In a rapidly changing, globalized economy, how can we help people keep their daily lives rooted in the stability of God’s reality? In this insightful new video, Deborah Gill of Assemblies of God Theological Seminary interviews two leaders who are on the forefront of developing responses to that question: Lisa Slayton of Tamim Partners and […]
Exiles on Mission
Note: This is an excerpt from the author’s book Exiles on Mission: How Christians Can Thrive in a Post-Christian World. Paul Williams will be a featured speaker at Karam Forum 2021, taking place in Los Angeles on Jan. 5-6, alongside Mark Labberton, Darrell Bock and many more. Much of the contemporary church’s loss of confidence […]
Theological Education: From Clerical and Scholastic to Ecclesial and Missional
Note: Paul Williams will be a featured speaker at Karam Forum 2021, taking place in Los Angeles on Jan. 5-6, alongside Mark Labberton, Darrell Bock and many more. This article has been adapted from our original newsletter coverage of his address at an Oikonomia Network event. Paul Williams, now the head of the Bible Society […]
Classic EWP Talk: Fred Sanders on “The Portable Trinity”
How does the Christian doctrine of the Trinity intersect with the reality of our day-to-day work? This doctrine has been a foundational conviction of Christian orthodoxy throughout church history. The eternally-existent, loving community of the Triune God is the wellspring from which Christians embody the abundant life of God in the world. But what does […]
Signs Your Help May Be Hurting – and What to Do
Reprinted from the Chalmers Center. “Am I really helping this person? Or am I just handing them another band-aid?” As a deacon serving in a local church, these are some of the most difficult questions I’ve faced. Nearly every week, we meet with people from our congregation and our community who are asking for financial assistance. In […]
Receiving Holy Callings, Becoming Wholly Responsive, Part II
Note: This article spotlights the work of Paul Anderson, an individual faculty partner in the Oikonomia Network. He delivered this address as the 1985 Quaker Lecture, Western Yearly Meeting. See original text for full citations. Part Two of Two; read part one here. What does it mean to receive a holy calling? It means first […]
New EWP Talk: Life-Giving Paradoxes for the Modern Economy
Being the church means bringing life to the world, but how do we help our students lead churches that do that? In this stimulating new talk, Oikonomia Network Director Greg Forster argues that “economic life is the most powerful way to bring life to the world,” because “the economy is where people mostly live.” Drawing […]
New EWP Talk: Reconciliation Makes the Kingdom Visible and Changes Communities
When the church is divided by ethnic separation and political polarization, the kingdom of God is revealed less fully to our neighbors, and has a gravely diminished impact on communities. Sadly, our neighbors today are less likely to see the church either as an authentic spiritual body or as a positive social force – and […]
Local Churches Confront the Gig Economy
Reprinted from Made to Flourish. My friend Jason crowned me “Queen of the Side Hustle.” From the day we met, I had some sort of part-time, freelance work going on the side of being a student or a stay-at-home mom. Now, nearly a decade later, I’ve had to renounce my throne. “Queen of the Side […]
Classic EWP Talk: Andy Crouch on “Isaiah’s Posterity Gospel”
We inhabit a lonely, anxious culture bent on pursuing instant and constant gratification at nearly any cost. In this context, what does a truly flourishing life look like? What are the conditions necessary for cultivating a flourishing life? And what are the spiritual disciplines and habits of the heart that refine within individuals the capacities […]
Seminary Spotlight: Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
I’m grateful to write this month’s seminary spotlight on behalf of The Commonweal Project at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I benefited from The Commonweal Project as a new student at Southern, grew with it through my MDiv, and now, get to serve it as its managing fellow. I started at Southern in fall of 2014, […]
Receiving Holy Callings, Becoming Wholly Responsive
Note: This article spotlights the work of Paul Anderson, an individual faculty partner in the Oikonomia Network. He delivered this address as the 1985 Quaker Lecture, Western Yearly Meeting. See original text for full citations. Part One of Two The Revelation of John is actually a record of the revelation of Jesus Christ. This gripping […]
Karam Forum: 2020 Memories, 2021 Anticipation
Karam Forum 2020 was a landmark. If pastors see themselves as CEOs, the call to justice and vocation – which rocks our placid organizational boats – will feel like a threat. But if pastors are shepherds, they can see that the call to justice and discipleship is essential to the flourishing of the flock. Discipling […]
Impact Report: ON Equips Classes with Over 9,300 Students per Semester
At Karam Forum 2020 in Atlanta, the Oikonomia Network presented its new 2019 Impact Report. This document introduces the mission and vision of the network, with an overview of who our partners are and what we’re doing; provides testimonies and statistics on the scope of our impact; and previews our needs and opportunities for the years […]
Measuring Workplace Success: A Christian Perspective
Reprinted from Made to Flourish. What’s your measure for success at work? Somewhere in the back of my mind I carry around a little scorecard for success at work. “How was your day today?” my husband will ask me over dinner. To answer his question, I take out my little mental scorecard and review how […]