Recently, I read Peter Enns' book The Evolution of Adam. I found it to be a rather interesting read, and a helpful addition to the field. One idea that Enns uses in understanding the Bible is the calibration of various parts of the Bible so that we can know what to expect from that particular text. For example, Enns calibrates Genesis 1-11 with Ancient Near Eastern mythologies. He shows similarities and differences and uses these other texts to help us understand what we can rightfully expect from Genesis 1-11. I think … [Read more...] about Scholarship of the Bible and the Church
theology
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
Fruitful, Faithful Presence in the Academy: Part II
In Part I, I explored what Alan G. Padgett, DPhil (Oxford) will share at the upcoming Midwest Faculty Conference: Fruitful, Faithful Presence: Living Theologically in the Midst of the Academy (Cedar Campus, MI, 6/22-28).* Although the conference (or what some have termed a Confamication**) will provide an opportunity for Padgett to develop his thoughts on Fruitful, Faithful Presence in the Academy, he has a significant amount of work in theology involving systematic theology, moral theology (ethics), and the … [Read more...] about Fruitful, Faithful Presence in the Academy: Part II
Fruitful, Faithful Presence in the Academy: Part I
Fruitful, Faithful Presence: Living Theologically in the Midst of the Academy, the Midwest Faculty Conference is just around the corner (Cedar Campus, MI, June 22 - 28).* On Monday, I had the opportunity to interview Alan G. Padgett, DPhil (Oxford), Professor of Systematic Theology at Luther Seminary (St. Paul, MN), regarding the material he will be presenting. This is the first of two posts. As we talked, I appreciated Padgett's commitment to "represent classic Christianity" and for theology to be “a way of … [Read more...] about Fruitful, Faithful Presence in the Academy: Part I