By: Tonette Kellett on February 16, 2023
The book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, by Max Weber was a challenging read for me this week. It was necessary more than ever to go to videos and websites for help dissecting the material. I watched a professor give a talk on the topic from this title after reading most of…
By: David Beavis on February 16, 2023
What are the conditions that caused capitalism to emerge in civilization? This is the question the German sociologist, Max Weber, tackles in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.[1] Though the answer is complex, Weber highlights the influence Protestantism in particular had in creating an environment for capitalism to thrive. Dr. Jason Clark…
By: Kristy Newport on February 15, 2023
Dr. Clark’s doctoral research centers around Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the “Spirit” of Capitalism, and in this blog I hope to share a few ideas on stewardship as a response to Weber’s unanswered question. Dr. Clark cited Sedgwick and Weber, they “lead us, but do not answer the question “how are ascetics ordered…
By: Shonell Dillon on February 12, 2023
The War of Art I did not read the books in any specific order but it was fitting that I read “The War of Art” last. When I learned that the author was talking about resistance, I knew that it was quite a familiar topic. Instead of tackling the things that were important I decided…
By: Daron George on February 12, 2023
“The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles” by Steven Pressfield is a book aimed at helping creatives overcome the resistance they experience in pursuing their artistic endeavors. The book says many things about “resistance,” such as “Resistance cannot be seen, touched, heard, or smelled. But it can be…
By: Chad McSwain on February 11, 2023
Resistance is a funny thing. It comes in all shapes in sizes as it stands against any effort of true meaning. Like the crushing weight of the Titan moon hurled by the Infinity Gauntlet, is resistance to the one who seeks to put forth enough effort to materialize that which didn’t exist just a moment…
By: Audrey Robinson on February 11, 2023
I have always enjoyed the creative process of developing a new course, training seminar, or workshop. So, this book, The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield, spoke to many of my experiences. Two key topics from this week’s assigned readings provided insights into why it…
By: Jenny Steinbrenner Hale on February 10, 2023
This Could Change my Life… at Least my Writing “How many pages have I produced? I don’t care. Are they any good? I don’t even think about it. All that matters is I’ve put in my time and hit it with all I’ve got. All that counts is that for this day, for this session,…
By: Sara Taylor Lattimore on February 10, 2023
There always seems to be one thing that freezes me in place, that is the reason I get stuck, and the reason I fail. The fear of failure in the same thought process of perfectionism paralysis! Comedic irony, isn’t it, that the thing that freezes me in place is a fear of failure and it…
By: Greg McMullen on February 9, 2023
As we dig for gold in ourselves and others, we begin to overcome anxiety and become a pro. Resistance no longer has a hold of us, we become masters of our environments. We have become doctors no longer easily rattled, but focused on the task and having the best interest of our Heavenly Father, but…
By: Becca Hald on February 9, 2023
“You need to live your life. At least you do not have cancer.” Those were my sister’s words to me. It was on a day where I was at my parent’s house getting some down time while my kids played. This was a time when both my kids were in elementary school, my husband traveled…
By: Tonette Kellett on February 9, 2023
In Stephen King’s book On Writing, he pointed out that most people are able to write or tell a story to some degree. [1] He noted that their ability can be improved upon as well with practice. [2] As a teacher, I would say that this is certainly true of my students. Nearly all students…
By: Michael O'Neill on February 8, 2023
The world is fast and we accelerate it with the ability to keep up. There is an inversely proportional relationship between peace and chaos; and the antithesis of our over-committed stressful routines, poor choices, and difficult roads to completion – is occasional freedom. I often find myself somewhere on the spectrum near procrastination and “inspired…
By: Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe on February 8, 2023
The reading this week was terrific. King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft and Steven Pressfield’s War of Art are both full of nuggets for anyone willing to take a rip of faith and grow their potential against all odds. Pressfield, in War of Art, speaks of our two lives and the internal demon…
By: David Beavis on February 7, 2023
Let’s begin with a thought experiment. What is the first image that comes to mind when you hear the word “writer.” If you’re anything like me, you imagine the likes of an Albert Camus with a life of great freedom, creativity, and ease of work. I mean, how hard can putting one’s thoughts on paper…
By: Kristy Newport on February 5, 2023
Eat That Frog: 21 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time is a book by Brian Tracy and has become a resource for business managers and academics alike. [1} Doctor Clark mentioned this concept, “Eat the Frog” last semester during a zoom call; this jumped out at me as I have…
By: Laura Fleetwood on February 5, 2023
In just over a week, on Sunday, February 12, experts predict that more than 100 million people in the U.S. will tune in to watch the Super Bowl. [1] It’s referred to as the biggest pop culture event of the year. And this year, Jesus will show up on the big screen two times. An…
By: Daron George on February 5, 2023
“Evangelicalism in Modern Britain” is a seminal work (Bebbington quadrilateral anyone?) by British historian David Bebbington, which explores the evolution of Evangelicalism as a religious and cultural force in modern Britain. Bebbington argues that Evangelicalism has played a significant role in shaping British society, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, and continues to influence…
By: Audrey Robinson on February 4, 2023
Reading Evangelicalism in Modern Britain raised and answered quite a few questions regarding the overall impact Christianity has had on many global issues. Although Bebbington’s work focused primarily on the effect in Britain, there were references to America, which helped to situate the historical trajectory across the two continents. However, the most troubling question I…
By: Chad McSwain on February 4, 2023
One of the greatest fallacies is to assume that your moment in history is the most important. There is a sheer arrogance that results from disregarding how the past has shaped the cultural and societal complexities that exists today. It is a type of myopic view that even a brief wadding in the streams of…
