Inspired by a response to The Urban Resident‘s series on Christian Personal Statement and building upon my conversation with Mary Poplin regarding Is Reality Secular? Testing the Assumptions of Four Global Worldviews? (InterVarsity Press, 2014), I asked Mary to share a personal statement that describes her calling/vocation as a Christian professor in a secular university. May you find these words an encouragement as you seek the Lord’s insight in articulating, bearing the marks of, embodying the call to be a “little Christ” (i.e., an image-bearer of God) with academics as mission (i.e., a dialogical mission).[1] Thank-you Mary. To God be the glory! ~ Thomas B. Grosh IV, Associate Director, Emerging Scholars Network.
That your hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. — Colossians 2:2-4
Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience. — 1 Peter 2: 14-16
As a late convert to Christ, it has taken me a long time to get to where I could write a personal statement that describes my call (mind and heart) as a Christian professor in a secular university. Christ has given us His mind so that we may stay alert in our fields to the “plausible [but false] arguments†in the various theories and literature, which we read and assign. There is always some truth in secular theories, but there are also errors of commission and errors of omission. It is my job to introduce students to the widest range of literature on a subject (not just the ones currently in vogue) and help them understand and discern the various principles encoded therein. I also must be prepared to ask questions that will reveal the “plausible [but false] arguments†and suggest there are other ways to look at things. [Read more…] about On Alert and On Call: Armed Only with His Mind and His Love