In the past five years, 基督学院’s theology faculty has written a significant number of books contributing to world- wide biblical scholarship and serving broad Christian audiences in Bible study and devotion. They have done it while pursuing excellence in the classroom and maintaining a vibrant devotional and congregational life.
“We have one of the premier theology faculties in the entire Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod (LCMS),” says Concordia University Irvine president Kurt Krueger. “That is borne out by the fact that they are continually asked to write book reviews, commentaries and entries in various religious encyclopedias. Our theology faculty is noted for taking the biblical texts seriously.
We attract students who want to study Scripture from people who actually believe that Scripture is the Word of God.”
基督学院, CUI’s School of 神学, 哲学 and Professional Church Work, has created a unique culture where faculty esteem the Bible highly, enjoy teaching undergraduates and graduates, and engage in local church work.
“It’s a fantastic collection of people we have gathered together at this college,” says Steve Mueller ’86, dean of 基督学院 and professor of theology. “Our mission is first and foremost to students, but we are also here to serve the broader church and society.”
One way they do that is by writing and editing significant books. Mueller was an associate editor of the 路德教研读圣经 and is now expanding the study notes in that Bible into stand-alone volumes on the New Testament for the Reformation Heritage Bible Commentary series (RHBC), 针对外行人. He serves as general editor of that series, 和他, Mark Brighton ’81 and CJ Armstrong, fellow members of the 基督学院 faculty, wrote commentaries for it. 穆勒说,
When you get a culture where multiple people are writing, you spur each other on.
“I was finishing my book as another colleague was finishing his. It was really encouraging to go in and ask how he was doing. 他会问我的. It’s hard work to publish a book and takes a lot of solitary time. When you’re seeing people reach the finish line, that motivates you to keep going.” The other thing that kept Mueller going: woodworking.
Whenever he needed a break while writing at home, he went into the garage and made wooden pens.
“Every writer gets stuck on things,” Mueller says. “I find that when you distract yourself, ideas come. You’ve got to do something to clear your head.”
Woodworking helped Mueller finish his commentary on Hebrews which is aimed at Sunday school learners with no Greek knowledge. It comes out this spring.
“I hadn’t done anything of this scope,” Mueller says. “The closest was when I edited the 路德教研读圣经, which was in some ways intimidating. When someone opens their Bible here’s something you wrote. That’s an awesome responsibility.”
Maintaining a vibrant devotional life and experience of worship is key to doing valuable work, 他说.
“It’s about the need to interact with the word as a child of God,” Mueller says. “While writing has lots of benefits spiritually, I didn’t let it take the place of going to church, going to Bible class myself, 参加教堂, staying in prayer and studying the Word. There’s a time to feed and a time to be fed. The successful Christian writer has to do both, and being fed comes first.”