Northwestern history prof publishes article

Dr. Michael Kugler, professor of history at Northwestern College, recently published an article in the winter/spring issue of the history journal Fides et Historia.

In his article, “At the Mercy of the Flesh: The Incarnation and Historical Contemplation,” Kugler argues that instead of Christian worldviews or moralistic reflection to distinguish faithful reflection on the past, we should carefully contemplate God becoming fully human in Jesus Christ.

“God chose a particular person, constrained by time and the circumstance of human experience, in which to reveal himself fully,” says Kugler. “In becoming Jesus, God does not emphasize his majesty, glory and power, but limits himself to our own human conditions. In doing so, God reminds us of his complete joy in our being material creatures in a complex, evolved world.”

Fides et Historia is a journal of history published twice a year. Contributing authors submit pieces for publication that relate to the journal’s central theme, which is the intersection of Christian faith and historical inquiry.

A member of Northwestern’s faculty since 1994, Kugler was the recipient of the college’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2006. He teaches courses in European history from the Reformation through the modern era, and holds research interests in the Enlightenment era, historical narrative and the history of incarnational theology.

A graduate of Judson Baptist College in Portland, Ore., Kugler earned a master’s degree from Western Washington University and a doctorate from the University of Chicago.