Thus in talking about this work…we may be inadvertently revealing additional facets of the communication challenges posed by our present political landscape.Read more…
The Best Christian Book of All Time: One Year Later
About a year ago, we announced our call for nominations for the Best Christian Book of All Time, and you — our readers — responded with great enthusiasm. From a nomination pool of over 140 worthies, we first narrowed theRead more…
What IS a Christian Book? (A Working Definition)
Like the proverbial quiet before the storm, we pause this week in our Best Christian Book of All Time Tournament (BCBATT). Nominations closed over the weekend, and the brackets won’t be announced until next week. This seemed an appropriate timeRead more…
Best Christian Book of All Time: Early Nominations
The nominations are coming in for our Best Christian Book of All Time Tournament (BCBATT for short). So far, more than 140 different books have been nominated, ranging from the 2nd to the 21st centuries. Here are a few ofRead more…
What’s the Best Christian Book of All Time? (Call for Nominations)
We all have our favorite Christian books, as well as our favorite ones for undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, Urbana attendees, and so on. But which one is the best, the one book to which all others pale in comparison? HereRead more…
Serving Christ as a Professor: Suggested Readings from Urbana 12
Below are suggested readings from my Urbana 12 seminar Serving Christ as a Professor. These are books or essays that Emerging Scholars Network staff and members have found especially helpful to their journey toward becoming a faculty member. In each section,Read more…
What Books Should We Suggest at Urbana 12?
In only 15 days, ESN will be joining 18,000 of our closest friends at Urbana 12, InterVarsity’s triennial missions conference. As in years past, we’ll have an exhibitor table, and I’ll be hosting a seminar on “Serving Christ as a Professor.” OneRead more…
The Winners of Your Mind’s Mission
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 GeraldRead more…
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 beenRead more…
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, theRead more…
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 toRead more…
Talking with Non-Evangelicals (When God Talks Back)
A couple of weeks ago, I finished reading T.M. Luhrmann’s When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship with God. As I mentioned then, please read Mark Noll’s review, which is much better than what I could have written.Read more…
Book Review: Homosexuality and the Christian
We’re beginning an occasional series of short book reviews, written by guest writers, on topics relevant to Christians in the academy. The following review is by Tim, a professor at a small private college. Thank you, Tim! If you’d like toRead more…
Bielo: The Textual Economies of Bible Studies
James Bielo’s Words Upon the Word: An Ethnography of Evangelical Group Bible Study closely observes several Bible studies in Lansing, Michigan. I’ve been reading and blogging about the book this summer as part of my efforts to gain a sense ofRead more…
What’s on your summer reading list?
Just a brief post today, because Tom and I have been busy with other things. Perhaps because of my busy schedule, I’ve been thinking ahead to summer, when I will have more time for reading — or, at least, IRead more…
Henri Nouwen: From Loneliness to Solitude
Henri Nouwen is one of those authors whom I have heard praised for many years, but have never gotten around to reading. His biography — an accomplished intellectual and Catholic priest who left the academy in order to live inRead more…
Deploying Vocational Power: Four Pathways
Amy Sherman begins her exploration of power in chapter 8 of Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good with a bang!Read more…
What do “the righteous” look like in higher education?
What do you consider the characteristics of the righteous, particularly in the area of vocation? How do you envision, glimpse, even embody righteousness on campus?Read more…
Kingdom Calling in the New Year
In kicking off a new year, let’s prayerfully consider, discuss, work toward, learn to embrace (& even be embraced by) Kingdom Calling.Read more…
What Will You Be Reading This Summer?
Today is official the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, which means, of course, it’s time for summer reading lists. Before I get to my own list: What’s on your summer reading list? I tend to follow AlanRead more…
Religion, Education, and the Meaning of Life
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been sharing my reflections on Anthony Kronman’s 2007 book Education’s End: Why Our Colleges and Universities Have Given Up on the Meaning of Life. While I believe that his core argument is insightful,Read more…
Three Blind Spots in Education’s End
Last week, I shared my appreciation for Anthony Kronman’s critique of higher education and defense of the humanities, Education’s End: Why Our Colleges and Universities Have Given Up on the Meaning of Life. This week, I’d like to examine aRead more…
Have Colleges Given Up on the Meaning of Life?
I periodically dip into my ever-growing “to read” pile and select a book that I should have read several years ago. So, a few weeks ago, I started on Anthony T. Kronman’s defense of the humanities and critique of contemporaryRead more…
Best Books on Knowing Yourself?
Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. — John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 1, Chapter 1,Read more…