“The Mystery is the Journey to a Valid Proof” ft. Northwestern College’s Kim Jongerius I Saturdays at Seven – Season Two, Episode Twenty-Five Post

In the twenty-fifth episode of the second season of the “Saturdays at Seven” conversation series, Todd Ream talks with Kim Jongerius, Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Department of Mathematics at Northwestern College. Jongerius begins by exploring the role mystery plays in the pursuit of mathematical forms of truth. Shying away from mystery, especially when conjoined with an inability to appreciate what other disciplines offer, can greatly limit what mathematicians discover. In contrast, embracing mystery and what other disciplines can offer can open previously unimaginable possibilities. Jongerius offers details concerning her formation as a mathematician, the encouragement she received from teachers, and how she came to think of the study of mathematics as comparable to learning another language. As someone who greatly enjoys writing and studied English as well as mathematics as an undergraduate, Jongerius argues the distinctions between mathematical and linguistic abilities are more the creation of social comfort than reality. Jongerius discusses her service as president of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences (ACMS), lessons she learned about the role mathematics should play in general education, and ways to encourage and support the next generation of mathematicians. When closing the conversation, Jongerius explains how mathematicians can be of greater service to scholars in other disciplines as a well as the Church.

Toward a More Responsible Spirituality of Culture: Where Is God at Work? Post

One of the unnoticed losses resulting from the increasing polarization of American culture over the last decade is thoughtful—that is reasoned and biblical—conversation about God’s presence in what is going on. In fact, I want to argue in this article that, in the heat of battles over this or that ethical issue, this Presence has…

Theologically Navigating Cinematic Multiverses with C. S. Lewis Post

The term “multiverse” has gained popularity in the last decade as a storytelling trope exploring alternate timelines based on different choices characters do, or could, make. Yet, while the term may have found popularity in recent years, particularly due to the popularity of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this existential thought process is…

The Calling of the Christian as Citizen: Exploring Three Perspectives Post

Has something gone awry in Christian political engagement? Are Christians deficient in how they think and act in the political world, especially in the United States? The three books under review in this essay—Daniel Williams’s The Politics of the Cross: A Christian Alternative to Partisanship, Daniel Bennett’s Uneasy Citizenship: Embracing the Tension in Faith and…

“Going Down Deep” ft. the University of Southern California’s Morten Lauridsen I Saturdays at Seven – Season Two, Episode Fourteen Post

In the fourteenth episode of the second season of the “Saturdays at Seven” conversation series, Todd Ream talks with Morten Lauridsen, Distinguished Professor of Composition Emeritus at the University of Southern California. They open their conversation by talking about Lauridsen’s practice of going down deep, the role that practice plays in his ability to appreciate what a particular text has to offer, and how he sets that text to music. To cultivate a more contemplative and environmentally responsible campus, the value of that practice compelled Lauridsen to lead the charge at the University of Southern California (USC) to eliminate gas powered leaf blowers. The value of that practice also led Lauridsen to spend time on Waldron Island in Washington State’s San Juan Islands where Lauridsen composed some of his most critically acclaimed works. Lauridsen then discusses his calling to compose music, efforts he made when an undergraduate to study at USC, and efforts he made while serving as a faculty member and chair of the composition department at USC (efforts that included establishing the graduate program in film scoring). Lauridsen discusses the details related to some of his compositions including “Lux Aeterna” and “O Magnum Mysterium.” Ream and Lauridsen then close their conversation by discussing the ways poetry played critical roles in Lauridsen’s efforts as a teacher and composer.

Telling New Stories Post

Last year a group of provosts convened to engage in conversations about Emerson’s essay, “The American Scholar.” Over the period of a year, we looked for insights into the role of the Christian scholar by reflecting on Emerson’s description of the ideal American scholar. He admonished the American scholar to break free from the European…

“About, With, & From” ft. Calvin University’s Noah J. Toly I Saturdays at Seven – Season Two, Episode Ten Post

In the tenth episode of the second season of the “Saturdays at Seven” conversation series, Todd Ream talks with Noah J. Toly, Provost at Calvin University. As an urban affairs scholar, Toly opens by talking about what he sees when visiting a city and, in particular, what he appreciates about the cultural assets each city possesses. He shares ways those assets can continue to be cultivated and the three cities which he finds most fascinating—Mexico City, Berlin, and Chicago. Toly then details which teachers and authors proved most significant in terms of his appreciation for cities and how his work with Wheaton College’s Center for Urban Engagement fostered within him a desire to continue to learn about people and their communities as well as an even greater desire to learn with and even from those people. Ream asks Toly about his article in the recent issue of Christian Scholar’s Review about Toly’s appreciation for Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “The American Scholar,” the limitations Toly sees in Emerson’s thinking, and about Toly’s understanding of the contributions historic Christian orthodoxy offers in terms of an understanding of the academic vocation. Ream and Toly conclude by discussing Toly’s understanding of the contributions Calvin University has made to the academic vocation and the ways that the relationship shared by the Church and the university nurture such an understanding.

Restoring the Soul of the University — An Extended Review Post

Those of us working in the world of higher education often hear about the fragmentation of American universities. Many observers, inside and outside the university alike, have lamented that “multiversities” have lost any coherent educational center. Accusations abound of proliferating programs, endless elective options, growing preference for professional and pre-professional programs over the liberal arts…

“For What You Were Prepared” ft. Baylor University’s Linda A. Livingstone I Saturdays at Seven – Season Two, Episode Three Post

In the third episode of the second season of the “Saturdays at Seven” conversation series, Todd Ream talks with Linda A. Livingstone, President of Baylor University. Livingstone begins by discussing the commitments that define the research university and the unique ways the Christian research university is designed to be of service to a world in need. Ream and Livingstone discuss Livingstone’s calling as a faculty member in business, how that calling came to include serving as dean of the business schools at Pepperdine University and George Washington University, and, in particular, how that calling came to include serving as president of Baylor. Livingstone addresses the theological imagination needed to lead a Christian research university such as Baylor and, in turn, how to form staff members and faculty members for lives of service to students as well as a myriad of external constituents. Ream and Livingstone then close their conversation by discussing the virtues that define the Christian academic vocation and the ways that the health of that vocation is connected to the health of the relationship shared by the Church and the university.

“A Fresh Start” ft. the University of Pennsylvania’s David A. Skeel, Jr. I Saturdays at Seven Ep. 49 (The Legal Vocation: Part Six of a Six Part Series) Post

In the forty-eighth episode of the “Saturdays at Seven” conversation series, Todd Ream talks with David A. Skeel, Jr., the S. Samuel Arsht Professor of Corporate Law at the University of Pennsylvania. Skeel opens the conversation by talking about how his interests in bankruptcy law developed and about the theological commitments that are woven into history of bankruptcy law in the United States. Ream and Skeel then talk about Skeel’s formation as a legal scholar, how his education shaped him, and about how his experience as a clerk, an associate in a large firm, and a young law professor at Temple University and then at the University of Pennsylvania all played important roles. Skeel then offers insights concerning how he makes decisions concerning public service and what led him to his service as Chair of the Financial and Management Oversight Board for Puerto Rico. Ream and Skeel then close their conversation with Skeel offering his understanding of the academic vocation and his advice to aspiring attorneys and legal scholars.

Anti-Semitism, Amalek, and the American University Post

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…

Eat Lovingly: Christian Ethics for Sustainable and Just Food Systems Post

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…

Christian Legal Thought – Why Bother? Post

One of the first questions I ask students in my Christian Legal Thought seminar is what they expect Christianity might have to say about law. A common answer is that Christian teaching can provide guidance about what the legal rules should be.  Many of my students have been taught the importance of having a Christian…

“The Majesty of the Law” ft. Emory University’s John Witte, Jr. I Saturdays at Seven Ep. 45 (The Legal Vocation: Part Two of a Six Part Series) Post

In the forty-fifth episode of the “Saturdays at Seven” conversation series, Todd Ream talks with John Witte, Jr., the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Law, McDonald Distinguished Professor, and Faculty Director of Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University. Witte begins by discussing how the 3 Fs – faith, freedom, and family or the things for which people would die – serve as the connective threads between his otherwise diverse expressions of the academic vocation. He then unpacks how those threads are woven into a sample of his books including From Sacrament to Contract, Law and Protestantism, and The Reformation of Rights. Ream and Witte talk about Witte’s education at Calvin College and Harvard University along with texts and mentors who left a great impact upon him. Those influences then found another form of confirmation in the invitation Witte recently received to serve as a bicentenary Gifford lecturer, delivering “A New Calvinist Reformation of Rights.” Ream and Witte then close their conversation by discussing Witte’s appreciation for the academic vocation, the virtues which make the expression of such a vocation possible, and the vices against which legal scholars must guard.

The Cost of Grace: Bonhoeffer’s Lesson about Transformative Learning Post

As sure as April showers bring May flowers, the end of the semester—spring or fall—brings some version of this request from students: “Sorry to email this to you so late, but when I uploaded my final exam, it was not double-spaced. I’ve attached a properly spaced one. I hope I can have some grace. Thank…

“Cultural Inflection Point” ft. Comment’s Anne Snyder I Saturdays at Seven Ep. 34 Post

In the thirty-fourth episode of the “Saturdays at Seven” conversation series, Todd Ream talks with Anne Snyder, Editor-In-Chief of Comment. Snyder begins by talking about the role she plays as someone residing at borders in a society seemingly engaged in perpetual fragmentation. She notes people such as Dorothy Day who inspired her and how she strives to impart the wisdom afforded by such examples through the leadership she offers Comment. Ream and Snyder then talk about what biographical details may have led to Snyder’s ability to reside at borders including growing up abroad, traveling extensively in Southeast Asia, dinner conversations she shared with her family of origin, and the example her grandfather set as a Bible translator who lived in the Peruvian Amazon. They talk in greater detail about Comment, how topics are selected and framed, and how Snyder hopes such efforts nurture the audience they serve. Ream and Snyder then close their conversation by exploring a recent issue od Comment focused on the Church and Snyder’s impressions of the relationship the Church and the university presently share.

“Both Sides of the Story” ft. Baylor University’s Matthew J. Quade I Saturdays at Seven Ep. 21 Post

In the twenty-first episode of the “Saturdays at Seven” conversation series, Todd Ream talks with Matthew J. Quade, the Kimberly and Aaron P. Graff Professor in Christian Leadership and Business and Director of Christian Leadership and Ethics at Baylor University. Quade begins by talking about the unique opportunities and challenges that come when educating the present generation of students when it comes to ethical deliberation and formation. Ream then asks Quade about his own research and, in particular, about Quade’s research as it applies to the relationship shared by work and other dimensions of one’s life. They then close their conversation by exploring the relationship business professionals and business educators share with the Church and ways that relationship can be brought into closer expressions of mutual service.

Trustful Waiting and Enemy Loving Responses to Uncertainty and Vulnerability: Christian Psychology Soul Care in an Age of Conspiracy Rumors Post

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…