Died Leon Morris, a prolific Australian biblical scholar, on July 24 from complications caused by hip surgery. He was 92. Morris, a self-taught theologian known for his work on substitutionary atonement, wrote more than 50 books and served as the president of Ridley College in Melbourne for 15 years. He also contributed to the NIV and ESV Bible translations and was a corresponding editor for Christianity Today.

Purchased Multnomah Publishers, a Christian publishing company best known for The Prayer of Jabez, by Random House on August 2. Multnomah will merge with WaterBrook Press, an evangelical publishing division created by Random House in 1996.

Selected Jay Hein, as the fourth director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives on August 3. Hein, founding president of the Sagamore Institute for Policy Research, replaces Jim Towey, who became the president of Saint Vincent College on July 1.

Appointed David Lee Parkyn, as the ninth president of North Park University on July 1. Previously, he was the provost and senior vice president at Elizabethtown College. Parkyn also worked as a professor and administrator at Messiah College for 23 years.



Related Elsewhere:

Anglican Media Melbourne published an obituary for Morris, as did the Melbourne newspaper The Age. Among the bloggers noting his passage were Justin Taylor, Scot McKnight, and D.A. Carson. Brian Bayston's eulogy is also available online. Rob Bradshaw's BiblicalStudies site has an extensive list of Morris's works. Audio of several his sermons are available online.

Publishers Weekly's PW Daily was the first to report the rumors of the Multnomah purchase. Multnomah's site has more information about the sale.

The Sagamore Institute's site has many articles by Hein. The White House has a bio and personnel announcement. The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy interviewed him.

North Park University has Parkyn's curriculum vita online.

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