Writers' Biographies
Bernie (bernie@christianityismore.com)
A 1995 graduate of Antioch College, Bernie Wilke has been has been active in a wide range of social and political issues for the past 14 years. Environmentalism and animal rights have been central to Bernie’s activism but he has branched out to work on poverty, human rights, and peace-related issues, and on political campaigns. Before he committed his life to Jesus Christ in 1997, Bernie spent 5 years studying and practicing Buddhism, including stints at various centers around the country and 4 months with the Buddhist Studies Program in Bodh Gaya, India. The experience with Buddhism and his exploration of other faith traditions have helped Bernie to both understand Christianity in a broad context and to live out his faith with deep conviction.
Professionally, Bernie has worked as a self-employed visual artist for the past 5 years. After receiving his Master of Fine Arts degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in December, 2000, Bernie has made a modest living by completing over 30 community mural projects, teaching art at many types of institutions (such as schools, colleges, nursing homes, and a prison) and doing commissioned artwork. Bernie has also served as both a student leader and campus minister with B.A.S.I.C. (Brothers and Sisters in Christ) at Indiana University of PA from September, 1999 to May, 2005. He has recently moved to Philadelphia, where he works with the Mural Arts Program in addition to teaching art classes. Bernie’s vision is to continue to utilize both the arts and political advocacy to work toward social healing and justice.
Christy (christy@christianityismore.com)
Christy first became interested in issues of social justice during summers working at her father's small business. She was struck by the manner in which other employees related to each other in terms of work ethics and strategies across racial and socioeconomic lines. While a student at Penn State University, she helped to start a Christian social justice organization on campus to explore justice issues in the community and around the world. On a junior year spring break trip, Christy went to a small village in the country of Belize where she saw firsthand the struggles of a country on the verge of developing a middle class.
After graduating with a B. A. in Communication, Arts and Sciences, she joined the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO) and is currently working as a campus minister at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The mission of the CCO is to "transform college students to transform the world," which assumes that salvation includes a call to active participation in the work of the Kingdom of God here on earth. At IUP, she works with a student-led campus fellowship, TREK (Thinking Responsibly about Equality and the Kingdom), which is committed to bringing all aspects of life under the discipleship of Christ - social, relational, vocational, artistic, recreational, political, etc. Christy's experiences with issues of social justice have taught her that, while individuals each have a responsibility to act justly, it takes a community of people from all walks of life to enact lasting change.
Jeff (jeff@christianityismore.com)
Jeff graduated from Canisius College of Buffalo in 2000 with a BA in literature, from Buffalo State College with a MA in Literature in 2003, and is currently engaged in an endless quest for the elusive PhD in Literature and Criticism at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He has written for the Canisius College newspaper “The Griffin,” the literary journal “Mouth,” and published a master’s thesis entitled: “Deconstructing Patriarchal Ideology in Mary Gordon’s The Shadow Man.” Currently, he writes a politically charged creative blog at www.myspace.com/keatsian , is writing an article to present at the Modern Language Association Conference, and is editing / doing layout work for a scholarly journal.
Jeff’s interest in social activism began with an interest in gender and race issues, yet really came to the forefront with the onset of the Iraq war. The war made him focus on the injustices in the world and intensified his focus on poverty, hunger, and the benefits of pacifism. These ideas, coupled with his interest in society’s struggles with eating disorders and other body image related problems, have propelled him from a passive approach to societal problems to an action-oriented approach. Although he has always been a Christian, his return to the church in the past year has made him realize the importance of his faith and putting that faith into action. In the coming year Jeff hopes to present multiple conference papers, begin work on his dissertation, continue to grow in his faith, and most importantly drink a lot of coffee at The Commonplace Coffeehouse, where he can be found on an average day.
Jess (jess@christianityismore.com)
Jessica currently works at The Commonplace Coffeehouse and as an international student advisor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She obtained a Bachelor's degree in International Studies, and a Master's degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). She has sought to learn about other cultures and languages in hopes of serving international people through her church and in the workplace and has found her niche in teaching English and administration.
Jessica became interested in social issues such as homelessness, women’s abuse, poverty, and AIDS through reading books and the Bible. She read many stories of those who were suffering and saw in the Bible how Jesus cared for the spiritual as well as practical needs of those around him. Her church provided an outlet for her to bring action to these needs she saw around her. Trips abroad to Mexico, India, Ghana and China broadened her perspective of social issues and challenged her ideas on religion, poverty, healthcare, and government. Jessica’s childhood friend, Katie Huynh, a physician’s assistant in Philadelphia, has contributed greatly to her perspective of poverty and health care in the inner cities in the U.S. She has continually considered the role of the Church in the world and hopes to create opportunities for her local church to meet practical needs of the community, nation and world. It is through this lens that Jessica will be writing. Particular areas of interest are: healthcare, training trades to national peoples, orphans due to AIDS in Africa, poverty, and international politics.
Nathan (nate@christianityismore.com)
Nathan is an art student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he specializes in both furniture design and metals & jewelry. His artistic passions also include drawing, photography, and music. Previously, he studied graphic design at the University of Idaho and art history at the University of Richmond.
Although Nathan loves artistic creativity in all forms, he spends much time reading about and discussing issues surrounding social justice, war, the environment we all share, and theology. His social justice concerns are global, but he is especially interested in ways Christians can affect their local economy, environment, and race relations. His experience with Christian community has helped shape these interests.
Nathan’s understanding and ongoing exploration of the causes mentioned above have been a long time in forming, but began taking serious shape when he began college—and even more so since the outset of the Iraq war. The war shook his complacence and helped him rediscover his roots in the Mennonite Church, which, unfortunately, is one of the last groups in America still adhering to the Christian tradition of peace.
Pamela (pamela@christianityismore.com)
Having earned her Master's in English Literature from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and her Bachelor's in English Literature from the University of Pittsburgh, Pamela is now engaged in work on her PhD in English Literature and Criticism. She is particularly interested in literature involving women's issues, ranging from turn-of-the-century suffragist writings to contemporary postcolonial texts.
Pamela is active in her church and taught tenth-grade religious education for three years. Her interest in social issues was strengthened while working as a secretary for her pastor. One of her major projects during this stint involved researching and writing articles on various issues of the faith, many of which focused on the Church's stance on social justice issues. Topics involved issues such as the right-to-die debate, abortion, and women's status in the Church. Pamela is specifically concerned with the politicizing of religion. She believes that questioning the views of the Church and government and extricating them from each other are essential in creating a society that is more concerned with basic human rights.
T.J. (tj@christianityismore.com)
As the proprietor of The Commonplace Coffeehouse, TJ is not primarily a business man; he is mainly a father (to Soren) and a husband (to Julie). TJ is constantly re-evaluating his need to be conscious of social injustice because of his wife's sensitivity to these issues.
A graduate of Campbell University in Philosophy and Religion and a Master's Degree from Southern Evangelical Seminary, TJ has been encouraged to love and pursue wisdom. The love of wisdom has caused TJ to become aware of the present distinction that is often made between thought and action. It has become one of TJ's strong passions to see ways to blur the distinction between thought and action (i.e. to know the good should be to do the good). He has also been given many opportunities to serve the Church as a leader to youth groups, leader of small groups, and other various ministries.
The need to supplement income lead TJ to work part-time at coffeehouses through school. The experience of working in coffeehouses raised TJ's awareness of how coffee and poverty go hand in hand (unfortunately). It doesn't take much investigation to realize that in many coffee farms around the world -- the coffee does not provide a livelihood for the farmers for the full year. Fortunately, there are many reputable organizations that are working with the coffee growing regions to find other ways to support and feed families of coffee farmers all year! TJ has a desire to see what part he can play in bringing more justice to issues that affect his life and livelihood and those issues that he may not even be aware of yet.
Todd (todd@christianityismore.com)
Todd is a husband and father of two young kids. He currently works for a state university, where he assists students with disabilities. He attended Calvin College as an undergraduate, a Christian school where he majored in psychology. He and his wife earned their masters degrees together at the University of Iowa, in Rehabilitation Counseling (i.e., disability studies). He's currently finishing a Ph.D. in Health Sciences and Rehabilitation (i.e., health care policy and disability studies) from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is writing his dissertation on the topic of work-related issues affecting people with autism.
Todd was fortunate to be influenced by a family that encouraged him to openly examine and become involved in any and all areas of life and society, for God’s glory. He grew up believing that "this is my Father's world" (all of it) and therefore both a joy and responsibility to actively explore and care for. One of Todd's favorite quotes is from the Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper (1880): "There is not one part of our world of thought that can be hermetically separated from the other parts, and there is not an inch in the entire area of our human life of which Christ, who is sovereign of all, does not cry 'Mine!'"
Due to the recent death of a child and some related hardships, Todd's understanding of God was deeply shaken. As he's dealt with this, he's learned that God is far more complicated and mysterious than he had ever previously imagined. And yet because of this, Todd has lately grown in trust and excitement for learning more about God.
Politically, Todd is currently an independent. He tends to think that in today's environment, a strict adherence to only one of the two primary parties in the U.S. can often times limit a richer discussion of many of our society's issues and policy considerations. He would rather operate on an issue-by-issue basis, and ask how a Christian "worldview" would inform us to consider each matter. However, it’s important to realize that well-meaning Christians often times arrive at different conclusions from each other. But, amongst Christians, Todd feels it’s important to discuss and debate these issues as “Christians” first, instead of as merely “Republicans” or “Democrats.”
Todd is particularly interested in social justice issues (one of the primary reasons he's chosen to study and work in the field of disability). He believes that a concern for social justice is one means by which Christians can put their faith into action, and to mirror Christ's saving and renewing love for his creation.