Inevitably our lives are shaped by what is great, our hearts are wooed by what we esteem as most beautiful, and we will always run to that which we believe will most satisfy us. In light of this, Jesus often invited men and women to wholeheartedly consider his greatness, beauty, and ability to fully satisfy, […]
In his wonderful book A Christian Critique of the University, the accomplished academic and former President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Charles Malik, insists the greatness of Jesus Christ is the starting point for any Christian conversation about the university: “The critic in the final analysis is Jesus Christ himself. . . […]
In our last Missional Moment, we took time to highlight the angst and struggle that, though common to all students and professors, finds poignant expression in the daily realities of a Christ-following professor. Why? Well, because without embracing this reality one might be tempted to shrink back from living for the grander story. Or one […]
We live in the portion of God’s grander story that is after the “fall” and “redemption, but before the final “restoration.” Theologians refer to this as a period of “already/not yet” tension: We have a down payment of God’s presence in the Spirit, but we long to be with him face to face; The power […]
For a multitude of compelling reasons, the university is a strategic institution for the cause of the gospel, as well as for the flourishing of our country and the world. Correspondingly, the Christian faculty member is positioned to play a critical role in God’s plan to redeem and bless the world through having a privileged […]
I [Heather], while a Ph.D. student in English literature at the University of Michigan, struggled to understand a grander story beyond my own narcissistic ideas of what earning that degree would mean for my story. I wanted, like everyone else around me, to make a name for myself in my field. I wanted recognition, applause, […]
If the ultimate story is God’s story, and if our story finds its significance in light of God’s story, would it not follow that your particular life story is insignificant? The Scriptures resoundingly refute such thinking: God created each of us for the purpose of playing a unique role in his grand story. In Psalm […]
Last summer a retired professor and I [Rick] floated down 187 miles of the Grand Canyon, from the Lee’s Ferry launch to the Whitmore helipad, where a helicopter retrieved us from the bowels of the canyon. I will forever treasure this experience – for a litany of reasons – but chief among them is the […]
Do you remember responding to God’s high and holy call to become an academic? Perhaps you imagined that being an academic meant tackling the world’s greatest problems around a crackling fire (picture Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and the Inklings in that Oxford pub) in the camaraderie of friends. Even if you didn’t see yourself in a […]
I never really wanted to be a college professor and I certainly did not want to be a missionary. I wanted to get a Ph.D. in engineering along with some MBA courses and become the CEO of some large technical company. In fact, my Christian life stalled during the middle of my seven years at […]
