Center for Christian Faith and Culture

Exploring the wisdom of the Christian intellectual tradition

For more than a decade, the Center for Christian Faith & Culture at Malone has existed to foster theological literacy, prayerful contemplation, and faithful reasoning within the Church, the academy, and other areas of professional life.

Vision

We aim to foster a rich Christian culture characterized by theological literacy, practical wisdom, and spiritual discernment. We envision Christian families, churches, schools, as well as business and community leaders better equipped to navigate these confused times with Christian wisdom and moral integrity.

Values

Our approach is both ecumenical and orthodox, and our theological orientation is captured by what C.S. Lewis described as “mere Christianity.” The Center aims to promote the spiritual substance of (to use another phrase from Lewis) a “deep church.”

Constituency

Affiliated with the Evangelical Friends Tradition, Malone University’s faculty, staff, and student body are ecumenical and highly diverse. The Center for Christian Faith & Culture is deeply invested in this diverse community, and we are grateful to have a seat at the table, where we can consistently and passionately represent the classical Christian tradition in our work on campus and beyond.

Director

David Beer, Ph.D., is the director of the Center for Christian Faith & Culture.  David assisted the work of the Center as associate director before being named director. Beer is an associate professor of Political Science in the Department of History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences. As a political theorist who specializes in the thought of Augustine, Charles Norris Cochrane, and Eric Voegelin, Professor Beer works at the intersection of philosophy, politics, and theology.

Events

For information on our current events and activities, visit our Facebook page.

Benefits of connecting with the Center for Christian Faith & Culture

Communication

The ongoing work of the Center includes regular communication with our various constituencies including regular meetings with pastors and other community leaders.

Formation

We are devoted to formation in the way of Christ as understood in classical, ecumenical, and Trinitarian Christian orthodoxy. Through workshops, lectures, conferences, and retreats, we offer continuing education and leadership development for area pastors, lay leaders, Malone students, faculty, and staff.

Fellowship

Through student fellowships, reading groups. and other informal gatherings, we encourage & cultivate friendships grounded in the knowledge, wisdom, and love of Jesus Christ.

Join us for Morning Prayer

Where: Johnson Center Chapel
When: 8:00-8:30 Monday-Friday during the academic year

Morning prayer is a spiritual discipline of the Christian life that has been practiced since the early church. Morning prayer orients the day around worship and praise of God and serves as a daily practice of Bible reading as well. Morning prayer reminds Christians that we are not only part of an historic faith, but also a global faith that shares together in faithful practices and shared prayers.

In 1967 Jean Daniélou wrote, “The civilization in which we find ourselves makes prayer difficult. The first thing that strikes one is that our technological civilization brings about a change in the rhythm of human existence. There is a speeding up of tempo which makes it more difficult to find the minimum freedom on which a minimum life of prayer depends.” Read today his words strike us with even more certainty. Daniélou reminded his readers that since monks depended on their “rule” of life to structure and sustain their prayer life, the same should be true for Christian people “at grips with the realities of the temporal life as it is lived today, whether in the family, at work, or in the city.”

Most Christians know that they should spend time reading scripture and praying, but can often feel at a loss as to how to go about doing that. Yet, even if Christians are convicted that we need a “rule of life,” we also need a model for developing a practice. The Morning Prayer service from the Book of Common Prayer (ACNA 2019) offers Christians a practice that walks us through confessing our sin, worshipping God, reading scripture and praying for ourselves and others. Join us in the Johnson Center chapel as we practice this classic Christian formation together.

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