Thinking After

Category: Uncategorized

  • Theological Resistance in Troubled Times

    I am pleased to have been invited back to Canadian Mennonite University to once again offer a six-week course on the life and theolog of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The course, entitled “Theological Resistance in Troubled Times: The Compelling Witness of Dietrich Bonhoeffer” is part of CMU’s Xplore program, which is geared towards lifelong learners. The course is offered entirely online and will run on six consecutive Thursdays from 9:30-10:30 am (CST) beginning on February 20. Xplore welcomes all interested learners from across Canada and beyond. To find out more about my course, visit the Xplore homepage here.

  • Petition on the Misuse of Dietrich Bonhoeffer

    I’ve added my name to a growing list of signatories to the petition against the misuse of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s legacy in support of Christian nationalism and political violence. The petition was started by Lori Brandt Hale, who currently serves as the President of the International Bonhoeffer Society, English Language Section. You can view the petition here.

  • Lent follows Swift-piphany

    The following paragraphs contain the rather whimsical observations with which I began my sermon this past Sunday for the first season of Lent at Grace Bible Church in Winnipeg. They set the stage for my reading of Mark 1:1-15 as the interpretive key for Mark’s Gospel and for the church’s pilgrimage through the season of Lent.

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  • Social Media and Mental Illness in Teenage Girls

    An important piece by the social psychologist Jonathan Haidt arguing that the relationship between the rise of social media and increasing mental illness in teenage girls is not simply a matter of correlation but causation.  It’s worth the ten minutes it takes to read.

  • Congratulations Dr. Paul Blair!

    Congratulations to Paul Blair, who completed his Doctor of Ministry degree with a presentation of his research at Providence Theological Seminary yesterday.  I had the privilege of supervising Paul as he wrote his dissertation, “Waterless Places: An Examination of Theology and Practice in the Exorcism of Spaces.”  Here are my introductory remarks from yesterday’s presentation: (more…)

  • Recent Hauerwas Podcasts

    In Minding the Web, I suggested that future scholars interested in the life and legacy of Stanley Hauerwas will have to somehow account for the significant number of public lectures, interviews and podcasts that are now circulating on the internet.  Two notable examples of the latter that have recently appeared are Hauerwas’s conversation on the theme of suffering with Kate Bowler on her podcast Everything Happens and his appearance on the Theology on Mission podcast with David Fitch and Mike Moore.  In the latter, I receive a generous shout-out from Stanley.  Kate Bowler, who was born in Winnipeg and now teaches at Duke, has quickly become a prominent public pastoral figure with respect to the subject of suffering.  David Fitch remains a significant neo-Anabaptist voice in evangelical circles and provided a gracious endorsement of Minding the Web.

  • Providence Theological Seminary Faculty Search – Old Testament

    Providence Theological Seminary is looking to add a new member to its faculty in the area of Old Testament.  The job posting describes Providence in the following way:  “For nearly a century Providence has been a Christian academic community in the historic
    evangelical tradition that teaches people to grow in knowledge and character for leadership and service. Providence Theological Seminary is both evangelical and interdenominational and exists to serve the Church by preparing and supporting leaders, developing resources, and facilitating theological reflection. The Seminary offers a variety of programs aimed at preparing students for Church, counselling, educational, global, and academic ministries.”

    If you know anyone who might be a potential fit to serve in this context, please direct them to the job posting, found here.

  • “What May I Hope?”: A Biblical and Theological Studies Symposium

    The video recording of Providence Theological Seminary’s recent symposium on the theme of eschatological preaching is now available on YouTube.  The recording features Dr. Tim Perry’s presentation “What May I Hope?: A Plea for Eschatological Preaching,” my response, and a time of discussion.

  • First World Problems

    I was struck by the following comment made by a student from Myanmar who is enrolled in one of my courses:  “In my country people are dying because they cannot get the vaccine; in yours people are dying because they will not take it.”

  • Upcoming Event: “What May I Hope?”

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