Author Archives: Rick D. Williams

About Rick D. Williams

Teaching and writing have been my life's work for over three decades as a journalist and educator. My degrees in History were earned at Illinois State University, and I've done additional graduate work at Lincoln Christian Seminary and Urbana Theological Seminary. Over the years I’ve led conference workshops and authored articles and book chapters on topics ranging from religious education and international student ministry to state and local history.

Making History on Campus (Historic Sites, Part 4)

Posted on May 26, 2025 by Rick D. Williams

With campus relatively quiet these day, it is a great time to go looking for local history at the University of Illinois. Of course, campus itself is one of the historic gems of our community.  The online UHistories project features … Continue reading →

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Urbana’s Main Street and Taft’s Lincoln (Historic Sites, Part 3)

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Rick D. Williams

West Main Street from downtown to Lincoln Avenue is of the most enchanting and historic few blocks’ drive in Urbana. Nearly canopied by the surrounding trees in full leaf, the old brick-paved street is an experience to savor on a … Continue reading →

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It all began by the Boneyard (Historic Sites, Part 2)

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Rick D. Williams

The next time you have a chance to stop in at the Courier Cafe, take a moment in the parking lot to glance down at the creek and imagine yourself standing near the spot where Champaign County began. In this … Continue reading →

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Historic Sites Revisited (Part 1): Treasures in C-U

Posted on March 14, 2024 by Rick D. Williams

During “home sheltering” days of that first Covid pandemic summer, it was so important to find ways to get out of the house and take advantage of the increasingly warmer weather. People were flocking to one (or more!) of our … Continue reading →

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A Historic Take on “Back to School” (part 2)

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Rick D. Williams

This story first appeared in the online magazine Smile Politely on September 9, 2020. The past couple of weeks have seen the most unusual, unique, and creative “back to school” season in the history of local education. As school administrators, … Continue reading →

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A Historic Take on “Back to School” (part 1)

Posted on September 5, 2023 by Rick D. Williams

This story first appeared in the online magazine Smile Politely on August 11, 2020 With the start of a new academic year just weeks away, local school districts are scrambling to develop plans for COVID-era instruction. These are indeed unprecedented … Continue reading →

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Christian Vision for Cultural Engagement

Posted on July 22, 2020 by Rick D. Williams

In his 2010 book, To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World, James Davison Hunter called upon Christians to become “a faithful presence” in the world.  “Faithful presence” involves being an example … Continue reading →

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“Truth Be Told” – understanding how the Gospel resonates with and redeems our imagination, senses, intellect, and emotions

Posted on July 25, 2018 by Rick D. Williams

This is the final part of a six-week program, “Worldview as the L.E.N.S. of Life,” given at Life Community Church in Mahomet, Illinois A healthy Biblical Worldview embraces the diverse ways God has gifted us to understand and navigate the … Continue reading →

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“How Do You Feel About That?”–understanding the world through feelings and emotions

Posted on July 3, 2018 by Rick D. Williams

This is the fifth part of a six-week program, “Worldview as the L.E.N.S. of Life,” given at Life Community Church in Mahomet, Illinois Feelings are perhaps the most direct, immediate, visceral of all the ways we interact with the world. … Continue reading →

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“What’s on Your Mind?” – understanding the world through reason, logic & intellect

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Rick D. Williams

This is the fourth part of a six-week program, “Worldview as the L.E.N.S. of Life,” given at Life Community Church in Mahomet, Illinois Classical philosophers in the Greco-Roman world, Asia, and Medieval Europe would all agree that the ability to … Continue reading →

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