At the evangelical college where I teach, it has been several years since the faculty became really agitated over an injustice some-where in the world. To be sure, there is talk about Bosnia, Somalia, and Haiti, but none of these crises—in spite of their horror—has generated the levels of intense passion and controversy that characterized … Read more
Most American colleges were founded as Christian institutions, and the mix of religious faith and morality with scholarly learning was a given in American higher education until the middle of the nineteenth century. In the 50 years after the Civil War, however, the nature of American higher education was transformed, as colleges experienced what historian … Read more
The election of Bill Clinton brought to an end 12 years of Republican control of the White House. Just as importantly, and of special interest to those who still believe that religion is the wellspring of democracy, the November election may have also signaled the demise of Protestant evangelicalism as a major player in American … Read more
Driving the forty minutes from Pretoria to Johannesburg on National Route 1 in late fall is much like driving the Santa Monica Freeway between Pomona and Riverside. The hills are parched golden brown, inasmuch as the rains of winter have yet to arrive. Middle class residential communities line the highway alongside the corporate headquarters of … Read more
To address meaningfully the injustices of the world, Catholics and evangelicals must recognize the legitimacy of different callings of the Church. In a forward to a book which I have recently edited, (Evangelicals and the Bishops’ Pastoral Letter, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Erdmans Publishing Company, 1984), Archbishop John J. O’Connor suggests that there are signs … Read more