Genesis 3 tells the tragic story of the famous (or infamous) fall of the first humans into sin and corruption. Because of a choice that took them out of their assigned place in creation, under God but like God, their insistence on being “gods†distorted the image of God in them. Instead of derivative, yet creative knowledge, they disobeyed their “prime directive.†The penalty was not merely final physical death, but painful, hard-won work, struggling with creation instead of working with God’s created order. Their created image was not destroyed, but it was marred and distorted. James 3:9 affirms that humans are still “made in the likeness of God.†What have been the consequences of a distorted, yet not lost, image of God? [Read more…] about Devotions: Bearing the Image of God (2)
image of God
Devotions: Bearing the image of God (1)
Thank-you to Carl Shank for his earlier Devotional series on Wisdom. I look forward to this Devotional series on Bearing the image of God, a topic which the Emerging Scholars Network will give focused attention to in the coming months as we frame A Theology of Higher Education. To God be the glory! ~ Thomas B. Grosh IV, Associate Director of the Emerging Scholars Network
“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness†(Genesis 1:26) The most Hebraic understanding of this Bible verse is that humankind was created to be “like†God, not identical to God but similar to God and representing God. This is borne out in the usage of the terms in Genesis 5:3 where Seth was in the “image†and “likeness†of his father, Adam. Seth was “like†his father, Adam, not identical but similar to Adam. Perhaps he had the same color of hair or eyes or was built like his father, or had the same temperament or disposition. What does it mean to be “like†God? How should we bear the image of God? This series of devotionals seeks to capture some of that majesty and mystery. [Read more…] about Devotions: Bearing the image of God (1)
“Time” to be imitated?
 The Marks of a Christian Scholar: A Vocational Description (Part Three)[1]
Mark Eckel, ThM PhD, Professor of Leadership, Education & Discipleship
Capital Seminary & Graduate School, Washington, D.C.
By guiding attention we take in our hands the key
to the formation and the development of personality and character. — Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky[2]
My first stint as an educator was chosen by a four letter word: time.
My training was in pastoral studies. But I was being offered a position as a high school teacher in a Christian school. Should I become a teacher, something for which I was not trained? I made my decision based on time.
I asked myself how much influence could I have within a certain amount of time? Teaching five times a week for 45 minutes a day over 180 days a year equals 135 hours per year.
But discipleship was the key to my decision. [Read more…] about “Time” to be imitated?
Owning education
 The Marks of a Christian Teacher: A Vocational Description (Part Two)[1]
Mark Eckel, ThM PhD, Professor of Leadership, Education & Discipleship
Capital Seminary & Graduate School, Washington, D.C.
The true function of the teacher is to create the most favorable conditions for self-learning.
True teaching is not that which gives knowledge, but that which stimulates pupils to gain it.
One might say that he teaches best who teaches least.[2]
“I do not want you to believe anything I tell you.â€Â My mantra was repeated daily.
“I want you to be Bereans. The Bereans did not take at face value what Paul said but searched Scripture for themselves to see if he was correct.â€[3]
“This is not Eckelology.â€Â The comment always brought smiles. More serious expressions were given when I said, “We study God’s Word for the sake of God’s world.â€
“My responsibility as a teacher is to make sure you become lifelong learners. If you only learn to follow an authority’s words without thought, you will allow anyone with the loudest voice or the most letters behind her name to sway your thinking.â€
“You need to own what you believe. The one word definition of education is ownership.†[Read more…] about Owning education
Getting a “Big Head”?
The Marks of a Christian Scholar: A Vocational Description (Part One)
Mark Eckel, ThM PhD, Professor of Leadership, Education & Discipleship[1]
Capital Seminary & Graduate School, Washington, D.C.
“The Christian scholar-teacher must be a person who believes in Christian higher education, who is committed to the mission of his or her institution. It is not enough to hire faculty who happen to be Christians, even if they are fine scholars. We must find and keep faculty who are committed to the project.â€Â [2]
“RBB,†he said. My response registered a facial question mark. “Really Big Brains,†he smiled. “That’s what you professors have: really big brains.â€
“RBH,†I said. He returned the questioning look. “Really Big Heads,†I smiled. “That’s what can happen to professors: we can get really big heads.â€
Humility is the essence of knowledge. I have lost count of how many times I have intoned such a statement in classes. The first mark of Christian scholars is that we should know we do not know how much we don’t know (Luke 14:7-11; Rom 12:3; Phil 2:3-4). We should begin every thought where the gospel begins: we are dependent upon God. Knowing how much we do not know measures the creature by The Creator (Isa 55:8-9). Aseity[3] identifies our dependency (Acts 17:24-28). [Read more…] about Getting a “Big Head”?