Christianity and the Soul of the University : Faith as a Foundation for Intellectual Community

by Henry, Douglas V., and Michael D. Beaty, eds.

• ISBN13: 9780801027949
• ISBN10: 0801027942
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-04-01
• Publisher: Baker Academic

Summary

Many universities, founded on the principles of vigorous scholarship and steadfast Christian faith, have abandoned those roots, resulting in confusion, fragmentation, and ideological strife. This book explores the role reflective Christian faith can play in unifying the intellectual life of the university. Contributors including Jean Bethke Elshtain, Richard Hays, John Polkinghorne, Joel Carpenter, and David Lyle Jeffrey analyze the character and practices of an ideal Christian intellectual community.

Author Biography

Douglas V. Henry (Ph.D., Vanderbilt University) is assistant professor of philosophy and director of the Institute for Faith and Learning at Baylor University. He is the coeditor of Faithful Learning and the Christian Scholarly Vocation. Michael D. Beaty (Ph.D., University of Notre Dame) is professor of philosophy and vice provost for faculty development at Baylor University. He previously served as the director of Baylor's Institute for Faith and Learning.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	7	(2)
Introduction	9	(10)
Part 1 Basic Issues
1 The Palpable Word as Ground of Koinonia	19	(18)
Richard B. Hays
2 To Serve God Wittily, in the Tangle of One's Mind	37	(12)
Jean Bethke Elshtain
3 Christian Interdisciplinarity	49	(16)
John C. Polkinghorne
4 The Christian Scholar in an Age of World Christianity	65	(20)
Joel A. Carpenter
5 Faith, Fortitude, and the Future of Christian Intellectual Community	85	(18)
David Lyle Jeffrey
Part 2 Vital Practices
6 Doubt and the Hermeneutics of Delight	103	(16)
Susan M. Felch
7 Christian Hospitality in the Intellectual Community	119	(14)
Aurelie A. Hagstrom
8 Communal Conflict in the Postmodern Christian University	133	(12)
Steven R. Harmon
9 Moral Imagination at a Christian Institution	145	(18)
Daniel Russ and Mark L. Sargent
10 American Protestantism and Vocation in Higher Education	163	(18)
Daniel H. Williams
Contributors	181	(4)
Index	185