Abstract
The purpose of this book is to put flesh on the notion of being consecrated to learning as a Christian academic in higher education and to cast light on many themes and issues that are central to the work of Christian scholars in the contemporary university. Chapter 1 identifies three memories of the author that motivated him to write this book, warns of possible dangers to avoid in tackling the contentious topic of the relationship between Christian faith and the tasks of an academic, and then summarises a range of different interpretations of this relationship. The book’s underlying rationale is explained, followed by an overview of the structure and coverage of the book, along with an acknowledgement of its omissions and limitations.
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Notes
- 1.
Una M. Cadegan, ‘Not All Autobiography Is Scholarship’ in Confessing History edited by John Fea, Jay Green , and Eric Miller (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2010), p. 39.
- 2.
For a recent, brief and accessible overview on Blondel, linking his academic thought to his religious life, see Yvette Périco, Prier 15 jours avec Maurice Blondel (Bruyères-le-Châtel: Nouvelle Cité, 2016). For a more substantial and scholarly treatment, see Ferdinand Nindorera, Realisme Integral Selon Maurice Blondel : Pour une Philosophie Concrete, Dynamique du sens de la Vie (Glienicka: Galda Verlag, 2016).
- 3.
Maurice Blondel . Letter on Apologetics and History and Dogma. Texts presented by Alexander Dru and Illtyd Trethowan (London: Harvill Press, 1964; reissued Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1995).
- 4.
Illtyd Trethowan (1907–1993) joined Downside Abbey in Somerset in 1927, taught English, Classics and Philosophy there for very many years, served as Sub-Prior for thirty three years and for ten years (in two different periods) was editor of The Downside Review. He was recognized widely as ‘a thinker of international repute, penetrating luminosity and spiritual depth.’ See Anthony Baxter, ‘Illtyd Trethowan as Thinker: An Appreciation’, The Downside Review vol. 112, No. 387, 1994, pp. 75–87, at p. 75. His writings, which straddle the borders of theology and philosophy, have left an important legacy for scholars to benefit from. His commitment to scholarship was such that, despite his advanced years, he was still writing until the day before his death.
- 5.
Cadegan, loc. cit., p. 40.
- 6.
Jay D. Green, Christian Historiography (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2015).
- 7.
John Haughey, SJ, Where is Knowing Going? (Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2009), p. 56.
- 8.
For more on ‘consecration of learning’, see Chap. 12.
- 9.
For example, Deane E. D. Downey and Stanley E. Porter, eds, Christian Worldview and the Academic Disciplines (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2009); Oliver D. Crisp, Gavin D’Costa, Mervyn Davies and Peter Hampson, eds, Christianity and the Disciplines (London: T & T Clark, 2012).
- 10.
See my chapter ‘Interstitial Interventions: The Workplace Ecology of University Chaplains’ in Dancing on the Edge: Chaplaincy Church and Higher Education, edited by Peter McGrail and John Sullivan (Chelmsford, UK: Matthew James Publishing, 2007), pp. 89–108.
- 11.
On these topics, see, for example, Mark A. Noll, Jesus Christ and the Life of the Mind (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2011); Roy B. Zuck, Spirit-Filled Teaching (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1998); James R. Estep, Michael J. Anthony & Gregg R. Allison, A Theology for Christian Education (Nashville: B & H Academic, 2008).
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Sullivan, J. (2018). Introduction. In: The Christian Academic in Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69629-4_1
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