Emerging Scholars Blog

InterVarsity's Emerging Scholars Network

fc08

Evil,Subjectivism, and the Gospel

by

The ESN Day Ahead ended well, and the main Following Christ conference has begun. I am assisting with the Humanities track, chaired by Michael Murray of Franklin & Marshall. In his opening remarks about human flourishing, Dr. Murray described the danger that ethical subjectivism poses to the gospel. If there is no right or wrong, if "evil" is an outdated concept and what we think of as "sin" is really just "bad manners," then the gospel no longer makes sense. God seems cruel and vindictive to send his only Son … [Read more...] about Evil,Subjectivism, and the Gospel

Giggling and Mother Teresa

by

What does it mean to follow Christ? Is this a somber and serious thing, or a playful experience with surprises? These questions weren't on my mind until after I heard Claremont Graduate University professor Mary Poplin speak Saturday afternoon. She spoke about her coming to Christ, from being a “very dark” person who experimented with New Age spirituality to inexplicable weeping bouts before teaching her classes. The crying made no sense to Poplin, especially as she is a “Thinking” type on the Myers-Briggs … [Read more...] about Giggling and Mother Teresa

Following Christ 08 Day 1 – ESN Day Ahead

by

Greetings!   I look forward to sharing with you over the next few days my experience at the Intervarsity Following Christ 2008 conference in Chicago, IL. Saturday marked the first day of the conference; while the official conference program starts on Sunday, I chose to come to a Day Ahead event.   I have been a member of the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN) since its inception in 2004, but have recently decided to be a little more involved in the mentoring program.   Thus far, I have really enjoyed my interactions … [Read more...] about Following Christ 08 Day 1 – ESN Day Ahead

Conference Rhythms

by

Last night as I packed for Following Christ 08, I reflected upon how  conference preparation can suddenly turn from a marathon to a sprint.   No doubt the race to the finish begins at different times  for each of us based upon the complexity of travel plans, conference responsibilities, family size, past history at similar events, personality, support community/friends on site (and back home), etc.   And varies from conference to conference, based upon the above factors and our current state of being (i.e., heart, soul, … [Read more...] about Conference Rhythms