Hi folks. I’m Chris Armstrong (Ph.D., Duke University), professor of church history at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. I get paid to learn and teach about dead people, and I like to “evangelize” for my field. I think it’s the greatest job in the world.
This blog is structured around three courses I’ve taught at Bethel Seminary. The first is a book, the second will be a book soon, and the third I hope will be a book too:
Patron Saints for Postmoderns–a loving “group biography” of ten people we should know who are part of our faith heritage
Medieval Wisdom for Modern Protestants–CS Lewis, GK Chesterton, JRR Tolkien, and Dorothy Sayers thought medieval faith provides antidotes to modern malaises. So do I.
Resources for Radical Living–reflections on living the compassionate life, the prophetic life, the penitential life, the devotional life, and the communal life
And yes, I like the word “for” a lot. It appeals to my good old American evangelical pragmatism. We’re not interested in anything until we know what it’s FOR.
Patron Saints for Postmoderns was published in fall 2009 by InterVarsity Press.You can find a copy of it here. I explain why I think we’re all postmoderns, and we all need patron saints, here. And Scot McKnight led a discussion on it in fall 2009 here and here. (He actually blogged on every chapter! Thanks Scot.)
I’ve also written over 70 articles as the former managing editor of the dear departed Christian History & Biography magazine and contributing writer to Christianity Today, Leadership Journal, www.christianhistory.net, and other publications.
UPDATE as of January 2011: Christian History magazine lives again–at least for one print issue–#100, on the King James Bible. I would love to see CH enjoy many more years of publication (and I am putting my money where my mouth is by serving as managing editor). If you would like a free copy of this issue and are perhaps interested in receiving the magazine regularly, please see this post.
My research and teaching interests include the holiness, Pentecostal, and charismatic movements; a usable medieval past; the “Inklings” authors; religion and emotion; evangelical spirituality; and the “ancient-future” and “new monastic” movements within evangelicalism.
Welcome to my blog!
My book, through amazon.com
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Reposting to the blog item this refers to.
Hello Chris,
I enjoyed your article “The Bible Alone”? Not for John Calvin in “Christian History” magazine and am very interested in the Reformers thoughts upon the early church. Any primary sources and book recommendations are appreciated on this subject. Long story, I’m debating several Reformed Protestants about church history, apologetics, historical theology and their relationship with each other but want to provide more evidence for a historic understanding of “Semper Reformanda,” “Sola Scriptura,” and a host of other topics. Thanks.
Check out D H Williams Evangelicals and Tradition, chapter 4, and the companion volume by the same author (primary documents), Scripture, Tradition, and Interpretation.
As an indie bookstore I was sad to see the exclusive link to amazon for your (good) book. Why not have a line that says “wherever fine books are sold” or “at your local bookstore.” I won’t bore you with the numerous reasons why this feels like a kick in the teeth to those of us who carry your book and talk about these themes and care about thoughtful faithfulness as you do. There is also a “store finder” bug you get can from CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) and another great one from IndieBound. Some stores link to those. But how about at least a nod?