, chocolates, and the like to another person for whom one has romantic feelings. I know, I know, a preposterous proposition, but sometimes an outlandish thought experiment can be helpful. And so on this holiday, you bring a gift of flowers and observe how happy they make your crush. The next year, you are late to the florist and cannot get flowers so you bring chocolate instead and notice an equally happy reaction. The following year you are extra … [Read more...] about Science Corner: When the Bloom is off the Rose
Ash Wednesday and the Gift of Lent
We are delighted that Bobby Gross, author of Living the Christian Year and who has contributed previous series during Lent and Advent, has agreed to write a new series of Lenten reflections with future pieces appearing on Mondays beginning February 26. Why would anyone think of the penitential season of Lent as a gift? Forty or so days leading up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday during which we deprive ourselves of good things—like coffee or chocolate or wine or social media—and fast on certain days and generally … [Read more...] about Ash Wednesday and the Gift of Lent
The Balanced Life — A High Wire Act or a Spacious Path?
One of the greatest high wire artists in history was Charles Blondin, also known as "The Great Blondin." Beginning in 1859, he walked across the Niagara Falls gorge on numerous occasions. On one of these, he stopped midway to cook and eat an omelet! On others, he did it blindfolded, on stilts, pushing a wheelbarrow, or carrying his manager on his back. I suspect for some of us, the quest for a "balanced" life feels much like this. Sometimes we try to do all of Blondin's feats at once. We try to balance our spiritual … [Read more...] about The Balanced Life — A High Wire Act or a Spacious Path?
Conference Report: Developing A Christian Mind at Harvard/MIT
On January 19-20, 2024, the first Developing a Christian Mind Conference in the United States was held at Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This article is drawn from a report written to ministry partners by Jeff Barneson, Associate Director of Faculty Ministry and Campus Staff Minister at Harvard University. Last weekend we hosted our first conference on Developing a Christian Mind at Harvard & MIT. The initiative, based on the longstanding conference - DCM Oxford - was an experiment for … [Read more...] about Conference Report: Developing A Christian Mind at Harvard/MIT
Mathematics Through the Lens of Faith: A Path For Integration
We appreciate this latest contribution to our "Through the Lens of Faith" series. Matt Lunsford argues that integration is a two way street, so perhaps it would be fitting to add "and Faith Through the Lens of Mathematics" to the article title! We would also like to acknowledge that this article first appeared in the Fall 2023 edition of the Journal of the Union Faculty Forum under the title "Mathematics & Faith: A Path For Integration". We are grateful to Matt Lunsford and the Journal for permission to re-post this … [Read more...] about Mathematics Through the Lens of Faith: A Path For Integration