Sociology Through The Eyes Of Faith

Colorfully written by two popular and respected sociologists, this volume shows how sociology has evolved, how it became divided from Christian faith, and how Christian sociologists can make sense of this branch of social science.

In this book, Marsden argues forcefully that mainstream American higher education needs to be more open to explicit expressions of faith and to accept what faith means in an intellectual context.

This book enters a lively discussion about religious faith and higher education in America that has been going on for a decade or more. During this time many scholars have joined the debate about how best to understand the role of faith in the academy at large and in the special arena of church-related Christian higher education. The notion of faith-informed scholarship has, of course, figured prominently in this conversation. But, argue Douglas and Rhonda Jacobsen, the idea of Christian scholarship itself has been remarkably under-discussed. Most of the literature has assumed a definition of Christian scholarship that is Reformed and evangelical in orientation: a model associated with the phrase "the integration of faith and learning." The authors offer a new definition and analysis of Christian scholarship that respects the insights of different Christian traditions (e.g., Catholic, Lutheran, Anabaptist, Wesleyan, Pentecostal) and that applies to the arts and to professional studies as much as it does to the humanities and the natural and social sciences. The book itself is organized as a conversation. Five chapters by the Jacobsens alternate with four contributed essays that sharpen, illustrate, or complicate the material in the preceding chapters. The goal is both to map the complex terrain of Christian scholarship as it actually exists and to help foster better connections between Christian scholars of differing persuasions and between Christians and the academy as a whole.

Drawing on rare interviews, press clips, and eyewitness accounts, Robinson tells the story of baseball player Christy Matthewson, a man who became America's first authentic sports hero, and who showed an eager public that a real-life role model could be found in the athletic arena. Photos.

This comprehensive study, cosponsored by the Christian College Coalition, addresses questions faced by students in introductory literature courses. It examines literature as a form of human action and argues that the reading and writing of literary works provide vital ways for men and women to act as responsible agents in God's world. Building upon the doctrine of Creation, the authors show how the reading of literature helps us to be more effective interpreters of the stories and images we encounter daily. They demonstrate that great works of literature open up a realm of beauty and truth and help us gain an understanding of ourselves, God, and the world.

A personal odyssey through the world of Christian higher education, narrated by a professional who has worked on both sides of the faculty-administrative divide. What is the world of Christian higher education really like? Rick Ostrander’s thirty-year career in Christian academia equips him to provide an insider’s perspective on the field and its future. Ostrander cut his teeth as an undergraduate at Moody Bible Institute and the University of Michigan before completing his PhD with George Marsden at Notre Dame. From there he worked as a professor and administrator at various Christian colleges, a vice president at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and an independent academic consultant. Throughout, he witnessed the many dramatic transformations of Christian higher education. Ostrander traces an attempt to cultivate evangelical intellectualism in the ’90s to the political and economic forces that shake Christian colleges today. Through lively storytelling, Ostrander highlights the qualities and quirks of Christian higher education. His experiences offer readers insight into how Christian colleges can flourish in an age of uncertainty.

What does it mean to think and live Christianly in a world of competing worldviews? Christian Contours answers this question by inviting readers to consider the understanding of reality proposed by the Bible. Though it is easy to divide life into separate compartments (religious and secular, theological and practical), faith invites us to view all of life in the light of that Biblical understanding. Presenting a clear, compelling case for unity in essential Christian tenets, the authors of Christian Contours guide the reader through developing, internalizing, and articulating a biblical worldview. This robust worldview enables the Christian to be a critically-thinking participant in culture and to be a faithful disciple of Christ with both heart and mind.

Should society care about Christian morality? Are Christians out of touch with complex moral decision-making? Christian Morality: An Interdisciplinary Framework for Thinking about Contemporary Moral Issues provides readers with a framework for identifying and applying Christian moral principles to divisive issues. First, readers learn of the theological and philosophical foundations of Christian ethics. Two additional chapters explain how personal and social factors influence our capacity to think critically and Christianly about morality. Second, readers will learn about forming Christian moral judgments by seeing how different thinkers address six contemporary moral issues: abortion, same-sex relationships, equal treatment of men and women in the workplace, sex education, and racial bias in incarceration polices.