New Developements

I have been following a couple of interesting developments in the area of Christian education which Locust Street patrons might also find intriguing.

The first is a new Center for Early Christian Studies opening at Wheaton College, arguably the best evangelical school in the country. It aims to bring evangelicals, Catholics and Orthodox together to study the fathers of the early church. Funded by Greek Orthodox alumni of Wheaton, run by a Greek evangelical from Athens, the Center seems serious about their ecumenical vision. Their first speaker was Robert Louis Wilken, a Catholic patristics scholar who recently retired from the University of Virginia. I think this is one more piece of evidence that evangelicals are showing interest in Christian history and in the writings of the fathers in particular. Seeing the dead ends of the historical-critical method of Biblical interpretation, evangelicals are discovering the insights of patristic exegesis of Scripture, which is modeled on the interpretation of the Old Testament that we find in the Apostolic writings of the New Testament. Interestingly, Faulkner College is also showing interest in the Fathers: see the website for their Patristics Project.

The second is the planned C.S. Lewis College, which hopes to open in nearby Northfield, MA, in a couple of years. The founders are describing it as a great books college based on mere Christianity, welcoming faithful protestants, Orthodox and Catholics to come together over a curriculum of foundational primary texts. The professors will be 'fellows' on the Oxford model, with great involvement in the college outside of class. The C.S. Lewis foundation, funded by the retailer Hobby Lobby, has just purchased the beautiful Northfield Mt Herman campus, formerly an independent secondary school.

Here's wishing all patrons a Healthy and Happy 2010!