The New Testament in Its World: How History Can Revitalize Faith; Christmas Doesn’t Ignore Your Pain; Pressing Toward the Mark at Princeton; The Dark Psychology of Social Networks; Faculty Call for Ideological Diversity; Trevin Wax’s 10 Favorite Reads of 2019 and more, in this issue of Christian Union’s bi-monthly email brief.
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
— Matthew 1:21
The New Testament in Its World: How History Can Revitalize Faith
From Christian Union New York
On November 14, Christian Union New York was honored to host N.T. Wright at a CU Forum in Manhattan. Professor Wright’s talk touched on themes covered in his recently published book, The New Testament in its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians. He spoke on understanding the arrogance of modernity, the faults of secularism, the relevance of the New Testament in today’s world, and more.
Christmas Doesn’t Ignore Your Pain
From DesiringGod.org
Let’s be honest, not all is merry and bright. To some, the season may genuinely feel like the most wonderful time of the year, but all of us know deep down that not all is merry and bright in this world — or in us. Some Christmases we feel the burden and weight more than others…
Pressing Toward the Mark at Princeton
From Christian Union: The Magazine
A Princeton football player who is in a Christian Union Bible course with teammates said recently, “I wonder what it would look like if we all lived boldly for our faith and were unashamed to talk more freely about our faith? I think it would be transformational.” He and players in the Bible course are seeking to do just that and are using their platform as ambassadors for the Gospel…
The Dark Psychology of Social Networks
By Jonathan Haidt and Tobias Rose-Stockwell
From The Atlantic
The Atlantic’s December issue included a fascinating article that explores the impact of social media on our world.
Several thoughts from the article hint at the profound need for the work Christian Union is doing in the lives of students at America’s most influential universities. Here is one: “Even though they have unprecedented access to all that has ever been written and digitized, members of Gen Z (those born after 1995 or so) may find themselves less familiar with the accumulated wisdom of humanity than any recent generation, and therefore more prone to embrace ideas that bring social prestige within their immediate network yet are ultimately misguided.”
Faculty Call for Ideological Diversity
By Valerie Pavilonis & Matt Kristoffersen
From Yale Daily News
In this article from the Yale Daily News on the lack of ideological diversity among the faculty at the school, Yale professor David Gelernter says that “political diversity at Yale is low: ‘0%.’ He added that while there are ‘a few conservatives, including prominent ones,’ their numbers are not high enough to have a significant impact on campus culture.”
My 10 Favorite Reads of 2019
From The Gospel Coalition
Writer Trevin Wax, the senior vice president of Theology and Communications at LifeWay Christian Resources, and a visiting professor at Wheaton College, has produced a thoughtful “10 Favorite Reads of the Year” annually since 2006. Here is his 2019 list, perhaps in time for some last-minute Christmas shopping.
Prayer Requests
UNIVERSITY MINISTRIES
Please pray for our Christian Union faculty who minister to the students involved with Christian Union’s university ministries. Pray that the Christmas season would be refreshing, both physically and spiritually. Pray that God would strengthen, recharge, and prepare them for the second half of the school year.
CITY MINISTRIES
DAY & NIGHT
Pray for the Day and Night team as they seek God for even more effective ways to promote revival across the nation. Pray for wisdom, insight, provision, and courage.
Talk Back
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