The Reading Wars, who wins? All phonics vs. No phonics. While adherent advocates fight it out in schools and legislatures around the country, what do kids learn? Rene Mendel Lebsock, a reading specialist on the faculty at Fresno Pacific University, says its time to blur the battle lines and teach meaning as well as making sounds. Learn about her peace plan this week in Scholars Speak.

Judeo-Christian values have been expressed as written laws for thousands of years. The empires of Rome and Great Britain, as well as the United States of America have seen themselves as carrying forward these laws as a moral and legal code, affecting life in the public square as well as inside the church. But is a code of behavior all, or even most, of what higher law is? Not to Quentin Kinnision, professor of contemporary Christian ministries at Fresno Pacific University, who makes his point in this week's Scholars Speak.

Grades--parents and schools offer cash, prizes and threats to encourage or scare students into achievement. Children are trained early that As guarantee a successful life. School systems are judged successes or failures based on test scores. But are good grades really the holy grail of education? In this week's Scholars Speak Scott Key, education professor at Fresno Pacific University, points out that some famous names never appeared on an honor roll, and that the emphasis we put on grades determines the kind of citizens we get.

"Emergent" congregations. "Missional" churches. Worship practices that go well beyond praise songs and electric keyboards. New ways to reach the unchurched, or heretical universalism? Tim Neufeld, director of the contemporary Christian ministries program at Fresno Pacific University, makes the case for inclusion in this week's Scholars Speak.

Career and family is a juggling act both women and men struggle with these days. One solution is for someone to gear down on the career track and work part time. Sounds good, but is there a sphere of part-time employment beyond the phrase: "What can I get started for you today?" Nicole Linder, director of annual giving and donor relations at Fresno Pacific University, is happy to report there is. She tells how employees and employers who are willing to give a little can get a lot through job sharing in this week's Scholars Speak.

Decisions, decisions. It's a big world out there, with lots of decisions to make. It's a busy world, too, so we better make those decisions quickly, right? Not always, says Rod Reed, campus pastor and dean of spiritual formation at Fresno Pacific University. In the June edition of Scholars Speak, Reed makes the case that unhurried decisions can be the best decisions.

Scholars Speak again goes monthly for the summer. For May, Wayne Steffen wonders what ought to be the mix of education and entertainment at the public library. Does Scary Movie 4 stand with Schindler's List? Foxy Brown with The Philadelphia Story? More important, who decides and how can we all participate?

When I was eight, I wanted to check The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde out of my neighborhood library back east. My heart’s desire in hand, I approached the checkout counter.