APU Blogs - David W. Wright, Ph.D.

Open Theism and Science: The Questions

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:18:00 PDT

This week an interesting and for many, controversial, conference comes to Azusa Pacific University. The APU Center for Faith Integration hosts the Open Theism and Science conference funded by The Templeton Foundation. It will be interesting. And we won't all agree.

Thoughts on Falling in Love

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:24:00 PDT

Our urge to fix turns destructive, I think, because we do not understand that we human beings live out of our hearts. And hearts cannot be fixed. They must be healed. And hearts can only be healed when they fall in love.

An Angry Friend

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:14:00 PDT

I know more than one person like this friend. They live in worlds that are pressed down and threatened with destruction by the faceless influence of larger, dominating ways of life. Most of them are angry.

Changing People

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:01:00 PST

Life reminds me of this lesson often. I cannot change people for the better if I do not love them.

Who Are You? What Are You Supposed To Do?

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 06:10:00 PST

Maybe it's just me, but it surely does seem as though each year my world is bombarded with more and more voices, issuing louder and more strident calls. It seems they have decided for me . . . This is who you SHOULD be . . . This is what SHOULD REALLY MATTER to you . . . This is what you MUST DO.

Church, State, and Christian Higher Education

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 07:26:00 PST

What do you think? Should a college or university be able to dictate where faculty members go to church? And should an institution with such a policy be allowed to use federal funding?

Us-and-Them Thinking

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 07:34:00 PST

My Advent reflections the past week have been about two concepts that Scot McKnight discusses in his excellent little book, "A Community Called Atonement." He talks about two words -- perichoresis and eikon. One word, perichoresis, tells us something about God's nature. The other, eikon, tell us something about human nature.

"I Report to the Land"

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:57:00 PST

Somehow these three strands of thought -- Advent, the corn of wheat that falls into the ground and dies, and the question of who (or what) holds the prior claim on my life -- some to have come together to call me to something deeper and more real even than myself.

Following the Golden Compass

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:34:00 PST

We have already killed God many times over. And God always comes to life again.

Thankful For A Lasting Hope

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 09:21:00 PST

Today I am especially thankful for the treasure of a lasting hope.

Outstanding Review of Biblical Studies Faculty

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:00:00 PST

"To me, the Biblical Studies Department [of the Azusa Pacific University School of Theology] seems to be one of the strongest undergraduate programs in the western United States, and it was a privilege to participate in its review." (Dr. Paul Anderson, George Fox University, External Reviewer)

Good News People

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 07:03:00 PDT

Try to imagine, for a moment, what it would be like if the most interesting, fascinating, convincing, trustworthy, and competent person you can imagine showed up one day in America and began to use every communication medium available to say one thing to us all . . .

The Unique Nature of Confessional Universities

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:03:00 PDT

Out of about 4000 United States higher education institutions, several hundred are "confessional" institutions. These institutions constitute a small but important minority who do their work somewhat differently from secular and state institutions.

Who Did You Say You Are?

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 07:20:00 PDT

Here at Azusa Pacific University we describe ourselves as “an evangelical Christian community of disciples and scholars.” What does this mean? And why does it matter?

Making Introductions

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:30:00 PDT

Wait a minute. I'm not sure these are the terms on which I want the world's scrutiny. If I get to be known in the public consciousness by just one word, is this the one I want?

The Names of Grace

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:22:00 PDT

God is good to us in many ways. Theologians have given names to some of them.

Recovering Grace

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 07:46:00 PDT

Grace has little meaning for a people whose deepest conviction is that they are entitled by nature, that they have no superiors, and who live in a world of ceaseless abundance.

Aspiration

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 08:30:00 PDT

God's holiness means God is beautiful, trustworthy, full of integrity, and loving beyond human measure. God is the source and the measure of all that is good, beautiful, and right in the world.

Remembering 9/11/01

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 06:50:00 PDT

This morning I spend moments in silent meditation and prayer, remembering the events and the people, wondering about the meaning of 9/11/2001.

Growing Faith

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:30:00 PDT

Recently I've been thinking about how our faith changes over the span of our lives. Most of us would like to hope that our faith get's stronger, more informed, more authentic as we grow older.