Reading & Discussion Groups Spring 2012
Purpose: To engage professors, doctoral students, and staff by relating Christian thinking and our vocations in a secular milieu (some groups will be a mixture of Christian and non-Christian)
"Integration: The Two Tasks of the Christian Scholar"
This R&D group constitutes part 2 of a two semester exploration on how to integrate our faith and our vocation. In particular, this second semester will be a workshop where we actually are challenged to write out a personal mission statement in terms of what it means to have a vocation (calling) rather than occupation (job). This is something you're not likely to be challenged to do elsewhere, but we provide an interdisciplinary opportunity so that as iron sharpens iron, so one person with a vocation sharpens another. Facilitated by Faculty Commons staff and a Professor, but open to anyone.
Date/time/location: Alternate Thursday's 11:30am-12:20pm at 507 Waldron St. (begins Jan. 19)
"Panoramic Bible Read Through"
This is a continuation of last semester's agenda. Join at any time. The important thing is to "stay int he text" and accountability helps at this. Could your it help you be biblically informed in your vocation? Should it? How about your relationship and understanding of God? We'll focus on rapid Bible reading for a panoramic biblical viewpoint and experience. Discussions will be various and the main point is sharing and accountability for those who want to take in the entire Bible.
Date/time/location: Every Monday 12:00-1:00pm in Schleman 236 (resumes Jan. 9)
2011 R&D Groups
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"Panoramic Bible Read Through"
When, if ever was the last time we read through the entire Bible? Could it help you be biblically informed in your vocation? Should it? How about your relationship and understanding of God? We’ll focus on rapid Bible reading for a panoramic biblical viewpoint and experience. Discussions will be various and the main point is sharing and accountability for those who want to take in the entire Bible.
Date/time/location: Every Monday 12:00-1:00pm in Schleman 236 (begins Sept 19, 2011)
"Morality and Economics"
Obviously, this is a timely subject! Some Marxist readings, but most attention will be on The Virtue of Capitalism: a Moral Case for Free Markets by two moral philosophers, Scott Rae and Austin Hill.
Date/time/location: alternate Wednesday’s 11:30am-12:20pm at 507 Waldron St. (begins Sept 14, 2011)
"Religion and Science"
The focus will be a philosophical investigation between the relationship of religion and science using two books and three highly influential authors, two of whose writings are atheistic and one Christian. The books are Science & Religion: Are They Compatible by Alvin Plantinga and Daniel Dennett. The other is Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life by Stephen J. Gould.
Date/time/location: alternate Wednesday's 12:30am-1:20pm at 507 Waldron St. (begins Sept 14, 2011)
"Integration: The Two Tasks of the Christian Scholar"
This R&D group constitutes part 1 of a two semester exploration on how to integrate our faith and our vocation. In particular, this first semester will be exposure to readings by credible Christian scholars in a variety of fields who are doing it. The Two Tasks of the Christian Scholar: Redeeming the Soul, Redeeming the Mind. The second semester will be a workshop.
Date/time/location: alternate Tuesday’s 11:30am-12:20pm at 507 Waldron St. (begins Sept 13, 2011)
"Winsome Evangelism in the Academy"
Is evangelism scary? It doesn’t have to be…and we need to “get over it” nonetheless if we want to be an apprentice of Jesus. The focus of this group will be winsome evangelism through a variety of techniques. The book we’ll use will be Questioning Evangelism, a focus on asking the right thought provoking questions with the intent to dialogue. We will encourage “active” participation here.
Date/time/location: alternate Tuesday’s 12:30-1:20pm at 507 Waldron St. (begins Sept 13, 2011)