“I will always obey your law, for ever and ever. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” (Psalm 119:44-45) Academic freedom is a frequent talking point in our times – it’s often seen as under threat, whether it’s the government waging a war against Read more…
The word “Covid” surely evokes a mental reaction now from people everywhere in the world. The illness caused by this particular virus has inflicted suffering and death in almost every country, and continues to do so, albeit with very different trajectories in different places. This virus is also perceived in very Read more…
Last week I started this reflection on the state of the university today by looking at the recent film, “Every Breath You Take.” As I said, “There are many ways one could think about this movie. Clearly, there are implications for those in the “helping professions.” But I have been Read more…
As a seminarian in a former life, I was cautioned against being “a quivering mass of availability” (a phrase from American theologian Stanley Hauerwas); but in a congregation, this seemed to be what was most desired from the pastor. Many Christians receive comfort and encouragement from their pastors; but what Read more…
We commonly grant nowadays that most of us live in societies that are pluralistic and largely secular. Many places in the West, as a growing number of writers and thinkers have noted, can be called post-Christian. Secular liberalism of one sort or another is the dominant discourse. The challenge, therefore, Read more…
We’re continuing our series of posts considering the Covid-19 pandemic from the perspective of the various ‘aspects’ proposed by reformational philosophy. We’ve already considered perspectives of economics, aesthetics, religion, ethics and history; this week I want to consider the lingual aspect of the pandemic – the way in which our Read more…
A virus in itself, even Covid-19, doesn’t know what effects it can have in our world. It’s simply part of the natural world, part of the domain of the microbiologists. But when a virus sparks a pandemic, then we’re dealing with something a lot more complex – history. When we Read more…
As a part of the ‘Why do a PhD?’ series of blogs posts, I thought I’d contribute my own thoughts on the decision to do a doctorate. I must say that I have struggled with this post, because—like most people—I have had a mixed experience with the doctorate. Doctorates are hard, Read more…
Steve Bishop writes about his recently-published paper on Kuyper. Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) was a Dutch statesman, a theologian, a church reformer, a journalist and more. The recent project to translate his work into English has provided a stimulus for renewed interest in and work on Kuyper’s thought. Kuyper is also one Read more…
As the newest member of the Faith in Scholarship team, I’ve been asked to introduce myself as my colleagues have previously done. I am currently based in London (Ontario, Canada!) where I serve as chaplain and professor of theology at Western University. I also teach New Testament interpretation at Redeemer University part Read more…