Who in the World Are We? is an ongoing journey, pondering the implications of God's glorious design of humanity and integrating four aspects of this design—spiritual, intellectual, affective, and physical health—into a description of whole life health that honors life with God and one another in Christ and in the world.
This About page is nearly always a work in progress.
This blog focuses on the interplay of aspects of health (all definitions are in flux and subject to modification):
- Spiritual Health : Let me put my cards on the table: Whole spiritual health is only possible in a relationship of trust in Jesus Christ. By this I do not mean that all those who have “said the prayer” are spiritually healthy; this is far from the truth. Further, I do not mean that those who do not trust Christ are unable to experience any spiritual health. All humans experience some level of spiritual health, but outside of a relationship of trust in Christ, spiritual health can only be partial and temporal. Let me put an additional card on the table: I have in no way arrived. In fact, the older I get, the more I realize how much unhealth resides in my heart. This channel on Who in the World Are We? contains ponderings from my journey to spiritual health and, given my participation in a radically individualistic culture, communal spiritual formation will be a prominent topic.
- Intellectual Health : Thinking well is a key aspect of living well and involves knowledge content, skills, and dispositions. I will say, without hesitation, but with sure regret, that intellectual health is a new focus for me—and it took entry into a Ph.D. program to make this a priority (a sad thing for someone with two masters degrees). Skills (the intellectual toolbox) and dispositions (intellectual tendings of the heart) will be the primary focus.
- Affective Health : This is often thought of as emotional health, but there is more to our affections than what is normally understood as emotion. The related notions of passions and values reside here as well. Relationships comprise the primary location for our expression of emotional health. As a subject of pondering, affective health is new to me, so many posts will be exploratory.
- Physical Health : Some time in 2008, I began an intentional journey to physical health; primal (especially Mark's Daily Apple) has been an important part of that journey. Physical health is definitely a work in progress, for I am still overweight (though less than when I started) and still have physical health issues. Three areas of physical health are a priority for me (and will likely show up in the posts): eating, moving, and sleeping.
You will find:
- Book reviews
- Definitions
- Ponderings
- Wonderings
- Reflections
- Sundry shorts: clippings, quotations, questions, tangent matrices, and mutterings
In the interest of full disclosure:
- Prior to February 2010, Who in the World Are We? was an ecclesiology (doctrine of the church) blog. Posts have been re-categorized into the four channels, but there ecclesiological focus stands.
- If Akismet thinks your comment is spam, I think it is spam. Sorry.
- Links to amazon.com are associate links. I get money when readers purchase products through these links.
Who is Laura Springer?
I am at least a third generation free-church Protestant of the Baptist variety. I cut my theological teeth under the preaching and teaching of ultra-dispensational (a la C. I. Scofield), verse-by-verse exegete, William D. Lawrence (not the one at DTS). Interest in ecclesiology was planted by a church split during my early adult years, nurtured by my subsequent participation in a church plant, and practiced in ministry creation at an established church.
Educational Background
- Currently: Student, Doctor of Philosophy (Educational Studies, 2013 if all goes well), Talbot School of Theology
- Master of Theology (Systematic Theology, 2008), Talbot School of Theology
- Master of Divinity (Christian Education, 2005), Talbot School of Theology
Awards
- Zondervan Outstanding Master's Thesis Award, 2008
- The Robert N. Oliver Award in Systematic Theology, 2008
- Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, 2005
Publications
Unpublished Works
Springer, L.K. An Articulation and Evaluation of an Emerging Church Ecclesiology. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, 2008. [available on lulu]
Citations
"Hunting for Taxonomies," cited by Ed Stetzer in "The Emergent/Emerging Church: A Missiological Perspective"in Evangelicals Engaging Emergent: A Discussion of the Emergent Church Movement, Edited by William D. Henard and Adam W. Greenway, (p. 51, n. 56).
Contact Information
email: lkspringer AT gmail DOT com
Twitter: Tangentrider
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This blog is a rebirth of whointheworldarewe.blogspot.com
and spent a short time at witwaw.wordpress.com
My name is Laura and I am on a journey, pondering the implications of God's glorious design of humanity and integrating four aspects of this design—spiritual, intellectual, affective, and physical health—into a description of whole life health. 
