“While we should enjoy God’s good creation, and while we should make the most of our time here, this is not our final destination.” — Paul Louis Metzger, The Gospel of John: When Love Comes to Town Read more…
Living in relationships with immigrants, refugees, and other low-income people . . .
What is my main takeaway for those of us in the context of higher ed? Royce’s conclusion summarizes the book’s call to prayer, knowing and learning from immigrant neighbors, serving, giving, educating our churches and communities/advocacy, and addressing the root issues. Read more…
A Christian Response to the Immigration Dilemma: Part 12 of the Welcoming the Stranger Series
This final chapter is a call to action, recommending several possible ways you as a Christian can become involved in the immigration dilemma.Read more…
Immigration and the Church Today: Part 11 of the Welcoming the Stranger Series
This week, our subject is Chapter 9 of Welcoming the Stranger, “Immigration and the Church Today.” Read more…
Immigration Policies and Politics. Part 10 of the Welcoming the Stranger Series
I have long thought that the only reason this issue is not more forcefully addressed is because immigration affects “those people,” and that the politicians families and friends are not affected.Read more…
Book Review: Introverts in the Church
Adam’s admission of his own construction of a one-dimensional image of leadership—the most effective leader being a high-paced, always outward-oriented extrovert—is something I personally resonate with as an introvert, and I believe all leaders and leaders-in-training should reckon with and seek to correct.Read more…
The Value of Immigrants to the United States. Part 9 of the Welcoming the Stranger Series
I appreciate that Soerens and Yang do not make economic claims central to their book, but I also appreciate that they have examined some of the most common economic claims related to immigration. Read more…
Concerns About Immigration. Part 8 of the Welcoming the Stranger Series
While in Chapter 5 Soerens and Yang discuss what the Bible says about “welcoming the stranger,” in this chapter they present some of the concerns that many have when it comes to extending more generous immigration policy.Read more…
Thinking Biblically About Immigration. Part 7 of the Welcoming the Stranger Series
The long and short of Chapter 5 is that God takes special concern for the foreigner and stranger because of their unique vulnerability.Read more…
Immigrating the Legal Way. Part 6 of Welcoming the Stranger Series
As we try to understand the issues surrounding immigration, sometimes the complexities of the US immigration system can seem hard to follow. Today, Royce offers a clear and approachable description, drawing on Welcoming the Stranger. Read more…
A Nation of Immigrants. Part 5 of Welcoming the Stranger Series
Your thoughts, emotions, and responsible actions will not be simple, because you do not face simplicity. We face complexity. And God is asking you to exercise discernment as you follow him into responsible action as we face this moment in our nation.Read more…
The “Aliens” Among You. Part 4 of Welcoming the Stranger Series
Chapter 2 focuses on answering the question “Who are the immigrants among us?” Despite being a nation of immigrants, it is very clear from our public conversations that relatively few Americans have meaningful relationships with recent immigrants. Read more…
The Immigration Dilemma. Part 3 of Welcoming the Stranger Series
Since much of Welcoming the Stranger, Chapter 1 is reflective, I will take some time to reflect and describe why I am hopeful about discussing this immigration publicly with fellow believers and others.Read more…
Welcoming the Stranger: My Impressions of the First Edition (Part 2 of Welcoming the Stranger Series)
Last week we introduced a new series by Royce Francis, an associate professor at George Washington University and an ESN author. Today Royce shares his thoughts on the IVP book Welcoming the Stranger, and gives a training update as he prepares to run the Baltimore Half Marathon for World Relief. Read more…
Welcoming the Stranger—My Half Marathon Journey In Solidarity With World Relief
The news around migration to the US over the past few months has been engrossing, and I felt I could no longer remain silent. My engagement with this issue this time around started last year at the InterVarsity Northeastern Regional Faculty Conference.Read more…
Winsome Persuasion. A Teaser
The uniqueness of Winsome Persuasion is that it helps readers prepare to engage by laying the theoretical foundation for understanding what constitutes a counterpublic (section 1), discovering the rhetorical and philosophical tools necessary for engagement (section 2), and wrestling with issues specific to Christian counterpublics (section 3).Read more…
The Christian Academic Vocation in “Restoring the Soul of the University”
A taste of the Christian academic vocation and the greenhouse community as described in “Restoring the Soul of the University.”Read more…
Introduction to “A Subversive Gospel” (IVP)
Introduction to “A Subversive Gospel: Flannery O’Connor and the Reimagining of Beauty, Goodness, and Truth” by Michael Mears Bruner (InterVarsity Press, 2017).Read more…
Next Steps for ESN — Scripture
Let us turn to Scripture each day as we take next steps in serving the Lord in higher education.Read more…
The Martian and Speed Mentoring: ESN at ASA 2017 Annual Meeting This Weekend
If you’re headed to the American Scientific Affiliation 2017 Annual Meeting, join ESN for the following events. Even if you’re not able to go, we would deeply appreciate your prayers. Hope to see many of you there!Read more…
Book Review: Christ Crucified: Understanding the Atonement, by Donald Macleod
A thoughtful, contemporary restatement of the classical doctrine of the atonement including different contended terms in reference to the atonement including substitution, expiation, propitiation, satisfaction, and victory.Read more…
Book Review: Paul’s New Perspective
Summary: Argues that both the traditional Protestant perspective and the New Perspective on Paul are each partly right, based on the idea that Paul’s ideas on salvation developed as he wrote over a period of time and addressed different circumstances.Read more…
Open-Handed Communication: The Rhetoric of Christian Persuasion
In Os Guiness’s recent apologetics book Fool’s Talk, what role does rhetoric play? Literary scholar David Parry draws on his knowledge of classical and Christian rhetorical traditions to unpack one strand of Guinness’s ideas about apologetics. Read more…
Book Review: Modern Art and the Life of a Culture
Summary: A response to the classic work Modern Art and the Death of a Culture by H. R. Rookmaaker, arguing that Rookmaaker was unnecessarily pessimistic in his assessment of modern art, overlooking the religious impulses that shaped much of modern art.Read more…