Begbie quotes Leslie Newbigin's writing in FOOLISHNESS TO THE GREEKS, (p. 90), "The twin dogmas of Incarnation and Trinity....form the starting point for a way of understanding reality as a whole." Later he quotes D. Hardy and D.P. Ford in JUBILATE: THEOLOGY IN PRAISE (Darton, Longman and Todd, London, 1984) p. 73, "The resurrection of the crucified Jesus Christ is [the] logic at the heart of Christianity...lf this is basic reality then all existence can be thought through in the light of it. True realism will take account of this first and live from it."

The question for each of us as Christians in academe is, given that we believe in the Incarnation and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and in the triune God, how do these beliefs affect our thought and work as philosophers, historians, engineers, scientists, etc.? The doctrine of the Trinity should teach us that we work and live best in relationship, in mutual exchange with the triune God and with fellow believers and indeed, with all our colleagues at the university. The Incarnation and Resurrection teaches us God deeply cares for this earth, its inhabitants and all their properties and interactions. This implicates our work on nature, on humans, and on their efforts in thought and action.

I believe this is a key ingredient in faculty being salt and light on their campuses. We should prayerfully study, reflect and discuss among ourselves what these beliefs say about the way we do our work. Given the slide toward total relativism and indeed, solipsism, these beliefs are the only hope to restore a reasonable and effective world view.

So do we have the courage and faith to let these truths, to which we say we are committed, determine the way we think and act as researchers, teachers, and administrators?

KEEPING UP
In a previous column I encouraged you to work at periodicals that catch you up on the state of academe. It's now time to encourage a little more periodical reading to keep up with what's happening to and within the Christian faith. Seven different periodicals which illumine different aspects of our faith-life today are: CHRISTIANITY TODAY, THE CHRISTIAN CENTURY, PULSE, THEMELIOS, SCIENCE AND CHRISTIAN BELIEF, FAITH AND THOUGHT and PERSPECTIVES.

CHRISTIANITY TODAY, (CT) and THE CHRISTIAN CENTURY (CC) are news and feature magazines that appear frequently, CT at 15 issues per year, CC as a weekly. The CT editorial stance is clearly evangelical, the CC describes itself as "ecumenical". Both cover events, denominations and Christian education, CT including more of a missions and evangelism thrust, CC more politital and social action content. Both are thought provoking. Examples: the July 15-22, '92 CC has an extellent article, "Integrating Faith and Work" by Stephen Hart and David Krueger which analyses over 1500 completed questionnaires from a wide array of Christian and Jewish groups. The relatively low input by our churches on integration of faith and work is alarming. You and I should take action on that.

CT of May 18,1992, has an excellent editorial which ends with the editor's pledge to "devote more of our pages to covering the environmental crisis." I say, go to it folks!

PULSE is published semi-monthly by Jim Reapsome and staff of the Evangelical Missions Informations Service of Wheaton, IL. Its newsletter format gives quick reading insights not only to what the church is doing around the world but also to other world events. Reapsome gives an eye opening or heart convicting brief editorial at the end. PULSE provides information that fuels awareness and prayer. I recommend it.

THEMELIOS is called an "International Journal for Theological and Religious Studies Students, Expounding and Defending the Historic Christian Faith". Dr. Chris Wright, the General Editor, teaches at All Nations Christian College, Ware, England and the list of other editors shows eight or nine countries represented. The April/May issue is typically useful and appropo: five authors discuss Biblical data surrounding the role of women in church leadership, representing several sides of the argument.

THE AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC AFFILIATION publishes PERSPECTIVES ,a quarterly edited by Dr. J. W. Haas Jr. of Gordon College. The March '91 issue has two excellent articles on Donald MacKay's work along with articles reviewing the works of Russell Mixter and Bernard Ramm.

The British equivalent of the AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC AFFILIATION is CHRISTIANS IN SCIENCE who publish SCIENCE AND CHRISTIAN BELIEF twice a year. Members of CIS also receive the bulletin of the Victoria Institute called FAITH AND THOUGHT. These two publications often have thought provoking articles. SCIENCE AND CHRISTIAN BELIEF for April '92 has a good critique of the animal rights movement and FAITH AND THOUGHT has a survey of what scientists have said about the status of evolutionary theory over the last few years.

I recommend all these journals to your consideration. Keeping up with what fellow Christians are thinking and doing in their worlds and relating their faith and work and daily living is a call from God. Here's a good way to do it. For addresses please write to me.

Models of Ministry:Christian Witness in Professional Organizations
Most faculty attend meetings of various professional organizations of their discipline. At a number of these there are breakfasts or other meetings held by concerned Christians in the same discipline. Here's a story of one professor of Library and Information Science.

Don Davis served as an exchange lecturer in the UK and found himself privileged to attend a service of thanksgiving and rededication sponsored by the Librarians Christian Fellowship of Great Britain. He was impressed with the dignified worship, professional sensitivity, evangelical preaching and was elated at the boldness and public witness of these Christians within their profession. A similar organization had begun a few years before in the U.S. In 1984 the Fellowship of Christians in Library and Information Science become officially organized. In 1987, the British LCF and the American FOCLIS took a step of faith and sponsored a service of thanksgiving and rededication during the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Professional conference. They met at a church near the conference site. The service which took the form of hymns, prayers, scripture reading and a sermon, was attended by obout 90 persons. Every year since then, a worship service has been on the program of this international gathering.

The most memorial of these occurred in Moscow in 1991 where the service was held in St. Basil's Cathedral in Red Square during the very days of the attempted coup. These Christian librarians were able to pray with fellow believers in the Soviet Union for God's deliverance in that very difficult time. The service was again both unique and an enrichment to all present, with many officials of the International Federation of Library Associations attending.