Authentically AU: News and Views from the President

I don’t “pull all-nighters” anymore. But last night was an exception as I watched the United States Congress complete the task of certifying the Electoral College outcome. Now we await the inauguration of a new President with shocking images from yesterday burned into our...

For centuries, scholars, believers and skeptics alike have studied the Bethlehem story. Tonight — and for days thereafter — we will have an opportunity to see firsthand what some think may have been the star that guided the shepherds to the manger. I write about the Great Conjunction,...

Crimson. Orange. Gold. The colors of a Midwestern October return year after year. Trees reach their most vibrant hues after a moist (not wet) summer and a sunny, dry fall. They like cool nights, not early freezes. This was a very good year in Illinois and Wisconsin for vibrant autumn hues. Spend...

Not long ago, I read for the third time the new book that documents the early years of Mendota Seminary, the tiny institution that matured over time to become Aurora University. Over the last decade, I have enjoyed watching the creative process that produced this book from my vantage point in the...

In the midst of tributes to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I learned more about her distinctive view of the Constitution. She spoke frequently about our founding document as “embracive,” prone to inclusion. This is an interesting concept to consider as we move toward...