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The State of the Evangelical Mind Conference Videos

In September 2017, evangelical scholars gathered at the Sagamore Institute in Indianapolis to discuss the state of the evangelical mind today. The plenary papers are now available in the book "The State of the Evangelical Mind," published by InterVarsity Press and edited by the conference organizers, Todd C. Ream, Jerry Pattengale, and Christopher J. Devers. Papers from parallel sessions have been published in a special issue of "Christian Scholar’s Review" (Summer 2018). The conference was hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University, the Sagamore Institute, Excelsia College, and Christianity Today.

Join the ongoing conversation by watching all the talks and Q&A sessions below. The presenters address recent historical developments and the roles of four types of institutions: churches, parachurch organizations, colleges and universities, and seminaries.

  1. Christ the Center: An Evangelical Theology of Hope, by Andrew T. Draper

    As the cultural influence of evangelicals in the West wanes, there is growing anxiety among evangelicals about their theological identity and the future of the nations they live in. Andrew T. Draper, founding senior pastor of Urban Light Community Church in Muncie, Indiana, suggests that evangelicals need a more robust theological, biblical, and christological account of hope that will in turn inform a Christ-centered ecclesiology.

  2. Addressing the Evangelical Mind-Body Problem: The Local Church as Learning Organization, by C. Christopher Smith

    Evangelicalism faces a widening gap between the academy and the churches. C. Christopher Smith argues that this mind-body problem will be resolved not in the academy but in local churches, which can become learning organizations where learning and action are interwoven in community. Smith is founding editor of the “Englewood Review of Books” and author of several books, including “Slow Church.”

  3. Psychological Contributions to Understanding Prejudice and the Evangelical Mind, by Maureen Miner Bridges

    Maureen Miner Bridges, director of research at Excelsia College, examines prejudice as a potential outcome of evangelical states of mind from the 1950s to the present. She reviews empirical psychological literature and calls for an integrative approach to reducing prejudice that considers worldview, biblical authority, and biblical interpretation. Bridges’s paper was read at the conference by Mark Stephens.

  4. Churches: Questions & Answers

    Andrew T. Draper, C. Christopher Smith, and Mark Stephens (for Maureen Miner Bridges) take questions about their talks on the church.

  5. University Ministry and the Evangelical Mind, by David C. Mahan and C. Donald Smedley

    Two long-time parachurch professionals consider the past and potential influence of parachurch organizations that minister on secular campuses. Describing the campus parachurch’s strong support of the life of the evangelical mind, they consider why these organizations have been largely overlooked in scholarship. David Mahan is executive director of the Rivendell Institute at Yale, and Don Smedley is senior fellow at the Rivendell Institute.

  6. People of the Magazine? Evangelical Innovation for Cultural Engagement amid Technological Change, by Rachel Maxson

    Rachel Maxson explores the history of evangelical media innovation and the current economic and technological environment for publishing. Giving particular attention to “Books & Culture” magazine and its closing in 2016, she considers possibilities for new communication strategies that can continue to adapt. Maxson is the instructional and liaison services librarian at John Brown University.