1. Academic curricula will become more multi-disciplinary.
2. Education leaders will need to balance MOOCS and traditional learning.
3. Student recruitment and retention will be more important than ever.
4. Higher education needs to invest in technology
5. Higher education will explore new funding models.
The first two predictions are the most critical for Seminaries. Re #1, there must be far greater collaboration and integration of departments in order to produce well-rounded pastors. Students often complain of overlap in Seminary courses. Personally, I think the problem is unplanned and accidental overlap and the answer is much more planned, intentional, holistic overlap within departments and between departments.
The second prediction touches on the most world-shifting revolution for teachers. Gone are the days of a single curriculum and single assessment method. Also gone are the days of trying to fit on-campus courses into a MOOC or Distance Learning mold (and vice versa). Teachers are going to have to produce multiple curricula and assessment methods for each course and provide differeent students (both on and off campus) with a range of choices as to how they will learn the material, when they will learn the material, and how they will demonstrate mastery of it.
We might prefer the simpler (and easier) world. But it’s gone. And so will we, unless we adapt and change. “Edulution” anyone?
I like to scour Amazon on Fridays for some cheap weekend reading, usually picking up a great book or two for a few bucks that I can read through in a couple of hours.
As I spend my week reading Christian books for my teaching and preaching, I’m usually on the lookout for something a bit different, often a biography about someone I’d like to know more about, perhaps a popular history book, or maybe something on leadership/time management/study techniques.
My ideal is a New York Times Bestseller that’s on special offer – not fiction, I just don’t have the time or inclination for that. Sometimes if I see a book that’s got tons of reviews (say 300+) but I don’t know anything about it, I’ll pick that one just to see what others are reading and what’s got traction in our culture. I’m often surprised at how many good sermon illustrations (and blog post ideas) I find.
Upstairs At The White House: My Life With The First Ladies by J.B. West ($1.99) J. B. West, chief usher of the White House, directed the operations and maintenance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—and coordinated its daily life—at the request of the president and his family. He directed state functions; planned parties, weddings and funerals, gardens and playgrounds, and extensive renovations; and with a large staff, supervised every activity in the presidential home. For twenty-eight years, first as assistant to the chief usher, then as chief usher, he witnessed national crises and triumphs, and interacted daily with six consecutive presidents and first ladies, their parents, children and grandchildren, and houseguests—including friends, relatives, and heads of state.
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman ($2.99) In the international bestseller, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, the renowned psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. The impact of overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning our next vacation—each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems shape our judgments and decisions.
Evernote for Your Life: A Practical Guide for the Use of Evernote in Your Everyday Life by Tyler Collins ($2.99) Evernote for your life is not a manual, it’s a guidebook for the practical application of Evernote into every corner of your life. Whether you are…
-A student struggling with reams of lecture notes, references, and recordings of talks
-A journalist who needs to compile ideas, log interviews, and communicate on the move
-A busy individual who wants to keep and share photos, store business cards and notes
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell ($3.99) The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.
Quiet: The Power of Quiet in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain ($2.99) In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores The Hidden SIde of Everything by Levitt & Dubner ($1.99) Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? How did the legalization of abortion affect the rate of violent crime? These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much-heralded scholar whostudies the riddles of everyday life—from cheating and crime to sports and child-rearing—and whose conclusions turn conventional wisdom on its head.
New New Atheism Has New Atheism had its heyday? Is there a new New Atheism? Joseph Adams argues that there is and that it is good news for believers and non-believers alike.
But What About Gluttony?
Why do conservative Christians make such a fuss about homosexuality and give everyone a free pass—most notably themselves—when it comes to gluttony?
A Spiritual Family Tree
Jason Helopoulos: “What does your family tree look like? I am not so concerned about your biological family tree. Frankly, that is of very little interest to me. I’m interested in your spiritual family tree. From where did you come spiritually? Who shared the faith with you? And who shared the faith with them? If you are a believer, you are in a long line dating all the way back to Abraham. But even more importantly, what does your spiritual family tree look like going forward? What growth is budding off of your branch? ”
The Surprise and Sickening Outrage Over Jodie Cunnigham’s Abortion A woman in the United Kingdom faces an unplanned pregnancy that prevents her from taking the next step in her career. She makes the choice to abort. And Great Britain erupts in judgment and anger toward the woman.
Youth-Driven Culture
Steve Nichols: “The subtle and not-so-subtle pulls of the idolization of youth manifest themselves in three areas. The first is an elevation of youth over the aged. This reverses the biblical paradigm. The second is a view of being human that values prettiness (not to be confused with beauty and aesthetics), strength, and human achievement. Think of the captain of the cheerleading squad and the star quarterback. The third is the dominance of the market by the youth demographic. That is to say, in order to be relevant and successful, one must appeal to the youth or to youthful tastes. These manifestations of our youth-driven culture deserve a closer look.”
I have a friend who’s been struggling with depression for many months, with none of the usual remedies working for any length of time. He was just bumping along the bottom and I was beginning to really worry about him.
Then, a couple of weeks ago, as the snow finally lifted after one of the fiercest and whitest winters in living memory, he took his family on a short vacation to the Great Lakes where, quite suddenly, the depression lifted.
He was emphatic that it was seeing the green grass again, and the blue sky and water, that did the trick. He said that as he drank in the green and the blue in big mouthfuls and gulps, he could actually feel the depression lifting.
And when he felt a bit down again last week, he took a quick 40-minute drive to Lake Michigan and sucked the therapeutic scenery deep into his soul for an hour.
As this article confirms, the color of happiness is green and blue. So, go get some grass, water, and sky for your body, mind, and soul.
Free, fast, plentiful, and enjoyable medication – with no harmful side-effects. Like all meds, it won’t work for everyone, but it might be worth a try? Savor this sample via Youtube! Full screen and breathe it in.
As I’m often asked for book recommendations on various subjects, I decided to put together an online list of my top ten books in various categories. Basically, if I was only allowed 10 books in my library on that subject, these are the ten I would choose. Other posts include:
Today I’m listing the Top 10 Biographies of Christian Women together with summaries of their Amazon descriptions. I have to be honest here and say I have not read all of these. I’ve read some and the others I collated via survey questions, social media recommendations, and other book reviews. Thanks to all who sent in their suggestions.
After this list you’ll find a poll where you can cast three votes for your favorite books and help others choose the best books on the subject. Click on “View Results” to see what books are most popular.
You can also add any book not on the list by writing the title in “Other” or in the Comments I’ll add these to the end of the post under “Reader Suggestions.”
“A solitary woman. A foreign country. An unknown language. An impossible dream? No. With no mission board to support or guide her and less than ten dollars in her pocket, Gladys Aylward left her home in England to answer God’s call to take the message of the gospel to China. The Little Woman tells the story of one woman’s determination to serve God at any cost.With God all things are possible!”
“Here is a book aglow with the glory of God and the courage of a quiet Christian spinster whose life was transformed by it. A story of Christ’s message and the courage woman who listened and lived to pass it along—with joy and triumph!”
“Isobel Miller gave up God for worldly pursuits. But as graduation approached and her engagement was broken, she questioned that decision. “If You will prove to me that You are, and if You will give me peace, I will give You my whole life.” God heard Isobel’s prayers and responded. He reached out to her, ending years of searching, and building her up for decades of fruitful missionary service with her husband, John Kuhn, in China.”
“Life for most people is governed by authority and convention, but behind these there lies always the mystery of human nature, uncertain and elusive, and apt now and again to go off at a tangent and disturb the smooth working of organised routine. Some man or woman will appear who departs from the normal order of procedure, who follows ideals rather than rules, and whose methods are irregular, and often, in the eyes of onlookers, unwise. They may be poor or frail, and in their own estimation of no account, yet it is often they who are used for the accomplishment of important ends. Such a one was Mary Slessor.”
“A Chance to Die is a vibrant portrayal of Amy Carmichael, an Irish missionary and writer who spent fifty-three years in south India without furlough. There she became known as “Amma,” or “mother,” as she founded the Dohnavur Fellowship, a refuge for underprivileged children. Amy’s life of obedience and courage stands as a model for all who claim the name of Christ. She was a woman with desires and dreams, faults and fears, who gave her life unconditionally to serve her Master.”
“The autobiography of Dr. Helen Roseveare, graduate in medicine from University of Cambridge, in the late 1940′s. A well-known missionary doctor and author, with several of her works still in print, she worked in the north-eastern province of the Belgian Congo with the Heart of Africa Mission in the 1950′s & 60′s. Physical dangers and her personal ambition in the Congo often almost sank her, but her faith and hard work brought her through. Her story is one of bright mountains, conquered after experiencing the dark valleys and learning to give the glory to God.”
In this biography Ann Judson, wife of Adoniram Judson, is allowed to speak for herself. Sharon James has skilfully woven together extracts from her Memoir and other first-hand accounts with linking narrative in a way that brings Ann’s story alive for today and is a powerful testimony to the love, grace and faithfulness of God.
“Lady Jane Grey was manipulated into assuming the crown of England, only to be put to death by the Mary, the rival heir to the throne. In order to understand the full tragedy and triumph of her life, one must grasp the far reaching political and religious changes that were shaking England at that time. Faith Cook here assembles the puzzle pieces of Lady Jane Grey’s life and puts together a picture of an outstanding girl whose character and faith shone from the darkness that surrounded her.”
“Art critic John Ruskin enthusiastically proclaimed her potential as one of the best artists of the nineteenth century, but Lilias Trotter’s devotion to Christ compelled her to surrender her life of art, privilege, and leisure. Leaving the home of her wealthy parents for a humble dwelling in Algeria, Lilias defied sterotypes and taboos that should have deterred any European woman from ministering in a Muslim country. Yet she stayed for nearly forty years, befriending Algerian Muslims with her appreciation for literature and art and winning them to Christ through her life of love.”
“Newlywed American missionary Darlene Deibler Rose survived four years in a notorious Japanese prison camp set deep in the jungles of New Guinea. Thinking she was never to see her husband again, Darlene Rose was forced to sign a false confession and face the executioner’s sword, only to be miraculously spared.”
Now you decide, what are your favorites? You can cast three votes and add a book if it’s not in the list.
Life in Jesus: A Memoir of Mary Winslow by Octavius Winslow.
“Godly people speak long after their deaths, inspiring us and revealing to us lives that are worthy of imitation. Octavius Winslow thus took up the daunting task of writing a memoir of his God-fearing mother, Mary Winslow (1774 1854). He viewed her as a grace-filled example of true spirituality, the antithesis of religious formalism, which he called the bane of the Christian church.”
The Iron Princess by Tryntje Helfferich.
“In the bloodiest conflict Europe had ever experienced, Amalia Elisabeth fought to save her tiny German state, her Calvinist church, and her children’s inheritance. Tryntje Helfferich reveals how this embattled ruler used diplomacy to play the European powers against one another, while raising one of the continent’s most effective fighting forces.”
Ann Bradstreet: Pilgrim and Poet by Faith Cook. “Sailing to the New World at the age of eighteen, Anne Bradstreet was among the first contingent of Puritan refugees to leave English shores between 1630 and 1642, in search of liberty to worship without fear of persecution from state or church. Frequently struggling with ill-health, in addition to the challenges of raising a family in the harsh conditions faced by the early settlers, she achieved unexpected fame as America’s first published poet, a remarkable feat for a woman in view of the cultural prejudices of the times.”
I Dared To Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheikh.
“The fascinating true story of Bilquis Sheikh, a prominent Muslim woman. Her unusual journey to a personal relationship with God turned her world upside down-and put her life in danger. Originally published in 1978, the book has sold 300,000 copies and is a classic in Muslim evangelism.”
Reader Suggestions
Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Butterfield. Thanks to Anita for reminding me of this book – can’t believe I left it off the Top 10. It’s definitely worthy of a place.
Elizabeth Prentiss: More Love to Thee by Sharon James
“Elizabeth Prentiss is best known as the author of the popular novel Stepping Heavenward (first published 1869) and the well-loved hymn,More Love to Thee; The difficult things she experienced equipped her to minister to others through her letters, books, and poetry. To grow in love for God was the one great passion of her life: many have testified that her writings continue to inspire them with that same passion.”
Kitty My Rib: The Heartwarming Story of a Woman of Courage and Devotion by E Jane Mall.
“Katherine Luther or “Kitty” was the woman behind the great man Martin Luther. Kitty mellowed Luther’s harsher side, kept the household from bankruptcy despite her husband’s generosity and enhanced his life with the joys and fullness of family living.”
My Seventh Monsoon by Naomi Reed.
“From the view point of her seventh monsoon, Naomi Reed takes time to look back on the seasons of her life. As she does so, she shares with us her journey of faith and mission and reveals poignant truths about God and the way he works his purposes in our lives through seasons.”
Quick links because I’m off early to a church planters conference in Chicago today to speak about Healthy Body, Healthy Ministry. The first address is A Theology of the Body, and the second A Theology of Sleep.
