Switching Seats at the Table: Case Studies on Political Transitions

Colleges and universities are often labeled as ground zero for “liberal brainwashing.” Parents send their children to college simply to receive an education in order to be productive members of the workforce. These same parents are surprised when students return home for Thanksgiving break challenging the values that uphold their worldview. This is most definitely

Being a Christian Doesn’t Mean Abstaining from Politics

As the chaotic stew of this election season reaches its boiling point, many of us will gravitate towards the very tempting prospect of simply withdrawing from political discourse whatsoever. We will find political discussions unappetizing and yearn for the days when we can enjoy our lives without having to continually consider the implications of some

My Work With Freedom Schools

Hello Messiah College community, My name is Daniel Baker and I am a Senior at Messiah College. It has been my privilege to be apart of the Student Fellows of the Center for Public Humanities. I entered as a fellow this past Spring through the efforts of the great Dr. Jean Corey. Interestingly, she found

In the Pursuit of Curiosity

Curiosity noun, plural cu·ri·os·i·ties. 1. The desire to learn or know about anything; inquisitiveness When I was young I wanted to be an astronaut. Well, I actually wanted to an oceanographer, marine biologist, astronomer who also spent some time in space. This rather odd hodgepodge of future occupations stemmed from an insatiable desire to discover the unknown. The hidden worlds of the deep sea and

Envisioning Good for All

What is the common good? Of course, asking that question leads to a slew of others: what group of people does the common good encompass; how do we pursue the common good; and that timeless inquiry: what is goodness itself? We ponder these questions and more as we embark on a year of discovering what

Class and Immigration

The Center for Public Humanities has the privilege of welcoming various speakers onto campus. The keynote lecturer at this year’s symposium was Edwidge Danticat, the highly respected poet, author, and speaker. Talking about immigration and refugees, she quoted Home, a beautiful poem by Warsan Shire, who wrote: “No one leaves home unless home is the

Guarding Home for Another

The theme for this year’s Humanities Symposium is “Home,” and here at the Center for Public Humanities, we have been critically thinking about what home means, both for communities and individuals. As we approach the date for the Humanities Symposium, you will have the chance to hear from our very own Fellows about this subject. Here

Welcoming Difference

On April 4th, I joined a small group of Messiah students, and alumni in attending the Sixth Annual Freedom Seder at Beth El Temple in Harrisburg. The topic of this year’s event was immigration, and the refugee crisis, focusing on how the three major monotheistic world religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, are called to

Pondering Policy Post-Election Day

Choosing the next leader of our nation was not the only issue decided upon last week. I regret to inform those of you who aren’t already aware, but several states, including California, Oklahoma, and Nebraska, chose by referendum to either retain or reinstate capital punishment. The death penalty is one of those contentious issues that