by Brian Allred Certain things are really hard to do. Try saying “eleven benevolent elephants” five times fast. I imagine riding a unicycle is pretty hard. Personally, I find it extremely difficult to hit a golf ball – at least long and straight. Some other things are virtually impossible for us to do like tying … Continue reading Loving Our Enemies
Author: Dan Daugherty
2025 by the Numbers The Great Chase is Over [spoiler: the whale wins] This was truly an epic semester, studying the theological implications of Herman Melville's Moby Dick with BSU Associate Professor Laura Romano. From "Call me Ishmael" to Rachel weeping for her sons, every chapter ignited animated conversation and provided new perspectives on what … Continue reading Notes from Alcuin December 2025
God of Wonder: Some Reflections on Thanksgiving by Brian Allred “The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.” – G. K. Chesterton Read Full Article here Taking Stock The air is chill now. The leaves are almost gone. This season moves in me, haunts me. When I lived … Continue reading Thanksgiving 2025
By Brian Allred I see trees of greenRed roses, too.I see them bloomFor me and you,And I think to myselfWhat a wonderful world. These words were famously sung by Louis Armstrong [1]. And there is something profoundly true in them. This is a wonderful world. Yes, the world is under the curse of sin and … Continue reading God of Wonder: Some Reflections for Thanksgiving
ASC's 10th Semester is Off to a Great Start! New ASC Student Advisory Board Let me introduce you to the strongest student leadership we've had yet: Ariana Bell Marin Davies Cole Knecht Maverick Miller Paulie Mullin Charlie Clark Andy Heimlich Ethan Clark Quentin Brizendine Lily Ellis 2025-2026 Student President: Devon Humphrey Devon is a graduate … Continue reading Notes from Alcuin October 2025
“Reading the book of creation isn't a matter of breaking a code that leads us to a myriad of facile equations: a hedgehog means x, a dandelion means y, a seahorse means z. Reading creation isn't like looking up a word in the dictionary. It's more like returning again and again to pore over a … Continue reading Book Excerpt
by Brian Allred In John Bunyan’s classic allegory Pilgrim’s Progress, the appropriately named main character, Christian, journeys through trials, troubles, and temptations on the way to eternal glory in the Celestial City. On one particular occasion, Christian, along with his traveling companion Hopeful, encounters Giant Despair. This giant locks them in a dark dungeon in … Continue reading Psalm 88 and The Dark at the End of the Tunnel
Alcuin Study Center just turned 5! The Dream In August of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, with the university on lockdown and students soon to be sent home, we thought, "Hey...let's start a Christian study center for the Ball State community!" Some might question our strategy, but here we are. In reality, we—board … Continue reading Here We Raise Our Ebenezer*
So much to tell, so little time... June ASC Board Retreat & Strategic Planning About a month ago, the ASC board convened in Muncie for a two-day strategic planning session. We were led through this process by Dr. David Wright, a wise and generous guide indeed! We have all come away with a renewed sense … Continue reading Notes from Alcuin July 2025
Integrity Last month I was honored to receive the Personal Integrity Award from the Delaware County Committee for Integrity Enhancement for my work with Alcuin Study Center. While I, personally, am not a paragon of integrity (though I try), Alcuin Study Center is an institution founded upon it. Though we often think of integrity as … Continue reading May 2025