Divine Grace and Human Responsibility in Bernard of Clairvaux
Philip Schaff described Bernard of Clairvaux as the “the model monk of the Middle Ages, the most imposing figure of his time, and one of the best men of all the Christian centuries” [1]. Yet many know very little of this important saint. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) was born into a wealthy family in northern France. Throughout his life, he was a monk, mystic, and theologian. Within a few centuries, he was the most oft-quoted...
The Persistence of Place: Reflections on Craig Bartholomew’s Where Mortals Dwell
Some of the most important aspects of life are those we often overlook. Many of us, to some extent, acknowledge that it is during illness that we realize we’ve taken good health for granted. For example, looking death in the eye, even the wealthy and famous often concede: “I wish I had spent more time with my family.” Committed Christians also find themselves repeatedly confronted with the theme of remembrance as they read the...
Assessing the Arts
Essay by Alexandra Harper with W. Jackson Watts Walking through an art gallery can be an intimidating experience. It is not due to a distaste for art that this feeling necessarily arises, but because we simply don’t understand it. For one, art education sits so low on our society’s totem pole of educational priorities. When school budgets are cut, art and music are often the first areas eliminated. Yet for Christians today the issue...
All Together Now: A Theology and Strategy for Race Relations
Racism is a dirty word. Billy Graham referred to it as a “deadly poison” [1], Jefferson Edwards, Jr. a “cancer” [2]. Despite a difficult history, efforts have been made in recent decades to correct yesterday’s wrongs. Some of these have been cultural, others political, and still others social. These notwithstanding, Christians should know what the Scriptures state about race relations. Though the whole testimony of Scripture speaks to...
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