Why do institutions matter? In a world in which big problems and challenges seem ever more complex and even insoluble, we are repeatedly reminded that we cannot accomplish everything we seek in isolation. Although institutions can be both corrupt and corrupting, institutions that genuinely advance the common good can have an outsized influence upon society. What would our world be without educational institutions, healthcare institutions, legal institutions, agricultural institutions, and business institutions? What would our lives be like without structures that connect us with art, music, books and sports? As Christians, we find both the awareness of the value of institutions and a mandate to contribute to religious and secular institutions across scripture and the Christian tradition. The prophet Jeremiah relays God’s word to the people of Israel in exile to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you” (Jeremiah 29:7). St. Paul, throughout his epistles, constantly reiterates his care for the churches he has planted. In City of God, St. Augustine describes how the earthly city and the heavenly city must work together to advance peace and justice within each society through the institution of government. The role of Christians in shaping and contributing to institutions which advance the common good is equally as important today. I can’t wait to explore these questions in more depth at our upcoming Symposium this fall. I hope you can join us on the Baylor campus as we embark together on this exciting weekend of exploration together.

Blessings,

Elisabeth Rain Kincaid

Director, Institute for Faith and Learning

The Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture is this month, October 17-19th!

Registration closes October 11th. Don't miss out!

The event is free for Baylor faculty, staff, and students.

Check out our lineup of speakers.

Missio kicked off this past month! In Waco, a group of new faculty gathered for community and a great discussion of Baylor’s Christian mission and identity, especially the different implications and opportunities across disciplinary divides. We were also excited to launch Missio for the first time at the Louise Herrington School of Nursing in Dallas, where a group of new and long-term faculty gathered to explor how being part of a Christian university implicates training future health care practitioners.  It’s not too late to join in on either campus for further monthly lunches and discussions. Please email ifl@baylor.edu to sign up to join us in October!

We were so excited to welcome our new sophomore cohort at the Cranes Initiation Dinner. We have students from a wide range of disciplines across the university, including engineering, great texts, educational psychology, english, math, philosophy, biology, political science, management, social entrepreneurship, religion, finance, and international business. Dr. Elisabeth Kincaid gave the opening lecture, entitled, “How Should Christians Think About Work: A Scriptural Perspective.” The evening provided a great opportunity for learning and fellowship with current Crane Scholars and their faculty mentors. 

During the first sophomore cohort meeting, students discussed Richard Neuhaus’s essay, “The Christian University: Eleven Theses.” This article sparked great discussion surrounding the nature and purposes of Christian higher education.
The sophomore cohort truly enjoyed the opportunity to discuss the intersection of faith and higher education. We began to see important bonds of friendship forming within the cohort.

The Institute for Faith and Learning, in partnership with Brooks College, is excited to be a part of a three-year grant expanding and deepening vocational exploration for students and faculty at Baylor University, called Vocare. The grant is funded by the Lilly Endowment through the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education. The core of Vocare will be a series of programs, seminars, workshops, and retreats designed to embed and integrate vocational topics into both new and existing programs and traditions at Baylor University. The principal investigators of the grant, Dr. Elijah Jeong and Dr. Rishi Sriram, are leading the Vocare initiative. In September, we had a great event partnering with Brooks College where we hosted a dinner and conversation on A.J. Conyer’s essay, “The Meaning of Vocation.” In October, we are excited to host Dr. Tim Clydesdale at the Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture. He will be one of our featured speakers at the conference and will give a lecture on the importance of institutions helping college students understand their sense of vocation and purpose. Please check out our website for more details on future programming and events in the coming weeks.

We had a great turnout for our open house on September 9th, showcasing our new offices at Brooks Residential College. We enjoyed reconnecting with old friends of IFL and making new friends. Many thanks to the Baylor community for all your support and enthusiasm!

Are you hosting an event or working on a project related to faith and learning? We'd love to hear about it! Send us an email at ifl@baylor.edu. 

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