Thomas Molnar’s review of Albert Camus and Christianity by Jean Onimus (University of Alabama Press, 1970) was CSR’s first book review. The final review of its first 50 years was T. M. Moore’s look at The WEIRDest People in the World by Joseph Henrich (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020). In the intervening decades, CSR has…
Simchat Torah is a feast day in Judaism; a yom tov (“good day”) or chag (holiday) coming at the end of Sukkot (the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles) in the Jewish liturgical calendar. It celebrates the conclusion of the annual cycle of parashiyyot (weekly Torah readings) for observant Jews. Unlike the pilgrim festivals of Pesach…
Much has been written about Christian media criticism. First, I survey the field’s major works to identify four types of Christian media criticism. Next, I offer a critical perspective that puts the sacramental view of media and the concept of transposition in conversation. By reviewing the award-winning film Minari with this perspective in mind, I…
In this paper, Patrick McDonald and Nivaldo J. Tro argue that all scientists, including theists, should practice science in accord with methodological naturalism, the idea that scientific theories should be naturalistic (they should not contain supernatural elements). They present several reasons for accepting methodological naturalism, including its proven historical success, and they argue also that…
We illuminate conspiracy rumormongering by viewing it through the lens of Christian psychology. We propose that at the core of the anxiety and anger characteristic of much conspiracist discourse is a fundamentally unbiblical existential understanding of God leading to unbelieving responses to uncertainty and vulnerability stemming from human finitude. One fallen response to uncertainty is…
This essay offers lament as a way to address the underrepresentation of minorities in Christian camp ministries in the United States. I propose that diversity may be deficient at majority camps when they function as white spaces, a socio-cultural phenomenon that tends to alienate People of Color. To address this, I contextualize the discipline of…
Adults demonstrate exquisite sensitivity to the characteristics of the human face; indeed, it is one of the few visual categories for which we exhibit near-universal expertise. However, despite this expertise, our recognition abilities for the faces of individuals of different racial backgrounds and ages are significantly impaired, which can negatively affect our interactions with others….
Although Bret Easton Ellis has often been castigated by critics for his immoral characters, his novels not only have a moral framework, but arguably a Christian one. The confessional tone of his novels suggests that his characters are mere products of their surroundings, and that they are desperately seeking an escape from the excesses and…
In this episode of the Saturdays at Seven Podcast, Todd Ream interviews Sarah Schnitker, Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Baylor University and Director of the Science of Virtues Lab. They discuss Sarah’s work studying patience and other virtues, as well as how religiosity and spirituality contribute to people’s virtue development. Sarah also shares about working with other researchers across different disciplines to meet the felt needs of various communities.
Understanding the role that exercise ought to play in a Christian’s vocation requires a clear understanding of what exercise is: Is it a form of work or of play? In this paper, I argue that although exercise evokes play in a number of ways, it is principally a form of work because it is extrinsically…
On September 5, 2023, Houghton University held a panel discussion with seven faculty from a broad array of fields focusing on the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) technology for Christian liberal arts higher education. The panelists included Brandon Bate, PhD, associate professor of mathematics; Peter Meilaender, PhD, dean of religion, humanities, and global studies, and…
Today’s world demands that we prepare learners to confront worldview implications for living in a multicultural and pluralistic world. One way we are doing this is through cross-cultural programs, domestically and internationally. While Christian higher education is increasing the number of students in these programs, Naomi Ludeman Smith, D.Min., asks if our institutions can show…
In this paper, I examine the relationship between evangelical Christian faith and the morality of food choices. I explore the extent to which non-human animals deserve moral consideration. I outline three models of moral status that philosophers have debated for the past four decades: (a) the viewpoint that animals lack any moral status and therefore…
Christians have been active in philosophy of mathematics in recent years, but Steven D. Boyer and Walter B. Huddell III argue that the classical work of Augustine of Hippo in this field has been largely misunderstood or distorted even by its supposed advocates. This essay corrects that distortion and shows how the traditional Augustinian awareness…
In this episode of the Saturdays at Seven Podcast, Todd interviews Shirley Hoogstra, the president of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), on her role in representing Christian higher education institutions, today’s challenges facing the Christian higher education, and the relationship between Christian education and the Church.
In recent years significant advances have occurred in both fields of neuroscience and cognitive psychology which have provided further comprehension regarding the biological structures underlying intentionality and decision making. In this essay, Tobias A. Mattei reviews the insights such empirical data might provide to the classical theological debate about human will and responsibility. After analyzing the positions of John…
In this episode of the Saturdays at Seven Podcast, Todd Ream interviews George Marsden, the Francis M. McAnaney Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Todd and George discuss how the Christian Scholar’s Review began and how it has grown over the years. George also talks about his newly published book, An Infinite Fountain of Light: Jonathan Edwards for the 21st Century, as well as the updated version of The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship that will be published soon.
What we choose to eat impacts not only our health, but also contributes positively or negatively towards sustainability and justice. How food is produced determines its impact on environmental sustainability through pollution, soil erosion, ground water depletion, and biodiversity conservation. A food systems lens looks beyond production to consider the complex social issues linking food…
Dale Goldsmith recently retired from Oklahoma Panhandle State University where he was Vice President for Academics for 8 years; prior to that he was Vice President for Academics and Professor of Philosophy and Religion at McPherson College in Kansas. He is also an ordained Presbyterian (USA) pastor. Introduction The year 2011 saw the publication of…
Overlooked by film critics, screenwriter Stirling Silliphant crafted subversive Christian allegory into his Academy Award-winning adaptation of mystery novel In the Heat of the Night. This essay demonstrates that Silliphant reframed both the book’s main character, Virgil Tibbs, and the book’s murder victim as countercultural Christ-figures who confront the lifeless and racist cultural Christian religion…
