Leadership for a Bold Church
We’ve asked Bill McKinney, PSR’s President Emeritus, to write a regular blog for this website, and we’re delighted that he’s agreed. Bill’s academic training in Sociology of Religion, his long tenure as an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and his many years in theological education make him one of the keenest observers we know of American churches and the public voice of American religion. In his new position as Senior Consultant for the Center for Progressive Renewal, Bill continues his work toward greater vitality for both “historic and emerging faith communities”.
Bill will post regularly in this space. He speaks for himself, of course—not on behalf of PSR or the PSR faculty—but we think you’ll find his words insightful and provocative as always. You’re welcome to post comments, but Bill also welcomes your e-mail to him directly, at wmckinney[at]psr[dot]edu.
Looking for Judaism in (Un)Conventional Places
February 16, 2012 - 11:51am — wmckinneyOne of the ironies of living in a world in which there are few limits on the information available to us is that we protect ourselves from “information clutter” by focusing only on worlds we al
Staying in Touch with Religion on the Web
January 16, 2012 - 11:29am — wmckinneyLike most people of my generation I remain loyal to print journalism.
Seminary Presidents Making a Graceful Exit (from In Trust magazine)
January 11, 2012 - 10:40am — wmckinneyNot long ago I was interviewed by In Trust, the magazine for theological school board members. The topic was how to leave a seminary presidency. The resulting article includes insights from ...
Counting Members of Faith Communities in America
January 4, 2012 - 2:10pm — wmckinneyI’ve been working on a review essay for the The Christian Century that looks at recent sociological studies of religion in America. One of the things I realized as I was working on the article ...
Movie Review: Young Adult
December 19, 2011 - 12:15pm — wmckinneyThe new movie Young Adult tells the story of a 37 year-old woman who is a ghost writer for a fading series of young adult novels.
Book of the Year for 2011
December 6, 2011 - 11:23am — wmckinneyMy selection for book of the year may seem far afield for a student of American religion and congregations, but it’s not.
Seminary-Congregation Partnerships: Luther Seminary
November 26, 2011 - 11:10am — wmckinneyOccasionally I come across an article or paper that gets me thinking fresh thoughts about an old topic.
Too Few Jobs for Seminary Graduates?
November 15, 2011 - 12:13pm — wmckinneyRecently I had a note from a friend who is a leader in a fine theological school.
Two Good Reads: Faith by Jennifer Haigh and The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta
November 11, 2011 - 11:13am — wmckinneyFor most of my fiction reading I depend on the Centerville Public Library, which caters to Cape Cod’s summer and year-round populations.
On “Mainline Religion"
November 11, 2011 - 11:01am — wmckinneyNext summer I’ll be keynoting the “Craigville Colloquy” which has taken place in our little Cape Cod village for over 25 years.
