Theological education

I write to you from the theological library of my alma mater. I’m working from Pittsburgh this week as I visit some friends and family, and at times I like to go back to familiar places like this one. Sitting here by the large windows, listening to the hum of the printers and scanners, I feel a sense of nostalgia, and more, a continuity between the chapters of my life.

At any rate, being here makes me think of theological education, a topic that the Century has been touching on often lately (and no surprise, as our February issue had this very theme). Brian Bantum offers a unique patchwork reflection on (a)systematic theology. Jonathan Tran describes a helpful paradigm shift for his ethics classes as they discuss abortion. The Century editors assess a clash between religious observance and academic freedom at Hamline University.

In our video of the week, I chat with frequent Century contributor Jeannine Pitas about her forthcoming book of personal and powerful poetry.

Email me: Tell me about a place from your past you like to visit.

Jon Mathieu
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A mosaic of story

“I suspect the idea of theology as a story, as an art, as literary, as ambiguous pieces sewn together might feel frightening. Where is the tradition? Where is the historical framing? Where is scripture? Where are the counterarguments? None of what I’ve said means we don’t need those things. But maybe we need more.”

by Brian Bantum

What went wrong at Hamline?

“After the lawsuit, the administrators named their growing awareness of the complexities of the religious question within Islam and their eagerness to learn more. This curiosity would have been welcome before they fired Erika López Prater.”

Thinking through abortion ethics in the classroom

“My students were looking for something that, rather than reverting to lowest common denominators, could gather a people around common goods.”

by Jonathan Tran

In the Lectionary for February 12 (Epiphany 6A)

If God gives growth and growth means change, the implications are broad.

by Steve Thorngate
 

Video: Jeannine Marie Pitas reads and discusses poetry from Or/And

Jon chats with poet, translator, and scholar Jeannine Pitas about poetry from her forthcoming book.

Bringing Zwingli out from the shadows of Luther and Calvin

“There are Lutherans and Calvinists but no Zwinglians (except those Lutheran seminarians accused of secretly being crypto-Calvinists for having spoken too imprecisely regarding the real presence in the Eucharist).”