Do Christ followers have a mission in, to, and alongside the university? Yes. Is the university a global mission worth significant investment of time, resources, and energy? Yes. How do we embrace, engage, and give voice to the university mission? Recently I listened to the 2012 Henry Martyn Lectures, delivered by Dr Vinoth Ramachandra. Ramachandra's overall topic is Mission as Prophetic Engagement. Lecture 1 focuses upon Engaging the University. As you may already know, Ramachandra serves on the International … [Read more...] about A Mission to the University
apologetics
Science in Review — April 2013
Once upon a time, I thought the closest that "Goldilocks and the 3 Bears" came to the realm of hard science was some questionable thermodynamics. Has anyone else ever wondered how the mother's medium-sized bowl got cold while the baby bear's small bowl stayed "just right?" No? Just me? Actually, I know at least one other person pondered that question, because one illustrated version shows the medium bowl as broad and shallow, while the small bowl is deep. The medium bowl holds more porridge, but has a greater surface … [Read more...] about Science in Review — April 2013
A Jigsaw Guide to Making Sense of the World IV
"[The belief scale]. Picture an old set of set of scales, the kind that would tip to the right, tip to the left, or balance in the middle depending on where you place the weight. These positions represent believing that a proposition is true (tipping to the right), believing that a proposition is not true (tipping to the left), or withholding belief about a proposition (balancing in the middle). The weight placed on the scale is reasons to believe one way or the other, and the balance of the scales reflects the balance … [Read more...] about A Jigsaw Guide to Making Sense of the World IV
A Jigsaw Guide to Making Sense of the World III
"If you identify yourself as a Christian, you may get stuck with a label that describes you as harsh and offensive and when you try to stand up for your faith you will be told to sit down. It can come as a shock that people find your belief so corrosive, but the source of the problem is the cornerstone of Christian faith: you claim to know the truth. To say your understanding of the world is absolutely true means you believe you are right and everyone who disagrees with you is wrong. This is currently viewed as the … [Read more...] about A Jigsaw Guide to Making Sense of the World III
A Jigsaw Guide to Making Sense of the World II
"The challenge [to seeing the big picture and living in light of the truth] is that every religion claims to grant such heavenly insight, and many peer groups will pull together to defend what is common sense at least to them. They may even point to a few pieces of the puzzle that seem to go together and support their view. A small sample of life can give you a glimpse of the big picture but it can also distort it, and when someone has drifted off course we need to try to steer them back in the right direction. Raising … [Read more...] about A Jigsaw Guide to Making Sense of the World II