Dr. David Baker and Dr. Morven Baker

By Dr. David and Dr. Morven Baker

For anyone who has watched the move “Titanic,” or has any knowledge of acceptable societal norms during the abandoning of a ship, the title of this article needs little explanation.  Women and children need to be protected, and their safety put before that of the men. This chivalraic ideal is evident in such Christian bestsellers as John Eldredge’s Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2001) where authentic masculinity is to have a battle to fight and a beauty to rescue. Femininity, on the other hand, is “to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, and to unveil beauty” (John Eldredge and Stasi Eldredge, Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2005). In other words, the woman needs protection since she is powerless, passive, and without personal agency.

Continue reading

Dr. John Swope

By Dr.John Swope

When I came to ATS in the early 90s, I was in my thirties and had not encountered formal teaching on church history (that is, I knew nothing). Dr. Luke Keefer was one of my professors that semester, and I am so grateful for having experienced his teaching from the beginning. Dr. Keefer started us out “from square one” in such a way that allowed even me to grasp the rudiments of Christian history, and did his best in a single quarter to convey the vast scope of Christianity. He brought history alive, not only by the stories he shared, but by the way he connected the significant players and events to portray the movement of history.Continue reading

Dr. John Byron

By Dr. John Byron

Like many students, our professors made quite an impression on us. Indeed, our lives have been enriched as a result of our time with them—in their writings, in the classroom, at seminars, tutorials, conferences, and so on—and it’s probably safe to say that we became scholars ourselves because of them.

It’s clear that our professors’ lives and faith have touched us. At the same time, we’ve regularly encountered stories in popular books and other media of prominent Bible scholars who have left the faith as a result of their scholarship. These accounts, at times moving and compelling, have reminded us of the tensions in our work, but also that there is more to be told. We know that even while there are those who have journeyed away from their faith, there are many who have not.

Continue reading

Dr. Terry Wardle

By Dr. Terry Wardle

Archibald Hart, professor of Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary (my alma mater), once commented that people entering ministry will find themselves at the convergence of three major forces: their own congenital brokenness, their own convoluted development, and the demands of ministry.

Continue reading