Enjoying summer, anticipating sabbatical
It's been a while, so here's an update on Uneasy Citizenship (with an invitation to connect)
It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? I’ve been enjoying the beginning to summer, spending more time with my family while still making progress on my next book—and the namesake for this Substack—Uneasy Citizenship. So far, it’s been both a restful and productive season.
Summer is a strange time for those of us in higher education. People often assume that professors spend summers sitting by the pool and cooling off after months of teaching. In reality, though, most professors I know see summer as the time to get a different sort of work done: Research.
During the academic year, making concrete progress on our myriad projects often gives way to teaching and administrative responsibilities. Summer, then, opens welcome doors. And for me, this season will be extended thanks to my sabbatical, which will free me up from teaching during the Fall 2022 semester.
Regarding the book, I’m almost done with a full draft of Uneasy Citizenship’s Chapter 3 (“The Polarization Problem”), and will turn next to Chapter 2 (“How Did We Get Here?”). I also have a couple of other projects in the works, including a coauthored paper on public support for constitutional rights for September’s meeting of the American Political Science Association, and a coauthored paper on teaching in Christian higher education during our polarized era for October’s meeting at the Kuyers Institute.
Even with these commitments in place, I will have a lot more time in my schedule than I would during a typical semester. With that in mind, I would love to visit your school, church, or organization in the months ahead! I’m really convicted about the work that is going into Uneasy Citizenship, and what a better political and cultural engagement can look like in an era of increasing polarization and tribalism. And while I do enjoy writing, I really enjoy talking to people and hearing their stories at the intersection of these issues.
So feel free to reach out — my email is dbennett [at] jbu [dot] edu. I’d enjoy getting to visit with you sometime later this year, either in person or over Zoom.
As always, thanks for reading.
Recommended:
Why a Presbyterian Elder Defended Muslims Building a Mosque in Middle Tennessee — Christianity Today
Living in the Negative World (featuring Aaron Renn) and Rethinking Winsomeness (featuring James R. Wood) — The Great Awokening Podcast
Is ‘Evangelical’ a Historical, Theological, or Political Identity? — The Gospel Coalition
Why Most Pastors Avoid Politics — The Wall Street Journal
What is an Establishment of Religion? — First Things
This piece from Terry Mattingly touches on a couple of those articles linked above. Very germane.
https://www.getreligion.org/getreligion/2022/6/10/thinking-with-aaron-renn-about-the-three-worlds-shaping-american-evangelical-debates