Welcome to my Blog
My Almost Weekly Blog Post speaks out of my need to grapple with things that matter. It is also an expression of the joy of learning. My love for Holy Scriptures leads the way, but as well you will find poetry and story and history and the great art of the ages. In the words of Jesus, I’m asking this question these days: “What are you looking for?” In a world gone awry, and in personal lives challenged every day, indeed, what am I looking for? We’ll try to give some answers to that question along the way. I hope you will join me.
Latest Posts
Is There Anyone Anymore Who Will Tell Us How to Write Well?
William Strunk? E.B. White? The Elements Of Style? Does anyone remember those names? Does anyone anymore recognize this little book as one of the shaping forces of good writing for the last 50 years? Read more»
People of Faith and the Presumption of Pluralism
I’ve been delighted by the amount and quality of the responses to these blog posts. Thank you for challenging me, for opening up my blind spots, for filling in the vacant spaces in the things I am trying to think through too. Read more»
What Does It Mean to Separate Faith and Culture?
When John G. Roberts was nominated to become the Chief Justice of the United States, politicians and major media outlets were concerned because he was a devout Catholic. Why should they be? Read more»
Found at Starbucks: A Latte and a Big Idea
Watch President Eaton's newest video about his conversation with a Starbucks barista on the topic of text messaging. Are we in danger of losing our ability to read and to write sophisticated text? Read more»
Lincoln Spoke for Two Minutes and Changed the World
Lincoln believed that good language could not only capture ideas, but it could communicate, motivate, clarify, encourage. Good language could move the nation toward understanding its own identity. Read more»
Deep Nerves on Health Care
Could core themes for American democracy, as described in the 1800s by Alexis de Tocqueville, help explain at least some of the heated debate about health care? Read more»
In My Absence
It has been a few weeks since I’ve been able to write a post for this blog. I am sorry. I have missed the conversation and the chance to reflect on things from my study on Saturday mornings. Read more»
Video: Why Community Matters
Watch President Philip W. Eaton’s newest video describing why the best learning takes place in community. He includes thoughts on Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s classic book, Life Together.
Our Hour Upon the Stage
It seems like a lot of people are dying these days. I had that thought this morning as Sharon and I watched the funeral mass in Boston for Senator Ted Kennedy. And I found myself thinking about the lives that have stepped off the stage in the last few months and years... Read more»
Focusing Again on What Really Matters
We’ve got to focus on what matters. These thoughts all came into clearer focus for me over the weekend while I was sitting in a vibrant worship service at the Lawndale Community Church in Chicago’s Westside. Read more»
Really Good Food — and Changing the World
Is it possible that cooking good food can change the world? Or that eating such wonderful food could change our lives? Sounds a little preposterous, I know, but I thought about these questions last night. Read more »
Summer Days With Nietzsche and Hopkins
I am taking a few days of vacation in August, and I love it. Once we get into a break like this, we suddenly realize how much we need it. I’m sure you know what I mean. Read more»
Living in a World of Colliding Maps
The late, great Jewish novelist Chaim Potok said on my campus some years ago that “we live in a world of colliding maps.” I think he is absolutely right about that, though I don’t always like it. Read more»
To The Moon And Back
I find myself imagining the hundreds of thousands of scientists, engineers, managers, office personnel, and executives it took to put two men on the moon. That was forty years ago today, July 20, 1969. Read more»
Where Does World Change Begin?
I recently attended a fundraising breakfast sponsored by a fine organization in Seattle that is dedicated to bringing the best of medical technology to the health and wellness of poor children across the globe. Read more»
What’s The News Today?
The news moves fast these days. The afternoon of Michael Jackson’s sudden death, a young man on a commuter train spotted a gentleman across the aisle reading a newspaper. Read more»
Energized by Your Comments
I hope you are engaging with me on some of these ideas in this blog. I launched the blog because I want to carry on a conversation about some of the things that matter to me, things that matter to our world, I hope. And I am thrilled with the response. Read more»
Madoff in Hell
Bernie Madoff stood before the judge today for sentencing and received a 150-year sentence. We were told he would be allowed to doff his jail-issued uniform for the occasion. Read more»
Leading With Grace — What Really Matters
David Hubbard, longtime president at Fuller Seminary, was a towering figure for me about how to lead courageously, with conviction and clarity, and yet to lead with grace. Read more»
The Encounter: Why We Need Great Teachers
A hugely important person in my life died this week. And I’ve been thinking a lot about what a professor can mean to a student — throughout life. Read more»