The CNN article Study to crack evangelical stereotypes is interesting. Like most news reports I could quibble with many of the individual statements – but the overall sentiment is good. I hope that the study will help to break the stereotype – at least highlighting evangelical scholars.
It is interesting though – I wonder how they will define and locate evangelical scholars. In most areas of academic endeavor religious point of view need never come up, and for many it never does come up.
The last two paragraphs are particularly interesting – A prospering intellectual culture in evangelicalism will require engaging fairly with those who disagree. It will also require being willing to express thoughts honestly and openly while thinking through the faith and its expression and implication. Faith statements at many evangelical colleges will prevent true evangelical scholarship from flourishing in these environments. In general scholars are not only required to affirm the historic Christian faith ? but are also required to affirm more limited cultural interpretations of the Christian faith. Fear of job security then severely limits intellectual growth. A prospering evangelical intellectual culture will have to come in large part from scholars in more secular environments, an environment not without pitfalls and shortcomings of its own.
The last statement is the biggest indictment of evangelical scholarship: “It’s when you view your tradition with such confidence that you want to offer it to others … that’s when you’ve made it,” Wolfe said. “I don’t see evangelicals having that pride in their own tradition, yet.” This one hits where it hurts ? and I say that from personal experience.

Lovely bird pictures, Scot. What do you shoot them with?

Scott – I know you did a series on the book a while back and this may all be common knowledge within the field but I thought you and the community would find this piece in the Chronicle interesting – The Betrayal of Judas.

RJS,
Very insightful; I had some of these thoughts as I read it.
Terry,
Well, I’ve said this before … I don’t take these pictures. I swipe them from the internet.

It’s hard to quit playing with the Visuwords, Scot. You are so right; it IS cool!

Scot,
We had a baltimore oriole fly into our back yard, actually near our hummer feeder. It is the first time I have seen one. I think they migrate through and we probably won’t see another one. It was awesome.
Julie

Hey, Scot.
Thanks for linking Ted Gossard’s review of *Out of Print: A Novel.* I appreciate the exposure to the Jesus Creeders.
John

Scot, the soccer is finally really starting now! The European cup is starting in a few days – the best soccer (actually called football over here) players in the world

Real fans know that the only important sport is Hockey – reaching its climax just now. Go Wings. Now we have the Best.

I wonder how they will define and locate evangelical scholars.
Did you know there were evangelical Catholics, who “rejoice in being able to feed at both the table of the Eucharist and from the sacred text” ? So the answer to your query would be to enlarge somewhat from the current definition of an evangelical from a Protestant tradition who has a conservative inerrantist view of the bible. Then spread your net to draw true scholars, not merely those who have a degree in scripture memorization, which is what they hand out in the madrasses in Saudi Arabia.

Oh RJS, Hockey? Hockey? “A fight waiting for a sport to break out”?
Just when you think you’ve started to know someone, just a little bit. And I’ve enjoyed your posts so much. Hockey. Hmmmmm. I think I have to spend some time sitting with this one. Sigh.

Dianne P
I grew up on a lake in Minnesota – we had a rink shoveled in our “backyard” from freeze to thaw. Hockey all winter, baseball all summer. What is soccer?

scot,
anytime i get on the weekly meanderings, i bust out a six pack and celebrate.

RJS,
OK, I’m with you on the soccer thing, and I have to admit that I loved watching live hockey at college, yet…. professional hockey leaves me (dare I say??) COLD. But then I boycotted professional (not college) basketball for some time, so admit that I can’t truly judge a sport based on how the pros play.
I grew up in Cleveland watching the Indians (go Tribe!!!) and spent 25 adult years in Chicago (Wrigley Field anyone?). To me, it’s all about baseball, then a 3-way tie for basketball, volleyball and football in no particular order.
Guess that I can agree that the sport that we watched in our youth has hard-wired our brains in a way that endures. And that tells me that God is a sports fan!!! He has given us such joy and enthusiasm and pleasure and heartbreak surrounding our love of sport. And like all of His magnificent creation, there is enough variety (baseball, volleyball, even hockey) to go around for everyone.
So Scot, what’s your fav (aside from baseball (Lukas) and basketball (you)?
And RJS, do the Twins have your heart in the summer? And where do the Vikings and ‘Wolves fit in? Man, this is complicated!

Twins definitely – and Vikings.

Ah! The beautiful game of soccer. The world has set the US free with this gorgeous game.
Ties games are ended with penalty kicks rather than goal kicks.

Ah, Jeremy, yet another problem: how can it be called “penalty” kick? What’s the penalty, not scoring?

NICE! LOL

Tuesday: Theology and Ministry catch up from around the world « Chris Kidd – applied youth ministry

[...] Angry young men: interesting interview of Michael Currie (Doing Anger Differently)? in TIME.? Currie chats with TIME about the turbulent inner world of the adolescent boy.? (Thanks Scot). [...]

Scot, Having the duty of supervising many soccer matches this spring, I think ending tie scores with penalty kicks is great because with regular overtime, we’d be watching many more minutes of scoreless play!
Bob

Wednesday: Children?s and youth work links « Chris Kidd – applied youth ministry

[...] Angry young men: interesting interview of Michael Currie (Doing Anger Differently)? in TIME.? Currie chats with TIME about the turbulent inner world of the adolescent boy.? (Thanks Scot). [...]