I’m a husband and father, a researcher, an archivist, an historian and theologian. A Nashville-area native, my roots extend to the hills of east Tennessee, eastern Kentucky, central Ohio and West Virginia.
I spent a dozen years in congregational ministry at Central Church of Christ in downtown Nashville (part-time) from 1996-2008 while teaching high school Bible at Ezell-Harding Christian School (full-time) and pursuing advanced degrees from Lipscomb University (also part time). Ministry, teaching, research, history and ancestry now all come together on a daily basis in my work as Director of Public Services at Disciples of Christ Historical Society in Nashville.
My research and writing interests center in the broad areas of Biblical theology, Nashville Churches of Christ, Christian history, and Stone-Campbell studies.
I live in the Nashville area with my spouse Laura, daughters Darby, Ella and Sara along with cats Oliver and Maggie. Laura is an educator and musician (piano and flute). She intends to return to the classroom full-time when our children are older. We are now active members at Smyrna Church of Christ.
About the blog:
eScriptorium continues the blogging I began at occasional epistles of grace and peace. I jumped to WordPress so I can publish a variety of formal pieces (historical, theological, homiletical and devotional). A good deal of this blog focuses on the faith-tradition of my immediate heritage, the Stone-Campbell movement (also known as the American Restoration Movement). I expect the informal blogging about all manner of things will continue as well. Given my training in Biblical studies, my vocation in church history, and my experience in ministry, not to say my family history, who knows what will show up.
Alexander Campbell’s outdoor hexagonal brick study was for him a space sacred for both retreat and study as well as conversation and engagement. The study – or scriptorium if you will — was purposefully lit from above by a skylight: he labored by the conviction that all light comes from above. Here he retreated each morning to pray, to read, to reflect on the ancient scriptures. Here he engaged the ideas of his day. Lastly, here he wrote books, periodicals, essays, sermons, speeches, and debates. From his scriptorium he participated in the larger community of scholarship and ministry.
I’m certainly no Alexander Campbell, yet I’m inspired by his study: what it meant and what it yet means. So eScriptorium is one effort of mine to participate in a community of scholars, theologians, pastors and preachers.
Hello,
I read your most recent post in my Reader, but it is not posted here, which is odd. The post was Exploration in Bibliography #5, and stresses the need for a Restoration Movement Bibliography. I agree with you 100%, but don’t know if anyone will be taking this on soon. So, I have a suggestion.
What if we do it? If everyone who reads your blog (and others, once the word is out) would create entries from their own collections/ libraries we could have a decent bibliography put together for the most knowledgeable scholars to look at and fill in the holes. It could be hosted on the DCHS website, providing another service to Restoration scholars. A database would be cool, allowing for searches according to any field, and could include tagging by users. What do you think?
Best,