Professors publish books

By Randy Dillinger

Professors at AU continue to demonstrate their skills and knowledge outside of the classroom through the publishing industry. During the past school year, Dr. Brian Dirck, assistant professor of history, authored Lincoln & Davis: Imagining America, 1809-1865; Dr. Barry Callen authored Authentic Spirituality: Moving Beyond Mere Religion; Dr. Linda Chiang, professor of Education, co-authored Modernization, Globalization and Confucianism in Chinese Societies, with Ball State sociology professor Joseph Tamney.

Of Myths and Imagined Nations

Dirck’s in-depth comparison of Lincoln and Davis is only the third published volume comparing the two American icons, and the first to deal primarily with Lincoln’s and Davis’ perspectives on what the American nation should be.

In contrast to the commonly held ideas about the two men, Dirck found that Davis was not a “coolly intellectual, detached person,” but rather Davis had an “emotion-based imagination of what community is supposed be like.” On the other hand, Lincoln was not a highly emotional or sentimental person. “He was very detached in some ways from the people around him and from the community in which he functioned,” Dirck explains. “And so in some ways I think I am kind of reversing some of the pre-conceived notions about the way they looked at things.”

Dirck’s interest in Lincoln and Davis draws upon his own experience. He descends from a family once divided between the North and South — his father’s family was generally pro-Confederate, while his mother’s family supported the Union.

In conducting his research, Dirck employed a method of viewing Davis through a Lincoln perspective, and Lincoln through a Davis perspective, with the goal of moving away from the myths about these two men and arriving at a more balanced and realistic understanding.

Dirck is currently conducting research for a book on Lincoln’s law practice. The book is being published by the University of Illinois Press and should be released in 2003. In addition, he is researching the legal issues involved in warfare. When he began working on the project last summer, it received little attention from publishers. “Then after Sept. 11 it became a lot more publishable,” he explains. The book is scheduled for publication in 2003.

Authentic Faith Through the Ages

Callen began working on Authentic Spirituality in 1985 while doing a lectureship in Canada. For the last 10 years, he has taught the Christian spirituality course at AU, and through that course, he continued to refine the material for the book.

Authentic Spirituality draws upon examples of Christian history to present an alternative to what Callen describes as the “pop spirituality” prevalent in modern society. “It is now perfectly acceptable to be spiritual,” he says. “Spiritual, however, can mean absolutely anything. In this kind of environment, it’s important to both affirm the human longing for spirituality and also ask, ‘What constitutes authentic spirituality in a distinctively Christian environment?’”

Part of the broad appeal of the book comes from the variety of historical persons highlighted in the book. “I selected three or four dozen of whom I consider to be the most prominent and influential Christian spiritual leaders through all of the centuries.”

His book also explores the seasons of the Christian year, the elements of the Apostles Creed, the key ministries for the Holy Spirit, the major spiritual traditions found in church history and the meaning of evangelicalism.

Callen is currently working on his next book, Discerning the Divine: God Through Christian Eyes. He is also developing Wisdom of the Saints, a collection of excerpts from Church of God leaders.

Renewal of an Ancient Tradition

Chiang’s extensive study of Confucianism in modern Eastern cultures draws much of its strength from her research conducted on several trips to China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. A native of Taiwan, Chiang is well acquainted with Confucian philosophy. It is an integral part of the fabric of Eastern cultures, but far removed from the “rugged individualism” of many Americans.

Chiang notes that while Americans often believe Confucianism is a religion, it is, rather, a philosophy or “golden rule” which under girds ones actions and thoughts. Modernization, Globalization and Confucianism in Chinese Societies bridges the gulf of understanding between West and East by exploring modern expressions of Confucianism in art, government, education and other areas of life. She also explores ways Confucianism may need to change to become more relevant in the modern world.

Of particular interest to Chiang are Confucian teachings on education. “According to Confucius, everybody is teachable,” she says. “But you have to grab the teachable moment. You have to inspire the person in the moment where he has some internal motivation to learn. According to Confucius, you cannot force people to learn.”

There are some changes that Confucianism must undergo to be relevant to the modern world, Chiang explains. “In the time of Confucius, it was rare for children to move away from their aging parents,” explains Chiang. But today, “the world is shrinking. It’s easy for you to travel to a lot of places. Sometimes you have dreams you need to pursue, and you need to get away from home.”

But the essential ideas of Confucianism remain relevant, according to Chiang. “Human beings are the same, 3,000 years ago and now,” she says. “We all have similar needs. We have a lot of advantages today, a lot of modern technology; but deep down, we are still human.”