Cory Thompson One of the books that resonated with me the most this year was Cyprian of Carthage: His Life and Impact (Christian Focus, 2017) by Brian Arnold. I had very little knowledge about this early church father and his contribution, but this introductory book fueled my appetite to know and read more about Cyprian. At least two parts of …
Keep ReadingKevin Hester (This is the first in a series of year-end posts in which Commission members highlight some key books they read in 2021. Note that not all of these titles were published in 2021. Rather, they were ones Commissioners read this year.) One of the books that I read this year that has most impacted my thinking about the …
Keep ReadingW. Jackson Watts I’m often reluctant to speak of things “mattering more than ever.” These kinds of statements tend to ignore historical precedents and other factors that make our own times less unique than we imagine. Take pandemics as an example. Plague and pestilence were present in many times and places in the ancient world, including the world of our …
Keep ReadingMatthew Pinson In my last post I discussed the recent study conducted by Springtide Research, “The State of Religion and Young People 2020.” This study was featured in a conversation between Mark Bauerlein and sociologist Dr. Josh Packard on the First Things podcast entitled “The Loneliest Generation.” The study underscores that the members of Generation Z, while they lack trust …
Keep ReadingMatthew Pinson As a college president (and father of a 19- and a 21-year-old), I think a lot about Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 6:4 about bringing young people to maturity in the training (paideia) and counsel (nouthesia) of the Lord. So I was very interested in a recent First Things podcast that Dr. Barry Raper, our coordinator of ministry programs …
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