Good essay. Of course, it made me feel guilty.You might be interested in correcting what appear to be a few typos:Page 1: How can go through life not doing anything? –> How can you go through life not doing anything?Page 11: Mary Douglass –> Mary DouglasPage 16 You don’t enjoy giving them and students do learn from them. –> You don’t enjoy giving them and students do not learn from them.Jeffery Hodges* * *

Thanks for this essay with its wisdom borne of much experience and reflection. I’ve forwarded it to my colleagues at our College, as we are collectively and individually working through the sorts of questions which this essay addresses.

Let’s see, 2 of your former colleagues have said you’re a funny man; one of them even said, they still haven’t forgiven you for leaving. I was also told that Lukas & Laura were the reasons Dr. Younger’s kids wanted to go to a particular church in Libertyville. You’re still fondly-remembered at Trinity, Scot!

The paper made me think of the not-well-known Robert Frost poem, “Two Tramps in Mud Time.” An unpoetic name, that is, and here is the last stanza-My object in living is to uniteMy avocation and my vocationAs my two eyes make one in sight.Only where love and need are one,And the work is play for mortal stakes,Is the deed ever really doneFor heaven and the future´s sakes.

Horace,I originally went through the document and corrected a few punctuation errors (mostly extra spaces here and there), but I missed those typos.Thanks for the heads-up on those. They are now corrected.http://www.vanguardchurch.com

Lukasthose lines became a foundational reflection for an excellent book by Parker Palmer 20 years ago. The title was “To Know As We Are Known” and subtitle “A SPirituality of Education.” His more recent book is simply profound and it is his life story: “Let Your Life Speak.”

Dr. McKnight, This is truly an inspiring essay for scholarship in the academy. Do you have any thoughts on scholarship coming out of the church? Could/should Biblical scholarship come from the church?Or is scholarship strictly the realm of the academy?

Bob, call me “Jeffery.”No problem — typos leap up to my eyes, I’ve been proofreading so many years.Jeffery Hodges* * *

Eric,It would be nice to see that sort of thing written by some “writing pastors.”

Thanks for contributing your wisdom regarding the challenges for professors in regard to writing, teaching, and scholarship. Great stuff.
I look forward to meeting you next month.
All the best,
Ryan

I especially enjoyed the practical wisdom you shared about developing a writing career/strategy.