Kevin Stilley

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April 10, 2011 by kevinstilley

Christian Higher Education?

A BIBLIOGRAPHY ON A CRITIQUE OF BOTH SECULAR AND CHRISTIAN COLLEGES WITH AN EMPHASIS ON LIBERAL ARTS HIGHER EDUCATION

A List Compiled for the Faculty by Drs. Harvey Solganick and David P. Bertch
From The College At Southwestern, Fort Worth, Texas, August 2009

  • Anderson, Paul M., ed.,  Professors Who Believe: The Spiritual Journeys of Christian Faculty.  Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998.

— A collection of essays by professors at either public or private, non-sectarian colleges and universities concerning how they see religious faith influencing their work in their chosen academic disciplines. 

  • Blamires, Harry, The Christian Mind: How Should a Christian Think? Servant Books, 1963.

— A scathing critical look at the state of the mind in the mid-twentieth century church, rivaling Hofstadter’s broader look at the culture in general. Both agree that Christian non-thinking has been a great contributor to anti-intellectualism.

  • Bloom, Allan, The Closing of the American Mind: How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today’s Students.  Simon and Schuster, 1987. 

 — The subtitle tells it all.  This ground breaking book began a stream of other critiques of the damaging state of American education at all levels, especially in our colleges and universities.

  • Burtchaell, James Tunstead,  The Dying of the Light. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1998.

— An evaluation of church-school relations and a description of how many have withered over time.

  • Carpenter, Joel, Kenneth Shipps, Making Higher Education Christian: The History and Mission of Evangelical Colleges in America. Eerdmans, 1987.

 — Authors bring out the hidden history of Evangelical colleges  and demonstrate their academic establishment and growth.

  • Dockery, David S. and David Gushee, eds.,  The Future of Christian Higher Education.  Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman, 1999.

— A collection of essays highlighting practices that allow Christian colleges to stay Christ-centered.

  • Eliot, T. S., Christianity and Culture: The Idea of a Christian Society & Notes Towards the Definition of Culture. A Harvest/HB Book, 1968.

— These classic two long essays by one of the greatest authors and critics of the twentieth century gives a penetrating look at our cultural and educational responsibilities. 

  • Farnham, Nicholas, Adam Yarmolinski, eds., Rethinking Liberal Education, Oxford University Press, 1996.

       — A collection of essays by prominent educators on a spectrum of concerns among liberal arts colleges.

  • Garber, Steven, The Fabric of Faithfulness.  Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997.

— An attempt to answer the question of how to help college students connect with their spiritual beliefs.

  • George, Robert, The  Clash of Orthodoxies: Law, Religion, and Morality in Crisis. ISI Books, 2001.

— The author takes secular thinking and shows its failure through abandonment of reason. He defends traditional Judeo-Christian principles for the universities and culture.

  •   Heie, Harold, and David L.Wolfe, eds., The Reality of Christian Learning: Strategies for Faith- Discipline Integration. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987.

— A compilation of essays describing ways to integrate faith into the disciplines of political science, sociology, psychology, biology, mathematics, the arts, and philosophy.

  •   Henry, Douglas V., and Bob R. Agee, ed., Faithful Learning and the Christian Scholarly Vocation. Eerdmans, 2003. 

— A compendium of essays by current Christian scholars on rethinking the art of teaching in the light of twenty-first century challenges. 

  • Henry, Douglas V., and Michael D. Beaty, eds.,  Christianity and the Soul of the University: Faith as a Foundation for Intellectual Community.  Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006.

— A collection of essays gathered from a conference held at Baylor University in the spring of 2004.  The essays concerning Christian higher education are broken into two sections—essays in the first section assess what are deemed basic issues while essays in the second section assess what are deemed vital practices.

  • Highet, Gilbert, The Classical Tradition: Greek and Roman Influences on Western Literature. Oxford University Press, 1957.

— Another classic text on the Classics and their influence on Western civilization through their forms, imagery, myths, style and standards.  

  • Hofstadter, Richard, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. Vintage Books, 1962.

— This classic historical  text on the state of the American mind  traces back the malady to Christian non-thinking, the same which Blamires’ book corroborates.

  • Holmes, Arthur F.,  Building the Christian Academy.  Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001.

— A discourse of Christian learning throughout seven episodes in history.

  • Holmes, Arthur F.,  The Idea of a Christian College.  Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1975.

— An attempt to provide a philosophical understanding of the mission and activity of the Christian college.

  • Holmes, Arthur F., ed.,  The Making of a Christian Mind.  Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity,  1984.

— A discussion of how various forms of scholarship fit into what is developed as a Christian worldview.

  • Holmes, Arthur F.,  Shaping Character.  Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1994.

— A discussion of the state of moral education in the Christian college.

  • Hughes, Richard T.,  How Christian Faith Can Sustain the Life of the Mind.  Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001.

— A theological discussion of how various Christian traditions make contributions to the integration of religious faith with the aspirations of reason.

  • Hughes, Richard T. and William B. Adrian, eds.,  Models for Christian Higher Education.   Grand  Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1997.

— A compilation of essays detailing how fourteen colleges and universities from different Christian traditions are successfully integrating faith and learning.

  •  Litfin, Duane, Conceiving the Christian College: A College President Shares his Vision of Higher Education. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2004. ISBN 0-8028-2783-7

— The President of Wheaton College weighs in on his perspectives on the maintaining of a premier Christian liberal arts college.

  • Malik, Charles Habib, A Christian Critique of the University. InterVarsity Press, 1982.

— A very short outline of indictment of what Jesus would say about our colleges and universities today from an eminent Lebanese Greek Orthodox statesman and educator. 

  • Maritain, Jacques, Education at the Crossroads. Yale University Press, 1943, 1971.

 — Eminent mid-twentieth century French Catholic philosopher explores American education recommending a connection to the liberal arts tradition.

  • Marsden, George M.,  The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship.  New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1997.

— A presentation supporting an enhanced role for religious faith in today’s scholarship.

  • Marsden, George M.,  The Soul of the American University.  New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1994. 

— An attempt to trace the process of secularization as it occurred in America’s more prominent colleges and universities.

  • Marsden, George M., and Bradley J. Longfield, eds.  The Secularization of the Academy.  New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1992.

— A compilation of essays that attempts to trace the process of secularization in some of America’s leading universities.

  • Markos, Louis., From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians should read the Pagan Classics.Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2007.ISBN 978-0-8308-2593-6.

— A professor of English at a Baptist college in Texas comments on Homer’s Iliad and the Odyssey, the Greek Tragedians, and Virgil’s Aeneid and connects to thinking Christianly.

  • Moberly, Sir Walter, The Crisis in the University. SCM Press, 1949. 

— A classic text  that discusses the situation in British universities and its failure to contend with the contemporary crisis, with his suggestions on how to rise up to the challenges.

  • Monroe, Kelly,  Finding God at Harvard.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996.

—A work counteracting the assumption that intellectuals are secularists while addressing the relativism and emptiness haunting modern universities.

  • Newman, John Henry.  The Idea of a University.  Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame  Press, 1982.

— A call to defend the idea of Catholic education within the context of the university.

  • Noll, Mark A.,  The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind.  Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1994.

— An early 1990’s attempt to detail the decline of the evangelical intellect and to propose ways of reversing this dilemma.

  • Orrill, Robert, ed., The Condition of American Liberal Education: Pragmatism and a Changing Tradition. College Entrance Examination Board, 1995.

— A collection of essays encouraging the updating of a liberal ars education with pragmatic results.

  • Pelikan, Jaroslav,  The Idea of the University.  New Haven, CN: Yale University Press, 1992.

— An attempt to re-examine John Henry Newman’s original argument in light of the challenges facing the present-day university.

  • Peterson, Michael L,.  With All Your Mind: A Christian Philosophy of Education.  Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2001.

— An attempt to philosophically and theologically frame the identity of Christian institutions of education along with the issues currently challenging them.  

  • Plantinga, Cornelius,  Engaging God’s World: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning, and Living.  Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002.

— An attempt to develop a vision of the Christian mind that seeks to transform all areas of life.

  •   Poe, Henry Lee, and Dallas Willard,  Christianity in the Academy: Teaching at the Intersection\of Faith and Learning. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2004.

— An effort to encourage educators to look at their chosen field through from the perspective of the Christian faith. 

  •   Postman, Neil, The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School.  Vintage Books, 1996.

— A well-know Jewish critic analyze the current crisis in education with strategies for instilling global citizenship, healthy skepticism, respect for American traditions and appreciation of diversity.

  • Reynolds, John Mark, When Athens met Jerusalem: An Introduction to Classical and Christian Thought. InterVarsity Press, 2009. ISBN 978-0-8308-2923-1l

— A well-written introduction to Greek thinking and Christian intellectual underpinning of Western civilization via an exposition of a few of Plato’s Dialogues and Aristotle’s writings and their relevance today.

  • Rudolph, Frederick, The American College and University: A History.  The University of  Georgia Press, 1990.

—This text traces the history of the founding of American higher education from the Colonial era through today.

  • Sertillanges, A. G., The Intellectual Life: Its Spirit, Conditions, Methods. The Catholic University of America Press, 1987.

— A very spiritual approach to becoming a learner of the intellectual virtues.

  • Sire, James, Habits of he Mind: Intellectual Life as a Christian Calling.  InterVarsity Press, 2000.

— A carefully carved text on the calling in learning how to think Christianly through developing the virtues of the mind.

  • Snow, C. P., Two Cultures. Cambridge University Press, 1993.

— This classic author of the early twentieth century raises up the battle between the humanities and the sciences and outlines the issues.  

  • Weaver, Richard, Ideas Have Consequences. University of Chicago Press, 1948.

— A most disturbing classic critical text written at the same time as Orwell’s 1984, where the author as prophet unsparingly diagnoses the educational ills of our age.

  • Wells, David F., No Place for Truth: Or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology?  Eermans, 1993.

—  The author boldly indicts Evangelical Christianity for its failure with intellectual priorities, giving his analysis and strategy for renewal.

  • Whitehead, Alfred North, The Aims of  Education and Other Essays. The Free Press, 1929, 1957.

— A famous secular scientist recommends the Classics and gives his convincing reasons why they must be combined with the sciences.

  •   Wolterstorff, Nicholas,  Educating for Life: Reflections on Teaching and Learning.  Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2002.

—An exploration of the role the religious faith plays in the nature and practice of education. 

  •    Wolterstorff, Nicholas, Joldersma, Clarence W., and Gloria Goris Stronks, eds., Educating for Shalom: Essays on Christian Higher Education. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002.

— A compilation of essays regarding the Reformed perspective and its relation to higher education.

Filed Under: Blog, Books, Philosophy, Theology Tagged With: bibliography, Christian Education, college, Seminary

November 7, 2009 by kevinstilley

Studying Theology – select quotes

A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn’t there. A theologian is the man who finds it.
~ H.L. Mencken

The more we know of God, the more unreservedly we will trust Him; the greater our progress in theology, the simpler and more childlike will be our faith.
~ J. Gresham Machen

What we believe about God is the most important thing about us.
~ A.W. Tozer

We are more at home with our own ideas about religion—with thoughts which are more comfortable and reassuring, with a “god” who is rather like us and who can be brought into line with our own expectations. This God is domesticated—like a religious “pet” rather than the wild, untamed presence of the Almighty.
~ David Hewetson and David Miller, in Christianity Made Simple

You can cite a hundred references to show that the biblical God is a bloodthirsty tyrant, but if they can dig up two or three verses that say, “God is love,” they will claim that you are taking things out of context!
~Dan Barker, in Losing Faith in Faith

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RELATED CONTENT

  • Index To Great Quotes

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Book Cover

Filed Under: Blog, Quotes, Theology Tagged With: quotations, quote, Seminary, Study, Theology

June 16, 2009 by kevinstilley

Summer Listening

What’s on your iPod?  It is common for people to talk about Summer Reading — what about Summer Listening?

May I make a suggestion?  How about using this summer to listen to one of the many free Seminary classes that are available for free online?  I have listed below two sources for audio from actual seminary classes that are available for free online.  You can listen to them as streaming audio or as an Mp3 download.   If you don’t find something that interests you from the list below, check with me and I can set you up with a few more sources for similar material.

Available from BiblicalTraining.org (you have to take 30 seconds to sign up in order to gain access, but don’t worry about spam as they only send out an email 2 or 3 times a year, and usually it is just to let you know that more studies have been made available):

Daniel Wallace (Dallas Theological Seminary)

  • History of the English Bible (Foundations)

Robert Stein (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)

  • Hermeneutics
  • New Testament Survey — Acts to Revelation
  • New Testament Survey — Gospels

Gerald Bray (Beeson Divinity School)

  • Church History I
  • Church History II

Gordon Isaac (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary)

  • Church History
  • Luther

Ron Nash (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)

  • Advanced Worldview Analysis
  • Apologetics
  • Ethics
  • History of Philosophy and Christian Thought

Peter Kuzmic (Evangelical Theological Seminary)

  • Theology of World Missions

Timothy Tennent (Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary)

  • Buddhism
  • Hinduism (Foundations)
  • Islam
  • The World Mission of the Church (Foundations)
  • World Religions (Foundations)

Bruce Ware (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)

  • Systematic Theology 2
  • Systematic Theology I

Bill Mounce

  • 52 Major Stories of the Bible
  • Biblical Greek
  • Biblical Training Institute
  • Greek Tools for Bible Study
  • Now that I Believe

Bryan Chapell (Covenant Theological Seminary)

  • Preaching

John Piper (Bethel)

  • Pastoral Theology

Miles van Pelt (Reformed Theological Seminary)

  • Biblical Theology

Douglas Stuart (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary)

  • Old Testament Survey

Paul House (Beeson Divinity School)

  • Old Testament Theology

Frank Thielman (Beeson Divinity School)

  • New Testament Theology

George Guthrie (Union University)

  • Inductive Bible Study

Gary Parrett (Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary)

  • Educational Ministry of the Church
  • Worship

Craig Blomberg (Denver Seminary)

  • Introduction to the New Testament: Epistles
  • Introduction to the New Testament: Gospel and Acts
  • New Testament Survey

Gerry Breshears (Western Seminary)

  • Spiritual Warfare

And, these are available from Covenant Theological Seminary:

  • Ancient and Medieval Church History, by Dr. David Calhoun
  • Apologetics and Outreach, by Professor Jerram Barrs
  • Biblical Theology, by Dr. Gerard Van Groningen, former professor at Covenant Theological Seminary
  • Calvin’s Institutes, by Dr. David Calhoun
  • Christ-Centered Preaching: Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, by Dr. Bryan Chapell and Dr. Zack Eswine
  • Christian Ethics, by Dr. David Jones
  • Christian Worship, by Professor Jerram Barrs
  • Francis A. Schaeffer: The Early Years, by Professor Jerram Barrs
  • Francis A. Schaeffer: The Later Years, by Professor Jerram Barrs
  • God and His Word, by Dr. Michael Williams
  • God’s World Mission, by Dr. Nelson Jennings
  • Hebrews to Revelation, by Dr. Daniel Doriani
  • Humanity, Christ, and Redemption, by Dr. Robert Peterson
  • Life and Letters of Paul, by Dr. Hans Bayer
  • Life and Teachings of Jesus, by Dr. Daniel Doriani
  • New Testament History and Theology, by Dr. David Calhoun
  • Old Testament History, by Dr. V. Philips Long, former professor at Covenant Theological Seminary
  • Psalms and Wisdom Books, by Dr. V. Philips Long, former professor at Covenant Theological Seminary
  • Reformation and Modern Church History, by Dr. David Calhoun
  • Spirit, Church, and Last Things, by Dr. Robert Peterson
  • Youth Ministry, by Professor Mark Davis, visiting instructor at Covenant Theological Seminary

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Book Cover

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Filed Under: Blog, Church History, Front Page, Theology Tagged With: Free Online Audio, Mp3, Seminary, Theology

June 15, 2008 by kevinstilley

Can A Leader Have Questions?

As a pastor, as a seminary professor, as a leader in a variety of positions, I have tried to be transparent and honest about the doubts, questions and uncertainties which are part of my faith. Having spent decades living according to this philosophy of ministry, I am not sure that it is the best approach.

As I was teaching this semester there were three specific issues about which I pointed out the various positions that theologians take and admitted to being uncertain as to which was the correct position. The results were that one student accused me of being uninformed, one of being a postmodernist, and one of denying the sufficiency of Scripture. The truth of the matter is that I was much more informed than the authority quoted by the first student, that I am about as far from being a postmodernist as they come, and I am a champion of the belief in the authority and sufficiency of Scripture.

Doctrinal questions leadershipThose are just three examples of many that I could offer in which I have observed how honesty and transparency has resulted in diminished ability to lead. It seems that parishioners and students want leaders with answers only, NOT QUESTIONS.

In the small booklet What Is Truth, Ravi Zacharias shares the following story;

I was at an airport looking for my departure gate, and I noticed that the flight listed was to another city. So I asked a passenger if that flight was headed to Atlanta or elsewhere. She promptly answered my question and told me the notation was wrong. As I thanked her and turned to find a seat, she said, “Are you Ravi Zacharias?” I answered yes. Then came this utterly surprising response: “I listen to you on the radio regularly. I didn’t know you had questions as well.” I laughed at her compliment and assured her that I had several questions, especially if I want to get to the right destination.

There are so many answers out there and a question to every answer. To ask them is to engage with information. To ask questions about life’s ultimate questions is to be in the pursuit of God.

I would be interested in hearing some of your stories in which you, like Paul, have been honest in presenting yourself as one who has not yet arrived, yet maintained your leadership influence. Anyone?

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: answers, belief, Blog, church, doctrine, Education, growth, influence, Leadership, maturity, questions, Seminary, uncertainty

May 30, 2008 by kevinstilley

Are Professors Being Expelled

Expelled Dembski“Professors aren’t being fired because they support intelligent design, they are being fired for lots of other reasons and then they have to justify their firing to other people and say it was because they advocated ID, rather than admit they were in some other way inadequate.”

That is what I was recently told by a cheeky fellow who was trying to cast an aura of confidence and disdain.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Apologetics, Atheism, Ben Stein, Blog, Education, expelled, id, intelligent design, movie, Movies, professor, Science, Seminary, Smithsonian, Southwestern Baptist, SWBTS, William Dembski

May 12, 2008 by kevinstilley

First Graduates From The College At Southwestern

Southwestern GraduatesThe magnificent seven, plus three. The first ten graduates from the College at Southwestern should be very proud. They were there at the beginning of something truly great. The College at Southwestern was established in 2005 and “is rooted in the rich history of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Baptist, Blog, Caner, college, Evangelism, Graduates, Missions, Paige Patterson, Seminary, Southwestern Baptist, Theological

February 25, 2008 by kevinstilley

Great Annotated List of Audio Resources

I recently posted about the seminary level training made available by Third Millenium Ministries. There are now some great resources available online for anyone who wants to pursue a more in depth knowledge of the Bible. There is a great list of online resources that can be found HERE. The list is annotated so you can sort through and find the audio downloads for which you have the most interest.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Audio, Bible, Blog, Education, Mp3, online, resources, Seminary, videos

February 24, 2008 by kevinstilley

SWBTS Chapel

Chapel Schedule For Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

February 12, 2008 – Dr. Ergun Caner
President, Liberty Theological Seminary, Lynchburg, VA [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Baptist, Blog, Chapel, Seminary, Southwestern, SWBTS, World News

February 9, 2008 by kevinstilley

Third Millenium Ministries

Third Millennium Ministries is a great resource for those interested in learning more about Christian faith. They are in the process of building a multi-media seminary level curriculum for the whole world in 5 major languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, Spanish, and Russian) that is FREE OF COST.

Their curriculum is designed to resemble the History Channel and offers the deeper truths of the Bible AT NO CHARGE.

Third Millennium’s belief is that the gospel is NOT FOR SALE. So the education in the Bible should be FREE OF CHARGE. It is the goal of Third Millennium that any person wanting to learn more about God should have that opportunity.

The premise of Third Millennium is simple. Where the church is growing the fastest those Christians have the least amount of opportunity for education in the Bible. So Christians become leaders in the churches of the world with little to no knowledge of the Bible.

History has shown that when the gospel went forth with the greatest power it was when the growth areas were properly fed with the deeper truths of the Bible.

Therefore, to mobilize the churches around the globe for the world stage we must properly equip them with the full armor of God.

Third Millennium is evangelical in its approach and welcomes all denominations to participate in the effort in what the Bible calls, “Transforming The World Into The Kingdom of God”

Click Here to check it out.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Blog, Christianity, Education, Evangelism, Missions, resources, Seminary, Theology

March 14, 2007 by kevinstilley

Proverbs – Western Seminary

Western Seminary offered an external studies course on The Book of Proverbs, using the recorded lectures of Bruce Waltke and the following textbooks.

Book  Cover Book  Cover Book  Cover

Filed Under: Blog, Books, Old Testament Tagged With: Bible Exegesis, Bible Exposition, Bible study, Old Testament, proverbs, Seminary

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