ESN continues its series of interviews with authors of Faithful Is Successful, with Oliver Marjot interviewing David Vishanoff. You can read Oliver's previous post on David's chapter in Faithful Is Successful here. David Vishanoff is an associate professor in the Religious Studies program at the University of Oklahoma, where he strives to put his theory of sacrificial listening into practice in both teaching and scholarship.His research is principally concerned with how religious people interpret and … [Read more...] about Listening to our colleagues: Muslim, secular, Christian. Interview with David Vishanoff
religious studies
Sacrificial Listening (Scholar’s Compass)
Some Christians have felt that this basic insight into the constructed nature of all human knowledge undermines the absolute truth of Christian doctrines, but I found that it only deepened my Christian convictions about the depravity of human nature and the grievous effects of the fall upon the way we learn and know. - David Vishanoff, "Sacrificial Listening," Faithful Is Successful p. 215 … [Read more...] about Sacrificial Listening (Scholar’s Compass)
Becoming a Thoughtful Christian in the Secular Academy: Part II
Last week I wrote about my journey as a developing follower of Jesus in a secular university. I told you that I'd become a stronger Christian during my time in the academic world, and now I want to tell you a little bit about what happened in my mind and heart during that time. This post is, to an extent, a response to Andy Walsh's question in the comment thread of last week's post in this series: You mentioned that your Christian faith is stronger as a result of the experience. Did you find that aspects of your … [Read more...] about Becoming a Thoughtful Christian in the Secular Academy: Part II
Becoming a Thoughtful Christian in the Secular Academy
One month ago yesterday I walked the stage to pick up a diploma in Religious Studies at a secular institution. And I'm a stronger Christian than ever. In the Religious Studies department at the University of Montana I learned how to study history with careful eyes, how to debate subtle philosophy with gentleness and confidence, how to respect professors and peers with opposing views on foundational beliefs, and, perhaps most importantly, I learned how to critically examine my place in and beliefs about the story that … [Read more...] about Becoming a Thoughtful Christian in the Secular Academy
A Christian Reflection on The Oscars and Lent
On Sunday night more than 1,000,000,000 people participated in the cultural festival that is the 85th Oscar Awards Ceremony. I can't even begin to imagine the impact that Hollywood has on our culture's development, and if there's an opportune time to catch a glimpse of the dialectical conversation between the influence of the big screen and the values of our current culture, Sunday night's celebration was it. The first thing out of the mouth of the spokesman for the winning visual effects team of Life of Pi was … [Read more...] about A Christian Reflection on The Oscars and Lent