A Glimpse of the Kingdom in Academia: Academic Formation as Radical Discipleship
Ebook
Overview
University is a major way that our society prepares professionals and leaders in education, health, government, business, arts, church--all components of our communal lives. Although the beginnings of the first universities were Christian, academia has become more and more adrift from these foundations. We have lost not only the union, the interwovenness of theological and academic understandings, but also the relational and communal process of learning which teaches students to be other-centered in their practice. A Glimpse of the Kingdom in Academia tells the story of the social sciences department of a small Christian university that took seriously the mandate to prepare their students to be salt and light in a secular society. Here are stories of the transformation in students' lives, as well as description of classroom practices, and the epistemological theory behind those practices. The book explores academic knowing, Christian worldview, relational epistemology, inner knowing, and wisdom--all ways of knowing that a Christian university should teach. The process of transformation, the context of community, and the bigger picture of life's journey and changing images of God are identified as important aspects of kingdom life in academia. The institutional setting is also critiqued with the recognition that power practices need to align with the kingdom of the Christ who emptied himself.
"This book is an invitation to another way of seeing, but it is
also dense in alternative epistemological sources. . . . This book
should be read by all those involved with student learning and
administration. It can also be read by any teacher or
administrator, school or institution hoping to make learning more
open and transformational in any discipline or context."
--Nicola Hoggard Creegan, Lecturer in Theology, Laidlaw
College
"[This] is not simply a how-to book. It is a book that will move
you into a more profound way of reading and entering the gospel
story. It is a book marked by a theology of the Kingdom or reign of
God and a holistic vision of God's redemptive and healing purposes
for our world. It is a book also shaped by the newer liberation and
feminist theologies. Moreover, it is a book marked by profound
spirituality. . . . It is my hope that this book will be a
precursor of what is to come, that it will point the way for others
to take the shape of their life in Christ into the public
sphere."
--From the Foreword by Charles Ringma, Emeritus Professor, Regent
College
Product Details
- Title : A Glimpse of the Kingdom in Academia: Academic Formation as Radical Discipleship
- Authors:
- Alexander, Irene
- Ringma, Charles R.
- Publisher: Cascade Books
- Publication Date: 2013
- ISBN: 9781621895398
Irene Alexander is a psychologist and spiritual director. She lectures at Christian Heritage College and the Australian Catholic University in Brisbane, Australia, and in spiritual direction formation. She is the author of several books, including Dancing with God: Transformation through Relationship (2007) and Practicing the Presence of Jesus (2011).