December 2024

What is the relationship between presence and courage? The theme for the upcoming Converge conference recalls something I recently read in Shirley Mullen’s book, Claiming the Courageous Middle. During her tenure as the president of Houghton College, she noted that at times her attempt at courageous leadership was construed as sheer cowardice. She writes: I found it fascinating to receive…

A few years ago, I had a conversation with a student at my university that remains emblematic of one of my worries about Christian education. No doubt aware of my interest in how faith shapes teaching, this student told me about how one of her classes had begun and the impression it made on her. That semester, she explained, one…