Emerging Scholars Blog

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productivity

In Pursuit of Gospel-Driven Productivity

A Review of Matt Perman’s What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done (Zondervan: 2014)
By David H. Leonard, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Apologetics, Luther Rice University, Atlanta, GA

What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done by Matt Perman (Zondervan, 2014).

It might be tempting to think that productivity is a topic more suitable for business leaders and entrepreneurs, for whom it’s essential to “get things done” as efficiently as possible.  As Matt Perman argues in What’s Best Next, however, productivity is mainly about loving others by putting their needs first.  Such an emphasis results not only in greater productivity, but is also consistent with a Christian view of such matters.  Indeed, the implication is that all Christians, regardless of their vocation, are called to excel in their productivity.  To achieve that goal, it’s not sufficient that we’re merely aware of the relevant skills of productivity; rather, our employment of these skills must be motivated and informed by a proper theological foundation.  In this regard, Perman’s book offers readers a unique and insightful perspective on the topic of productivity, explicitly informed by the Christian faith.

Christian scholars, in particular, ought to take seriously Perman’s insights on productivity, for the ideas and principles he develops have direct relevance for the quality of their teaching and research.  Whereas Andreas Köstenberger, for example, has challenged scholars to pursue their work with excellence, in terms of demonstrating boldness amidst the pressures of “academic respectability” and displaying integrity in their scholarly activities, Perman highlights for readers the practical steps that might be taken to clear the way for such excellence to be achieved.  [Read more…] about In Pursuit of Gospel-Driven Productivity

Week in Review: No Christianity Please Edition

What are you reading, watching, thinking about this week? As usual, here’s a few which have been on our mind. Let us know your thoughts on any/all of them. If you have items you’d like us to consider for the top five, add them in the comments or send them to Tom or Mike.

1. No Christianity Please, We’re Academics: In Inside Higher Ed, Wheaton professor Timothy Larsen calls for universities and faculty to confront bias against Christians in higher education. Though there are some studies to back up his claims, he focuses on a couple of personal examples of bias and ignorance faced by himself and an undergraduate student.

[After getting a “F” for a paper defending traditional marriage,] John could never get better than a C for papers without any marked errors or corrections. When he asked for a reason why yet another grade was so poor he was told that it was inappropriate to quote C. S. Lewis in work for an English class because he was “a pastor.” (Lewis, of course, was actually an English professor at Cambridge University. Perhaps it was wrong to quote Lewis simply because he had said something recognizably Christian.) Eventually John complained to the department chair, who said curtly that he could do nothing until the course was over. John took this to mean that the chair would do nothing and just accepted the bad grade.

Larsen also cites some comments rejecting his proposal for a scholarly book of essays on T. S. Eliot’s Idea of a Christian Society, which largely focused on the truth/relevance of Christianity as a belief system, rather than the importance of Eliot’s book or the quality of the proposal.

As you might imagine, the comments on the article have gotten pretty heated.

2. How private will public higher education institutions become and how does that not only affect cost, but the vision for what receives attention on campus?  Tom recently visited Penn State University — State College.  He was once again impressed by the roar of this inspirational flagship campus, particularly in contrast to what is happening just to the north.

TWO things define the State University of New York. It’s huge. And compared to its public peers, it’s weird.

[Response]:  “My belief is that to move an organization forward you have to have a common, comprehensive and ambitious agenda,” Dr. Zimpher said. “It has to be aspirational. It has to move you. I think the full manifestation of SUNY is underexposed and underexploited. If people really knew and understood the difference these campuses make in their communities they would be amazed.” …

“The strategic plan doesn’t talk about educational missions, it doesn’t talk about affordability or accessibility, there’s very little about undergraduate education and keeping it affordable and accessible,” said Phillip H. Smith, president of the powerful United University Professions union, which represents more than 34,000 academic and professional faculty members. “It reflects an attempt to corporatize the university.” — The Accidental Giant of Higher Education (Peter Applebome. NY Times. 7/19/2010)

PS. For more on the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act, read Stop Raiding the Ivory Tower — a 7/27/2010 NY Times Op-Ed by Peter D. Salins (a former provost of the State University of New York, is a professor of political science at the State University at Stony Brook).

[Read more…] about Week in Review: No Christianity Please Edition

Sabbath for Academics

Courage & Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential by Gordon Smith (InterVarsity Press, Revised and Expanded, 2011).

In March 2009, Gordon Smith was the main speaker for InterVarsity Graduate & Faculty Ministries’ staff meetings. The theme of the gathering was spiritual formation. Note: Emerging Scholars may recognize his name because we recommend his book Courage & Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential as part of our core bibliography.

Gordon Smith was speaking of spiritual disciplines. He described Sabbath rest as one of the most important, not only for its benefit, but also because, well, observing the Sabbath is a command from God (Exodus 20:8). I asked him about students and faculty who are involved with InterVarsity and the Emerging Scholars Network: their lives are consumed with busy-ness, the universities and colleagues urge them to do more and more, and the cultures of their institutions and disciplines ignore the idea of Sabbath: how should we counsel them about the Sabbath? [Read more…] about Sabbath for Academics