Frequent ESN contributor and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA Graduate & Faculty Ministries Staff Mark Hansard explores John Locke’s ideas in Part 4 of his series on faith and reason. As you may remember, Part 1 took a brief look at a Scriptural basis for using reason and logic, Part 2 discussed St. Augustine’s ideas about faith and reason, and Part 3 engaged with the thought of Aquinas. If you’re looking for Advent content this week, check out our Resources for Advent post from last week, and plan to visit Mark’s post Preparing for Epiphany after Christmas. [Read more…] about Faith and Reason Part 4: Locke
nicholas wolterstorff
Book Review: Educating for Shalom
Educating for Shalom, by Nicholas Wolterstorff, Grand Rapids: Wm. B Eerdmans, 2004.
Summary: This collection of essays and talks written or given over a 30 year period traces Nicholas Wolterstorff’s journey of thinking about Christian higher education, the integration of faith and learning, and his growing concern that education result in the pursuit of justice and shalom.
Nicholas Wolterstorff is an emeritus professor of philosophical theology at Yale, having previously taught on the faculty at Calvin College, a Christian college in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The collection of essays and presentations that make up this collection were written or given over a 30 year period and chronicle how Wolterstorff’s conception of the task of Christians in higher education to connect faith and learning has changed over this time period. [Read more…] about Book Review: Educating for Shalom
Living Toward Shalom
But seek the shalom of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its shalom you will find your shalom. —Jeremiah 29:7
In the last week of March, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s Graduate and Faculty Ministries (GFM) staff team will come together for our annual national staff conference. I am looking forward to this year’s exploration of Living Toward Shalom.
As you may guess, we have a number of significant pre-conference readings and learning assignments designed to prepare us not only for our learning together, but also what the Giver of Shalom might want to do among us and through us for one another and the University. A glimpse . . . [Read more…] about Living Toward Shalom
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”?
Our Top Posts of 2012
Thank you for making 2012 a great year for the Emerging Scholars Blog! Among our posts published last year, our top 10 most read posts includes a typical mix of advice for graduate school, spiritual formation, and, well, aliens:
- Nicholas Wolterstorff: Advice to Those Who Would Be Christian Scholars
- Henri Nouwen: From Loneliness to Solitude
- 13 Ways of Looking at Graduate School: Part 1
- Who’s Afraid of Angels and Aliens, Alienation and Etcetera?
- What is the biggest challenge to today’s apologist? (part of our interview series with Jim Sire)
- Who are your favorite poets?
- What Do Academics Think of Evangelicals?
- What is the greatest challenge facing the church today?
- $100 Scholarships to help Emerging Scholars Not Miss Urbana12
- Henri Nouwen: What’s the cure for loneliness?
Overall, our top 5 posts for the year (by number of readers) includes some old favorites:
- What’s the purpose of a university?
- Finding a Postdoc in the Sciences: Nailing the Interview
- What I Wish I’d Known About Graduate School: Surviving the Workload
- Nicholas Wolterstorff: Advice to Those Who Would Be Christian Scholars
- Jesus Didn’t Choose Scholars…
Happy New Year, and happy reading! BTW, if you’re looking for more of our top posts, check out our Top Posts page, which is automatically updated with the most read posts of the month, year, and all-time.