Apparently for Mark Noll, the Reformation really is over! It is being reported this evening that Dr. Noll has left his position as professor of history at Wheaton College (Evangelical) for a post at The University of Notre Dame (Catholic). He will assume his new position replacing the retiring George Mardsen at the beginning of the coming Fall semester.This story broke earlier today at the blog of Catholic publisher Ignatius Press. It has reportedly been confirmed by Dr. Noll himself. Then later today Christianity Today published a story online by Rob Moll (no relation, :) ) that details the move.
Interesting, but perhaps not coincidentally, Noll’s move to Notre Dame occurs only months after his book, Is the Reformation Over? was published by Baker Academic on July 1, 2005! For an excellent analysis of this book, click here for a review by Tim Challies.
He won’t be the only evangelical there you know. Alvin Plantinga has been there for years. Many have said that their philosophy faculty could compete with any evangelical seminary in terms of apologetic significance. I think it is a good move for him and for evangelicalism in general. He could be a solid influence in a school that desperately needs it.
Wow, this actually a good move for him, there are several other evangelicals at Notra Dame, but as far as his teaching career and teaching status this is a very good move.
Notre Dame is a very prestigious school for philosophy and theology, so his moving there from Wheaton is like moving from a house that cost $100,000 to a house that cost $900,000, there’s a big difference!
The other two commenters notwithstanding, I think this is rather odd.
He is exemplifying what he was arguing for in “The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind.”
From a purely career move, I guess I can understand. ND is supposedly the tops in Church History. I was advised to consider studying there for a degree in History. However, that said, having come out of the RC church, why would I want to go back? I would be curious to hear his reasoning why. Like Joe, it does seem odd.
Not certain why T. B. Vick thinks it is good. I’m with campi on this one