Seven Lessons for Evangelical Scholars in the Secular Academy
Over the last couple of weeks, many evangelical scholars (including myself) attended the annual conferences of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature (not to mention, the Institute for Biblical Research).
Many good papers were delivered (and heard), old friendships were rekindled, and everyone was asked the same question over and over: “So, what are you working on right now?”
While such conferences remind me of the joys of scholarship, they also remind me of the challenges. Sadly, there are many stories of well-intended evangelical scholars who set out to influence the academy, and the academy ends up influencing them. Some end up abandoning the very … Continue reading...
In Honor of Thomas Oden: Seven Essential Lessons Learned from an Evangelical Scholar in the Secular Academy
I just learned here that the well-known evangelical scholar Thomas Oden has passed away. Oden was known for starting out as a classic liberal scholar and later becoming orthodox–a rare feat in today’s world.
A number of years ago, I had the joy of meeting Tom when he came to RTS Charlotte to speak at our Harold O.J. Brown Lecture series. He was a delight. In honor of his passing, I republish below an article I did in 2015 on his book, A Change of Heart.
I think that book (and the summary below) captures the essence of his life’s story. And it has a number of things … Continue reading...
Seven Essential Lessons from an Evangelical Scholar in the Secular Academy
There are countless stories of evangelicals who head off to Ph.D. programs in hopes of becoming a professor and having a positive influence in the secular university environment. This is particularly the case in the fields of biblical studies or philosophical theology. And such aspirations are certainly commendable.
Unfortunately, the outcome of such endeavors is not always as expected. While these evangelicals intend to influence the academy, very often the academy ends up influencing them. As a result, many evangelicals end up abandoning the very commitments that led them towards advanced study in the first place.
But even though academic study has led some evangelicals to abandon their commitments, occasionally … Continue reading...