Ravi Zacharias, Philip Yancey, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien: these are just a few of the popular Christian writers who have acknowledged that the writings of G. K. Chesterton influenced their thought and faith. This alone is reason enough for the rest of us to pay attention and find out what he wrote…
In this blog entry, Dr. Melody Green shares a couple of her experiences as a college teacher dealing with a series of books that is now twenty years old and just as popular as it ever was. Several years ago, when I was teaching a class called Foundations of Children’s Literature to future teachers…
By Dr. Mike McQueen While the United States was once a melting pot, it is now more of a multi-cultural/religious stew. What was once unique to the various ethnic enclaves in major cities (like Chinatown, Little Tokyo, etc) and college towns is now making its way to even rural areas where adoptions, refugee resettlements, and…
In this blog post, Dr. Todd Daly talks about Christian Ethics, what they are, and why they matter: Last week a team of scientists in Portland, Oregon announced that they had successfully edited a genetic mutation which causes heart condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heritable disease that afflicts many unsuspecting adults. The appeal…
C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia have delighted readers for more than sixty years. One title in the series is one of the top ten bestselling books of all time; popular movies have been based on them. C. S. Lewis, their author, described them as books that sneak theology “Past watchful dragons.” This class will…
Everywhere we go, we encounter stories. Television shows, movies and video games all tell stories. So do commercials, news clips, and the two people sitting one table over at the coffeshop while you are trying to work. Stories, of course, can also be found in books. Since stories permeate our lives, we need to understand…
by Peter D. Spychalla, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of New Testament & Spiritual Formation I have many questions about vocation and everyday callings – I wonder if you do too. What is a vocation? What is a calling? Does each believer have one? Or many? Is it the monk, priest, or nun who has a vocation,…
For this blog entry, Dr. Mike McQueen describes his upcoming class on Islam and Radical Fundamentalism: “Islam is a religion of peace. All Islam needs is a reformation like the Church went through in the 16th century and its violent aberrations will disappear.” Have you ever heard this line of thought? I hear it frequently…
Why bother studying systematic theology? Who wants to rehearse obscure debates with their confusing terminology, hair-splitting tendencies, and willingness to label heretics as hopelessly damned? Isn’t any formal study of God in a seminary setting basically an academic exercise, devoid of the Spirit’s power, an exercise that encourages arrogance, condescension, and contentious attitudes? After all,…
For well over a millennium, the doctrine of predestination (or election) has for Christians been a source of both comfort and joy. Predestination means that our salvation is secured with God in Christ. Indeed, throughout history Christians have derived comfort from Jesus’ words that no one is able to pluck us out of the Father’s…
