Campaign Receives Grant from Lilly Endowment—p.13
Vantage Sci ence and Theology
and the stars oon m e h t k a o t y o , o ur heavens, the work of your fingers When I l n d f u l o f t h e m, e mi r a u o y t ave established; what ar e human beings tha that you h at you care for them? Ps mortals th alms 8:3-4
E d i to r ’s N ote For years I’ve been interested in evolution— especially humans, but also inanimate things, such as publications. During the past five years, Columbia’s Vantage has been evolving: two-color printing evolved to four, the page count increased, and each issue came to be built around a theme. Meanwhile, as Vantage’s paper species (let’s call that Vantage charta) was evolving, the online species (Vantage electrus) emerged and began its own evolution. Today you are reading an evolved version of Vantage c. Still colorful, and still thematic, it will now offer feature articles that allow you to experience more deeply some of the domain of theological education—in the Reformed, Columbia tradition. In addition,Vantage c. has a new format allowing us to save paper and reduce printing costs. Meanwhile, Vantage e. is evolving into a larger publication. Commonly known as Vantage Online, this species, which we will re-introduce in early April, will include more news, full-length versions of any feature articles that exceed the amount of space available in Vantage c., and additional articles that relate to the theme of each issue. We evolve in response to the world around us. For Columbia’s family of publications, today’s environment offers technological resources that allow us to print and deliver better, cheaper paper publications that co-exist peacefully and purposefully with the electronic species.
President’s Message
I
remember a seminary class in Old Testament. To help us think about the creation account in Genesis, our professor invited an astronomer to present a slide show of the heavens. At one point, this distinguished scientist, with his years of research and countless publications, became overwhelmed with the wonder of it all. “I know as much as anyone has ever known about the creation of the world,” he said, “but I come to a place where there is more than I know, more than science will ever tell us.” His tears shut down his speaking. He sat down. We were barely breathing. None of us moved. Finally the professor of astronomy stood and continued, “This is where you come in. What you know, what your faith in God teaches you, will tell the rest of the story.”
Laura M e n d e n h a l l
For the Kingdom, Genie Hambrick
C over
Van tag e
Vol. 100, No. 3, Spring 2009 Published quarterly by Columbia Theological Seminary Periodicals postage paid at Decatur, GA Circulation: 13,000 Edito r Genie Hambrick Ass is ta n t E d i to r s Carol Boe, Laura Neely ’11 Des ig n Lucy Ke Photog r a ph y E d i to r Ben Beasley ’10 Cont r ib u to r s Andy Acton ’05 Collin Adams ’08 Amy Baer ’08 Stephanie Boardman Anthony ’02 William P. Brown John C. Bryan ’67 Randy Calvo, Jr. ’81 Scott Chester 2 VANTAGE Spring 2009
Kim Clayton ’84/’08 (DMin) Andrew Foster Connors ’01 Kate Foster Connors ’01 Bill Crosland ’52 Chris De Pree Mark Douglas Steve Eason ’93 (DMin) Karen Fleming ’08 Philip George Gold ’84 Dave Holmes ’08 (DMin) Todd Jenkins ’90 Ernie Johnson ’72 Karen Jolly ’06 Kent Kelley ’63 Ed Lanier ’64/’85 (DMin) Bill Lee ’55 Thomas Lewis ’00 (DMin) C. K. Little, Jr. ’60/’82 (ThM) Laura Mendenhall Katherine Miller ’09 D. Cameron Murchison Robert G. Newman ’61 Barbara Poe Tom Roddy ’64/’84 (DMin) Jody Sauls Sandra Taylor Jeff Vaughan David Wyly ’00 (DMin)
R i c h a r d G at e Lacewing, Dipper, Daisies Oil, photo transfer, birch | 48 × 48 inches Used with permission of the artist. This painting was included in “The Charmed Particle,” a solo exhibition at the Ruth Bachofner Gallery, Santa Monica, CA. About this body of work, Gate says: “...Charm in the physical sense is the attribute of resisting decay, erosion and entropy. All forms, to the extent and duration that they exist in time and space, exhibit this quality of charm...In physics, charm accounts for the longevity of the ‘J’ particle...Composed of particles swirling and jostling for position, these paintings will, I hope, crystalize into fascinating and pleasing incantations or spells...They were painted in a time of swirling turbulence, economic decline, and threat of war...may they cast an alluring and enlivening spell....” Born in 1959 in the lake country of northwestern Ontario, Richard Gate was raised in the red rock country of southern Utah. He studied art at Brigham Young University and received an MFA from the Claremont Graduate School.
t h e
Wonder
o f
i t
a l l
This is a banner year for science. Exactly four hundred years ago, Galileo pointed his telescope for the first time at the moon. Born two hundred years ago, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, considered by many to be the greatest scientific book of all time, exactly 150 years ago. Not everyone, of course, is celebrating. But I am.
by w i l l i a m p. b r o w n
Professor of Old Testament “ The Wonder of It All: The Bible and Science,” which is a longer version of this article, will be available in April in Vantage Online.
Ben Beasley ’10
Theology and science complement one another as partners. Each attempts to discover better ways of living. I have graduate degrees in both science and theology.The only conflict is when people use either for destructive purposes, rather than for the betterment of people and to the glory of God.
E d L a n i er’64/ ’ 8 5 (DMin)
In anticipation of this milestone in the history of science, I recently attended a conference at Emory University titled “Evolution Revolution: Science Changing Life.” It featured several notable scientists, including biologist E. O. Wilson and primatologist Frans de Waal. But what I remember most was a remark made by a high school student who attended the event. Freshman Caitlin Wade of Grady High School stated in an interview, “I can pray, read my Bible, and study science. I don’t have to choose.” While such a statement might strike many readers as self-evident, many in the Bible Belt and elsewhere would find it profoundly liberating or threatening. It wasn’t long ago that educators such as high school biology teacher and fearless Presbyterian Wes McCoy had to fight an uphill battle to have the infamous stickers (“evolution is a theory, not a fact”), endorsed by the Cobb County [GA] Board of Education, removed from all biology textbooks. In this day and age most of us, thankfully, do not have to choose between reading the Bible and studying science. But then the question arises: What is it like to do so? A little over a century ago, doing just that made one theologically suspect. Dr. James Woodrow, uncle of Woodrow Wilson, was appointed the Perkins Professor of Natural Science in Connection with Revelation in 1861. When Darwin’s On the Origin of Species was published, Professor Woodrow became a focal point of controversy within the Southern Presbyterian church. In 1886 he was dismissed from the seminary for letting the findings of evolutionary science inform his understanding of the biblical story of creation. The chair that was created especially for him no longer exists at Columbia. Although Woodrow’s dismissal was prompted by a number of factors, from personality clashes among the faculty to the seminary’s fiscal crisis, it was the perceived threat of Darwinism that carried the day. Is “soulless science” really hell-bent on eroding humanity’s nobility and eliminating all sense of mystery? Not the science I know. Is religion simply a lazy excuse to wallow in human pretension? Not the faith I know. What if invoking God was a way of acknowledging the wondrous intelligibility of creation? What if science informed and enabled persons of faith to become more trustworthy “stewards of God’s mysteries” (1 Cor 4:1)? The faith I know does not keep believers on a leash, preventing them from extending their knowledge of the world. The God of the Bible is not the God of obfuscation. If theology is “faith seeking understanding” (à la Anselm) and science is a form of understanding seeking further understanding, then faith has nothing to fear and much to learn from science. History, of course, has not borne this out. But I hope and pray that the future, perhaps beginning this year, is different. It is no coincidence that many scientists today admit to an overwhelming sense of wonder—even “sacredness”—about nature and the cosmos, a far cry from Francis Bacon’s objectification of nature as humanity’s slave. Comparably, the authors of Scripture were not hesitant in expressing their awe of creation: the sage marveled over the mysteries of nature (Prov 30:18-19). The psalmist trembled before the vastness of the cosmos (Ps 8:3-4). The wonder of it all prompted them to wonder about it all. “Everyone is naturally born a scientist,” admits astrobiologist Chris Impey (The Living Cosmos [New York: Random House, 2007], 10). We can no more deny that of our ancestors in the faith than we can deny that of ourselves. Together, the ancient cosmogonist and the modern cosmologist, the biblical sage and the urbane physicist (as well as chemist, geologist, biologist, physiologist, anthropologist, etc.) form a cohort of wonder. So what is it like to read the Bible and study science? I hope for Caitlin’s sake and for countless other students that it is an exercise in wonder, an experience in joy to the World and to the Word made flesh and fresh. And may such wonder take hold with fierce urgency as creation continues to suffer to sustain our consumptive habits. May the cohort of wonder form a partnership of stewardship, and none too soon. VANTAGE Spring 2009
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&
s c i e n c e ,
r e l i g i o n
The End of the World
D
by k at h e r i n e m i l l e r ’ 0 9
I was trained first in psychology, then theology, and then in organization studies, including applied behavioral sciences, which augment my theological training, giving me enhanced knowledge and understanding of human beings (and of myself). I concur with John Calvin: It does not matter whether you start with a search for the knowledge of God or for the knowledge of self.The two are so intertwined one with the other that it is impossible to always know which leads and which follows. A search for either will drive one to the other.
John C. Bryan ’67 4 VANTAGE Spring 2009
uring fall term, I took “Science, Religion, and the End of the World,” a course offered jointly by the seminary and Agnes Scott College. Mark Douglas, associate professor of Christian ethics, and Christopher De Pree, associate professor of astrophysics at Agnes Scott, “team-taught” the class, challenging us to analyze both scientific and Christian narratives regarding the end of the world, to consider how they relate, and to think about their implications for how we live and think today. Out of 46 students registered for the class, twelve were CTS students, and I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to hear the perspectives of people outside of the seminary (and even the Christian) community. In seminary, it’s easy to forget that not everyone sees the world through Christian eyes. To engage in conversation with people of different faiths, with atheists and agnostics, was enlightening and refreshing. I also appreciated being pushed to use a part of my brain that has been rather neglected during my time at seminary and even during my undergraduate days as an English major. Thinking about scientific concepts and how they relate to my faith was a new challenge and certainly a highlight of the semester. I recently talked with Mark Douglas and Chris De Pree about the course.
KM — What were the origins of this class? Mark Douglas (MD) I guess we began with a grant application. Chris and I met several years ago through Richard DuBose [Columbia’s VP for Institutional Advancement] and decided to apply jointly for a Templeton grant for a speaker series. We didn’t receive the grant but ended up team-teaching a Columbia lifelong learning course called “Beginnings and Endings,” and we had a lot of fun with it. We started thinking about a course that students from both our institutions could take for credit. It took three years to plan and coordinate. How did you decide on the “end of the world” focus? Chris De Pree (CD) At Agnes Scott, I had taught “The End of the World as We Know It,” a first-year seminar that addressed issues that sometimes ended up being related to religion. I could answer questions related to science, but I needed someone else to answer their religious questions. We decided to use that as a starting point for the class and to go from there. MD I had already been pondering the relationship between apocalyptic thought and eschatological thought, so this was a great opportunity to explore that interest further. Really, though, the gist of the class wasn’t just to think about EOTW scenarios, but to challenge students to think about how those scenarios shape our current global and political actions. Global warming or pre-millennial dispensationalist beliefs really do shape how people relate to the world. They affect funding patterns in scientific research and voting patterns at elections. CD One interesting conversation that naturally developed over the course of the semester was a discussion of the “end” as in “purpose” of the world. We hadn’t intended that meaning, but it developed as a natural extension of the course.
De Pree
“ ...the gist of the class wasn’t Douglas
just to think about EOTW scenarios, but to challenge students to think about how those scenarios shape our current global and political actions.”
How did you choose texts and resources for the course? CD We worked on a list of books together, but Mark was interested in a lot of the books I’d used in the ASC seminar course. He had his own suggestions though, Ender’s Game and The Road among others. MD A lot of it was what we had on our shelves. But we picked a flow for the class and then texts and movies that fit the flow. Looking back now there are any number of movies that we could have shown. There are tons of “comets hitting the world” movies, for instance… we tried to choose the least egregiously bad one. What did the two of you learn in teaching the course? CD I really enjoyed exploring some of the deeper connections. At the popular level people say, “I‘m going to look at the Bible and see where I can find science.” I’m glad we went beyond that, and far beyond that. Mid to late semester I went to an astronomy conference subtitled “Revealing the Hidden Universe.” Thinking about this class, I realized that there is a deep connection between science and religion in the sense that both provide insights into “hidden universes,” different worlds that science or religion can unlock in different ways. There’s a lot going on this year in science and religion, too. The 400th anniversary of the telescope is a good time to talk about Galileo, who had deep faith and was also a fantastic scientist. Calvin’s 500th birthday, Darwin’s 200th birthday also fall this year.
MD How could we not teach this class??? Seriously, I’ve wondered if this class would have been possible 15 years ago, just because of the different state of relations between science and religion. The understanding of disciplinary pluralism is changing in the academy; new ways of teaming different disciplines. We should take advantage of that. Any closing thoughts? MD I look forward to teaching a similar course in the future and I’m hopeful that we’ve started something between our two institutions that might grow. CD I think it would be great if more faculty at the two institutions were able to find overlaps. MD For one thing, it’s a cost-effective way to do interdisciplinary teaching: each institution pays only one professor. Maybe this is incentive for us to work on that grant proposal again. CD I hope this class helped us see that science and religion, when you infuse your life with them, change the way you see the world. It helped me to gain a deeper appreciation for the complexity and beauty of the world. I truly miss teaching the class this semester. I’m teaching two perfectly fine classes, but they’re just normal, disciplinary courses. Interdisciplinary teaching is challenging and invigorating. VANTAGE Spring 2009
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d w e l l i n g
t o g e t h e r
Science and Spirituality by thomas lewis ’00 (DMin)
Director of the Center for Lifelong Learning’s Spirituality Program
The subjects of science and religion have equal value and must speak to each other or neither will have full integrity. A house is not functional if it is without both a foundation and a superstructure. I am useless if both halves of my brain do not speak to each other. My very existence as a living human depends on both the organic and the spiritual. I continue to pursue and integrate both studies.
C. K. Little, Jr. ’60/ ’82 (ThM)
The wolf shall live with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the kid, The calf and the lion and the fatling together And a little child shall lead them. (Isaiah 11:6) 1
T
he Prophet Isaiah paints a beautiful picture of the shalom that will come to the entire world. Those who are enemies will coexist in peace and prosperity, and those who are far apart will come close to each other. For more than three centuries, those in the science camp and those in the spirituality camp have lived in a standoff. Like siblings embroiled in seemingly irreconcilable conflict, they have stood back to back, not speaking, with their arms folded across their chests. But I see the distance between them shrinking. God’s spirit is blowing winds of change, and the line in the sand between enemies is disappearing. Estranged siblings are turning to face each other, they are speaking, their arms unfolding. In The Soul of Christianity Huston Smith writes, “We live in an exciting time . . . in the second of two revolutions of the human spirit. The first of these was disastrous for the human spirit. The discovery of the controlled experiment…inaugurated the scientific method and it quickly displaced the traditional world view (which pivots on God) with the scientific worldview, which has no place for deity…
Science is a tool to help us understand ourselves and God’s world. Christian Faith is based on some things that happened that make us whole persons. Science is a wonderful and useful tool, but a dangerous and untrustworthy master. Faith is a wonderful and essential master, but it is dangerous when we attempt to make it our servant. Good science and good faith are both gifts given for the glory of God and our good.
Bill Lee ’55 6 VANTAGE Spring 2009
ive; l imperat a ic g lo o e sis upon iblical/th 6 (empha resses a b p :1 x 3 e n e h c Jo n 1; ind); Scie ll your m enesis 1:3 a G h , it le w p d m for exa (love Go than er works ark 12:30 t a M e ; r ) s g o o d m kos make r “will Theology 2 (Believe d e m r fo e John 14:1 ssary dR of a nece egesis an t x n E e ) m .” ll e s lfi the sion/fu he expres Christ. Science t believer in e h t r fo endeavor ’6 1
a G. Newm R o b e rt
n
“ Research in the area of
forgiveness provides new insights into the most challenging aspect of spirituality and religion; the necessity to forgive.
”
“The second revolution … is constructive for it brings God back into the picture. The fact that science cannot get its hands on anything except nature is no proof that nature is all that exists. Absence of evidence and evidence of absence… are very different.”2 Science and spirituality study different aspects of the created order in very different ways, and these different approaches to understanding created the standoff. Science rests on proof, on observations leading to hypotheses to be tested, then verified. Spirituality is based on faith, the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Now we are seeing that we do not have to place ourselves in one camp or the other. Rather than either/or, we are entering the era of both/and. The rivalry has begun to dissipate, and the siblings approaching reunion. The Fetzer Institute, dedicated to “fostering awareness of the power of love and forgiveness in the emerging global community,” is bringing together the disciplines of science and spirituality in innovative, intentional ways. The institute has supported the work of Jack Nitscheke of the University of Wisconsin. Using MRI imaging, Nitscheke and other scientists identified brain structures critical for various emotions. They found that the orbitofrontal cortex and the nucleus accumbens are activated by altruistic love. 3 Findings of another Fetzer-funded project suggest that empathy is not a process restricted to one type person, or localized in one region of the brain. In “The Physiology of Love: Empathic Responding to Emotional Reactions,” Stephanie
Preston of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics concludes that there are multiple ways that people go about understanding the emotional state of another.4 The institute is also engaged in controlled studies that examine different aspects of forgiveness. Fetzer projects in this area include publication of Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy. This book examines the remarkable expressions of forgiveness extended by an Amish community in the aftermath of a horrendous school shooting. The community forgave not only the gunman who had murdered and injured their children before killing himself; they also extended love and forgiveness to his family. Research in the area of forgiveness provides new insights into the most challenging aspect of spirituality and religion; the necessity to forgive. It also moves rapidly from the effect on interpersonal relationships, to the relationship with God to global implications for war and peace—all this in a time when killing has become technologically easier than sitting around a table and offering love and forgiveness. Yes, the siblings are indeed beginning to hold hands. And the lion and the lamb shall dwell together. 1 All scripture quotations are from the NRSV. 2 Huston Smith, The Soul of Christianity, (New York:
HarperSanFrancisco 2005), p. xv
It seems to me that one of the great roles of science is to seek to satisfy the inquiring mind in its desire to push the limits of knowledge. Science offers the invitation to dig deeper into the vastness of a creation and a creator which we can see only in part. When science meets theology there is a convergence of sorts where the existential conversation around the source and meaning of life meets the measurable pragmatic disciple of discovering and understanding what exists. Neither discounts the other. Rather, they enhance! God and creation are entwined in nothing short of miraculous. Miraculous in this context simply means, not made with human hands.
Ernie Johnson ’72
3 Fetzer Institute Research Summary, a presentation during
2004 Compassionate Love Conference, May 21-23, 2004. 4 Ibid.
VANTAGE Spring 2009
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Chuck Campbell Passionate Teacher by Kate ’01 and Andrew ’01 Foster Connors
I
n early 1998, looking for the right seminary to pursue our call, we paid a visit to Columbia. Having only recently learned of CTS, it did not start at the top of our list. The visit began well. We were impressed by the faculty and by the sense of community we witnessed at Columbia. But it was Chuck Campbell who sealed the deal for us. Through a mutual friend, we arranged a short meeting with Chuck as a part of our visit to Columbia. He welcomed us warmly, and asked us about our call to seminary and, ultimately, to ministry. The conversation that followed—about God’s justice, and God’s love for all people, and about possibilities for urban ministry in the city of Atlanta —clarified our decision to study at Columbia Seminary. Chuck was exactly the kind of teacher we wanted to learn from. During our time at the seminary, Chuck was not only a teacher, and an advisor, but a mentor for us both. Chuck’s heart for ministry and his commitment to students’ learning—both in and outside the classroom— was evident from the day we met him. As Kate’s academic advisor, Chuck not only gathered all his advisees weekly to check in, but he always found time to sit and listen The Laws of science are much like the Laws of God: neither when Kate needed advice or a stands on their own without listening ear. Chuck was, and a little grace. When you bend is, a passionate teacher. His them, warp them, speed them energy for teaching and his up or slow them down, the passion for engaging, biblical quarks go flying. Jesus fulfilled preaching inspired our respect all of the Law for all of creation. and appetite for preaching and In him, science and theology found their perfect wormhole. worship. That’s the real “big bang!” Chuck understands that where we spend our time is Philip George Gold ’84 critical for the way we interpret Scripture, the way we preach, 8 VANTAGE Spring 2009
and for the way we do ministry. He was instrumental in getting us out of our comfortable world at the seminary and onto the streets of Atlanta: he connected us both with the Open Door Community, a ministry in downtown Atlanta that works with homeless people (he even talked Kate into preaching on the street there!); he helped Kate become involved as a volunteer advocate for a woman with mental illness, an experience that took Kate from the streets of Atlanta to a residential treatment facility, to city court, and to jail; he taught a course on the book of Revelation that held class in the Underground shopping mall, at the downtown Task Force on Homelessness, and in public plazas in the city of Atlanta. Chuck brought to Columbia a profound commitment to those who are on the margins of church and society. He served as the first faculty advisor to Imago Dei, the first gay-straight alliance on campus. Through conflicts that inevitably arose, Chuck never lost sight of the preacher’s vocation to preach good news to the oppressed both with his words and his commitment to those in our world who are so easily ignored or despised. This commitment formed our preaching, and taught us the importance of placing ourselves with the poor and those made most vulnerable in our world, where we could encounter God in their faces and their words. His encouragement, support, and passion for ministry followed us beyond seminary into the parish. When Andrew found himself in the midst of conflict, spurred by his church’s stand for those on the margins, he called Chuck for support. After offering some concrete suggestions for a pastoral approach, he said, “When it gets difficult, just remember that you are dealing with the real stuff of the Gospel. God didn’t call you into this to argue over where to put the furniture.” We thank God for saints like Chuck, who continue to answer that call to challenge, unsettle, and keep us faithful. We are grateful for the many lives he touched during his time at Columbia. And though we may no longer bump into him when we cross the quad, silently (or not so silently!) composing a sermon in his head, many of us will look forward to hearing the excited lilt of his voice calling from street corners, from house church meetings, standing at the table, a subversive smile across his face, proclaiming, “Don’t tear off a little piece of bread. Get yourself a big ’ol hunk of grace!”
C o l l o q u i u m 2 0 0 9 | Ap r i l 2 0 - 2 2
J
Calvin Now!
ohn Calvin taught that God gives blessing and gifts to ordinary people for vocation and public service, leadership, and care for the poor, the refugee, and the displaced person. And his great gift to us today— now—comes from his development of a viable organization for a continuing Reformed church. More than a celebration of the 500th anniversary of the reformer’s birth, Calvin Now! offers opportunities to consider Calvin as a resource fresh and vital for our practices of Christian faith today.
Preacher
Laura Mendenhall
president of Columbia Theological Seminary Plenary S p eaker s
Brian Gerrish
University of Chicago Divinity School professor emeritus
Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education distinguished service professor of theology
and from Columbia Theological Seminary
George Stroup, J. B. Green Professor of Theology Martha Moore-Keish, assistant professor of theology
Work sho p Leader s from the Columbia Faculty
Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi, professor of world Christianity
Mark Douglas, associate professor of Christian ethics Haruko Ward, associate professor of church history Charles Raynal, associate professor of theology
Registration materials are online at www.ctsnet.edu > Events. You may also contact Barbara Poe at poeb@ctsnet.edu, or 404.687.4566.
Full of Wisdom and Grace A Tribute to Dana Campbell
F
by D. Cameron Murchison Dean of the Faculty and Executive Vice President
The Campbells have moved to Durham, NC. Chuck recently joined the faculty of Duke Divinity School, where he received his Ph.D.
or 16 years Dana Campbell shared her considerable skills in writing with students at Columbia. She also led Columbia to develop and implement a program that was not merely ad hoc, but attentive to cultivating students’ skill that would contribute significantly to their ministries. Initially Dana’s work involved testing and evaluating entering students, working with those who needed remedial help with English skills. Dana knew, of course, that effective writing is an important tool for almost every aspect of faithful ministry. Thus she started a writing program that included assisting any students willing to avail themselves of it, providing more individualized instruction through a writing lab, and her own participation in the Old Testament survey course to give all students feedback on their real-time writing. Even as Dana announced her plans for moving to Durham, she helped the basic Basic Degrees Committee think through one more revision of the writing program. Following her suggestions, we are now involving all students in an early consultation in writing to identify weaknesses and affirm strengths. Dana also gave advanced degree students the benefit of her expertise through D.Min. and D.Ed. Min. project workshops. Not only did she assist these students through direct interaction, but also in developing and revising the style guides which helped them organize and present their work. And with the revision of the Th.M. program several years ago, Dana assumed an important role in its required research seminar. While it is hard to conceive of the writing program at Columbia apart from Dana’s diligent attention to shaping and nurturing it, her personal presence has had an even greater effect on the community. Dana reflected a grace that inspired confidence and respect. Before the work of writing instructor grew to its eventual dimensions, Dana worked for several years in the campus bookstore, where she was a help and encouragement to students, staff, and faculty alike. And few are the students who will forget the welcome Dana, Chuck, and their family offered each year as they hosted social occasions for the new Greek School students, for student organizations, and for faculty and staff members. Columbia will long be indebted to Dana Campbell for her gifts that are both professional and personal. With gratitude we bid her adieu and Godspeed. VANTAGE Spring 2009
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New Issue of Online Jour nal Avai lable Now!
Mammon in the Maelstrom
Evolution, natural selection, conservation, adaptation, mutation, single cell reproduction, DNA, RNA, family, genus, species, plate tectonics, hydrothermal vents, long shore drift…a few among many of the words swirling around my classrooms and my brain as I studied marine biology. Not once did these words or the theories that come along with them cause my faith to fail me. Not once, because I hold fast to the mysterious, amazing, unchanging truth: our creator God is the scientist.
Ka r e n F l e m i ng ’ 0 8
www.atthispoint.net The past several months have brought unremittingly troublesome news about local, national, and global economies. Mortgage defaults, credit crises, falling stock markets, rising unemployment, shocking stimulus packages, . . . there seems to be no limit to the economic upheaval. And churches and church-members are as vulnerable to their impacts as anyone. So how might the church think about the current economic upheaval? What might it say and do in the midst of it all? And
Science creates space for theology in hospice care.The transition from life to death requires an abundance of space to dream, to question, to dig deeply, and to hope. For many of my hospice patients, physical pain clogs and clutters all of their space.Through medical science, physical pain can be controlled and space can be created; space to unpack emotional and spiritual pain, space to consider who God is, who they are, and what they have to do with each other.
Am y B a e r ’ 0 8
what kind of lives are we being called and commanded into in light of it? Perhaps we’re all Keynesians now—but isn’t it more important to figure out how we are to be Christians now?
During the 60s when I was pastor of First church, Laurel, MS, the “Southern” General Assembly reaffirmed previous statements indicating no conflict with science and the Genesis creation story. Reporting the vote, the Jackson, MS, Clarion Ledger stirred negative passions, much to my dismay, with the headline PRESBYTERIANS APPROVE EVOLUTION. Since the issue continues to raise its head, inquirers may be interested in The Clergy Letter Project instituted by Michael Zimmerman of Butler University. He says the project is “designed to demonstrate that religion and science can be compatible and to elevate the quality of the debate . . .” http://www.butler.edu/ clergyproject/Backgd_info.htm.
Bill C ros land ’52 An early Genesis argument for science: God created the heavens and the earth and us therein (Gen 1, 2). Do we not know God more fully and so are able to love God more completely, if we know more about God’s creation of the heavens and the earth and of us? God gave us stewardship work to do (Gen 2:15, 19). Could we not care for God’s creation better, if we understood God’s creation more fully?
Davi d Wyly ’00 ( DMin)
10 VANTAGE Spring 2009
As a person who does not like to take things at face value, science has been a way for me to think about the way God interacts with creation. It has also stretched the limits of my faith by challenging me not to accept the world at face value, but instead to look deeper into the intricacies around me. Believing in science and believing in God have made me a better Christian.
c o l l i n a da ms ’ 0 8 My supposedly atheist scientist father really taught me to worship, as we hunkered down over a tide pool in the Pacific Northwest, and he excitedly showed me wonders in the tiny salt pool. Another scientist taught me about truth as he laughingly described a colleague who in a single article had demolished 20 years of his own work. Real science is wonder and delight in creation, and a humble and careful search for truth.
Dave Ho l m es ’ 0 8 (DM i n )
Fo r t h e
[r e c o r d ]
Alumni/ae 1960s G. Dan McCall ’60 is minister of pastoral care at Fairview church, North Augusta, SC. . . . Ed Lanier ’64/’85 (DMin) has retired from the Presbytery of Chicago. He served as a chaplain, U.S. Army and Veterans Administration Hospitals in Asheville, NC, and Hines, IL. . . . Thomas Warters ’67 retired as pastor, Village church, Charlotte Court House, VA, and Drakes Branch church, Drakes Branch, VA. 1970s Joanna Adams ’79 was honored in the January issue of Georgia Trend magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential Georgians” . . . . Bruce Lancaster ’79 is serving Sequoyah Hills church, Knoxville, TN. 1980s Glen Busby ’80 has retired at the rank of captain after 37 years with the Navy Reserve, and serves now as a Veterans Administration staff chaplain . . . . Richard Gillespie ’80 is pastor of First church, Florence, AL. . . . Ed Forsyth ’85 has moved to Gastonia, NC, to be pastor at New Hope church. . . . Mary Kuhns ’87 (DMin) has retired as a counselor in private practice in Santa Fe, NM. . . . Gail Perkins ’87 is interim pastor at Rock Spring church, Atlanta. . . . Martha Jane Petersen ’87 (DMin) has retired, and she and husband Pete Petersen ’58 are supplying a western North Carolina church. Also a fiber artist, she has had four solo exhibits of her work. The Presbyterian Planning Calendar includes four photos of her work. 1990s Dolores “De” Ingraham ’90 was honored to receive the first De Ingraham Excellence in Spiritual Care Award in November from the Big Bend Hospice in Tallahassee, FL. She served as chaplain for the last 12 years of her ministry with Big Bend and was its first staff member. . . . Sharon Core ’91 celebrated her tenth anniversary as pastor of Arlington Church, Arlington, VA. . . . Malcolm Brownlee ’93 (DMin) has retired as member-atlarge, Rockbridge Baths, VA. . . . Jones Doughton ’93 and wife Mary Lee have a new daughter, Mary St. Claire Doughton, born January 11. . . .Tom Evans ’93 is designated pastor of St. Stephen church, Orlando, FL. . . . Grace Boyer ’95 is associate presbyter at Western North Carolina Presbytery in Morganton, NC. . . . Mariko Koike ’97 (ThM) is serving Temiya church in Japan. . . . David Rollins ’97 has received his DMin degree
For the thirteenth year in a row (coincidentally during Super Bowl weekend) in Destin, FL, these Columbia alumni met for a reunion: (L to R) Harry Barrow ’74, Randy Calvo ’81 (CTS director of alumni/ae and church relations), Don Frampton ’82, Bob Gamble ’82, Billy Wade ’80, David Cameron ’82, John Tarrant ’81. Not pictured: Hugh Hamilton ’80. from the Graduate Theological Foundation. His doctoral work centered on pastoral care and healthy church leadership. . . . Mark Adams ’98 works with Frontera de Cristo Ministries in Douglas, AR. His book, Just Coffee: Caffeine and a Conscience cowritten with Tommy Bassett, has just been published. For more information go to www.fronteradecristo.org. . . . Roger Miller ’98 (DMin) has retired as director of music ministries, Messiah United Methodist Church, Springfield, VA. . . . Tim Read ’98 and Lee Read ’00 have returned to Georgia where Tim is executive/mission associate pastor at Roswell church, Roswell, GA. . . . Dennis Reid ’99 is pastor of Trinity church, Clearwater, FL. . . . Erin Sharp ’99 and husband David Bailey have a new daughter, Iona Kathleen Bailey, born November 16, 2008. . . . Beth Yarborough ’99 is interim pastor at Sinking Springs church, Abingdon, VA. 2000s Christy Gurley ’01 has moved to Houston, TX, and is director of family ministries at St. Thomas church. . . . Ron Wilson ’01 (DMin) has moved to Atlanta to be vice president for development at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology. . . . Jenn Wilson ’02 (MATS) is youth minister at Alders Gate United Methodist Church, Augusta, GA. . . . Dorie Griggs ’02 has an article, “Pastoral Care of Journalists: An Overlooked Need,” in APC eNews, the electronic newsletter of the Association of Professional Chaplains. The link to the full eNews and article is http://tinyurl. com/d347qf. . . . Wes Brandon ’03 is pastor of Bensalem church, Eagle Springs, NC. . . . Steve deClaisse-Walford ’03 (ThM) Science unequivocally announces the publication of his proves that God book Mission as Holistic Ministry: creates us to be in Developing a Congregational Ethos loving and playful of Community Engagement. . . . relationships. Bryan Stamper ’03 is the senior Andy Acton ’05 pastor of Grace church, Plano, VANTAGE Spring 2009
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TX. . . . Andy Acton ’05 is associate pastor, Pleasant Hill church, Duluth, GA. . . . Jeff Ross ’05 is a Navy chaplain serving in Iraq. . . . Brandon Hood ’06 is a Navy chaplain serving in Atsugi, Japan. . . . Sarah Cooper Searight ’06 has accepted a call to be associate pastor for young adults and families at First church, Shreveport, LA. . . . Elizabeth Gabbard ’07 was ordained November 9, 2008, at her home church, First church, Fort Smith, AR. She has been called as pastor by J. J. White church, McComb, MS. . . . Paul Hoang ’07 and his wife Thao were married August 17, 2008, at the Church of All Nations in Minneapolis. On December 7, Paul was ordained and installed as associate pastor for Korean Young Nak church, Houston, TX. . . . John Kamau ’07 (ThM) and wife Margaret welcomed a son, Reuben, December 8, 2008 . . . . . Kyle Schmidt ’07 is associate pastor of First church, Morristown, TN. . . . Maggie Frampton Beamguard ’02 and husband David Beamguard have a new daughter, Norah Ruth Beamguard, born January 7. . . . Tully Fletcher ’08 was ordained January 25 at Westminster church, Durham, NC. He is the associate pastor for youth at Orangewood church, Phoenix, AZ. . . . Daehyun Kwon ’08 (DMin) is director of supervised ministry at Presbyterian College and Theological Seminary in Seoul. . . . Jean Sparks ’08 was ordained February 1 at Winter Park church, Winter Park, FL. She has accepted a call to be pastor of First church, Plymouth, IN. . . . Andy Wing ’08 and his wife, Stephanie, were ordained and installed on January 11 as co-pastors at United church, Harrodsburg, KY. CTS Facebook Group has more than 350 members. Here is the link if you would like to join. http://www.new.facebook.com/ group.php?gid=2220306566
In Memoriam T y l e r B ailey ’52 January 8, 2009 Ar c hie M cDaniel ’62 April 8, 2007 B e n Al ford ’98 ( D. Min.) December 9, 2008 C h a rle s Chai ’98 September 12, 2008 Professor James B. Green once advised, “Never forget that theology is the Queen of the Sciences.” I follow, with a sound theological foundation, most every discipline of the sciences, and practically everyone has an English equivalent related to logos tagged on at the end.Thus, biology is “life” plus Greek logos, meaning “word,” also translated “answer” and “saying,” etc. And the Christ of God is attached to practically every discipline of theoretical science: ho logos!
Kent Kelley ’63 12 VANTAGE Spring 2009
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The probing of natural science provides a glimpse into the genius of a creator God. Science, with all its phenomena, echoes the renown and magnificence of God’s design, whose distinction is issued by common consent.
K a r e n J o l ly ’ 0 6
Faculty and Staff William Brown, professor of Old Testament, published “‘Night to Night,’ ‘Deep to Deep’: The Discourse of Creation in the Psalms,” in My Words Are Lovely: Studies in the Rhetoric of the Psalms, edited by Robert L. Foster and David M. Howard, Jr., for T & T Clark, New York, NY; wrote “To Discipline without Destruction: The Multifaceted Profile of the Child in Proverbs” for The Child in the Bible, by Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI; presented a paper on “Made in the Image of God and Ground: The Places of Humanity in the Creation Accounts,” at the Society of Biblical Literature, Boston, MA; and preached the sermon “The Wonder of It All” for a seminary chapel service. . . . Walter Brueggemann, professor emeritus of Old Testament, is the author of A Pathway of Interpretation: the Old Testament for Pastors and Students published by Cascade Books; he delivered the keynote address at the 2009 Biennial Consultation of the Association for Theological Field Education (ATFE) in Atlanta, GA. . . . . Randy Calvo ’81, director of alumni/ae and church relations, facilitated a spiritual enrichment retreat of officers of Newnan church. . . . Erskine Clarke ’66, professor emeritus of American religious history, lectured on “The Landscape of Slavery” at the Morris Museum, Augusta, GA; delivered the Rogers Lectures at First church, Bishopville, SC; taught Sunday School in Black Mountain, NC, and Asheville, NC; led the Davidson College church retreat; presented a paper to the interdisciplinary St. George Tucker Society on “Gullah Religion and Slavery in the Atlantic World”; held a book signing for the LeConte Foundation at LeConte Plantation, GA; and served as publisher and editor of the Journal for Preachers. . . . Lee Carroll ’68, associate professor of supervised ministry, hosted the 2009 Biennial Consultation of the Association for Theological Field Education (ATFE) in Atlanta, GA, that was attended by 125 faculty from seminaries throughout the US, Canada, and other countries; and completed a two-year term of service on the ATE steering committee. . . Pamela Cooper-White, professor of pastoral theology, care, and continued on page 14
$12.9 million
Yet to be de signated
C apital
$17.6 million
$12.9 million
Capital Campaign Objectives Become Reality
Operating
Formation | Transformation
Endowment
$7 million Total as o f Decem b er 3 1 , 2 0 0 8 $50.4 million C a m pa ign G oa l $60 million
Campaign Receives Grant from Lilly Endowment Funds Will Support Continuation of Lifelong Learning’s S3 Project
T
he Lilly Endowment, Inc., has awarded Columbia a Construction is on five-year grant of $648,863 to support continuation 3 schedule for the new of the S Project, “The Cultivation of Pastoral student residence hall. Excellence through Sabbath, Study, and Service.” Check www.ctsnet.edu The project began in 2003, funded by a $1.2 million grant for an online tour, from the Lilly Endowment. During the past six years, coming soon! 272 individuals (44 groups) have participated. The project has been fully subscribed since its beginning with more groups making application than could be accommodated. All 44 groups completed their two-year learning projects, with only three individuals not continuing through the duration of their group’s projects. S3 offers small, self-selected groups of pastors the opportunity to design and participate in group learning projects that strengthen their practice of ministry. Groups are selected annually by application and receive some financial support for their projects. Participating groups also attend two retreats on the Columbia campus: one for orientation and a follow-up during which groups report and reflect on individual project outcomes. S3 applications for new group projects will be posted on the seminary’s website in April. For more information, contact Sarah Erickson, ericksons@ctsnet.edu, or 404.687.4526.
alileo e Life of G h T ’s t h c e leo is d Br class. Gali s I attende ic s y h p shman to stop for my fre quisition In h c r u h enter of eC is at the c told by th d in k n a her that m ives anot g e c teaching n ie c the rse. But S center of e the unive h t t a t o e are n riented, truth. W I was reo t h ity. ig n t a Th Christian o t d e t universe. r nve uld say co er some wo to a deep in e m d e ’s grace all Science c I am. God o h w f o nding understa center. d me off n) embrace ’9 3 ( DM i
Science is the intellectual and physical pursuit of understanding regarding the order, purpose, and plan of the material universe.The enormity and fluidity of its endeavor parallel the ever-deepening, shape-shifting journey of faith. Science and faith go hand in hand. Each serves the other as a reminder of how grand, glorious, and grace-filled both creation and Creator really are.
To d d J e n k i ns ’ 9 0
ason Steve E
VANTAGE Spring 2009
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Continued from page 12 counseling, published the article “Forgiveness: Grace, Not Work,” in Journal for Preachers (Lent, 2009); was plenary banquet speaker and “Weaver” for 1,800-member Spiritual Care Summit (national conference of AAPC, ACPE, and other spiritual care organizations), in Orlando, FL. . . . Dent Davis ’89 (DMin), dean and vice president for lifelong learning, led a long-range planning retreat for First church, Sumter, SC, participated in a national consultation on lifelong learning at the Alban Institute, and led a men’s retreat for the New Providence church, Maryville, TN. . . . Mark Douglas, associate professor of Christian ethics, with Martha Moore-Keish is co-teaching a class, “Sex and the Single Church,” on the theology and ethics of human sexuality for the Lay Academy at First church, Atlanta. . . . Sarah Erickson ’03 (DEdMin ’10), associate director, the Center for Lifelong Learning, led a four-week study of the Advent portions of Handel’s Messiah, served as liturgist during the Christmas eve service at North Decatur church, Decatur, GA, and serves as co-leader of the 2009 North Decatur church confirmation class. . . . Genie Hambrick, director of communications, is serving on the planning committee for the Presbyterian Communicators’ Network meeting during the PC(USA)’s Big Tent gathering in June, and on a committee developing display materials for COTE (Committee on Theological Education) . . . . Steve Hayner, Peachtree Associate Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth, taught “Advent Longings” for the Agape Class during December at Peachtree church, Atlanta, served as dean for the “Doubting Jesus” track at InterVarsity’s “Following Christ” graduate student and faculty national conference in Chicago, attended the Board of Trustees meeting of World Vision US and preached for the all-staff chapel of that organization. . . . Thomas Lewis ’00 nd se to ce ien sc (DMin), director of the e I us d se ru de Spirituality Program, Center blood to un of ad ste In . lls ce for Lifelong Learning, brain a in p sli I N was invited by the Fetzer clicking CN D DV h at m or ce Institute in Kalamazoo, scien s. he dis e th MI, to host a Christianwhile doing t bu ad he y m er ov Muslim dinner; attended a It’s es ur pt ca conference for the unveiling the brain en wh pe ho I g. hin et of a seminary curriculum on m so e th r fo es m “Alcohol and Drug Abuse”; the time co e th e m e giv to or presented research on ct do ng ivi rv su of y forgiveness in Washington, probabilit e ur ed oc pr at th or DC; conducted a threeis th a ow kn to le day seminar on spirituality I will be ab lly ca tifi ien sc e or m at First church, Norfolk, tle lit d. on sp VA; and led an officer how to re retreat on “Spiritual To m Ro d dy ’6 1/ Leadership” at First ’8 4 (DM in ) church, Orangeburg,
14 VANTAGE Spring 2009
Suzanne and John Benton, with their family and Rodger Nishioka, celebrated the life of John’s mother, Winona Benton, who started the fund to establish a faculty chair in Christian education. Dr. Nishioka is the first faculty member to hold Benton Family Chair of Christian Education. SC. . . . Kimberly Bracken Long, assistant professor of worship and coordinator of worship resources for congregations, reviewed “What Language Shall I Borrow: The Bible and Christian Worship” by Ronald P. Byars, in Interpretation; participated in the installation service for Scott Black Johnston, Fifth Avenue church, New York, NY; preached and presided at the service of dedication for the newly renovated sanctuary of Harvey Browne church in Louisville, KY; preached and delivered the Preston Lectures at Shandon church in Columbia, SC; and served as liturgist and workshop presenter at the Calvin Symposium on Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, MI. . . . Martha Moore-Keish, assistant professor of theology, is the author of two books: Christian Prayer for Today, published by Westminster John Knox Press, and Do This in Remembrance of Me: A Ritual Approach to Reformed Eucharistic Theology, published by Eerdmans Publishing Company; wrote “Creation and New Creation in Baptism” for Theology in Service of the Church: Essays in Honor of Joseph D. Small, III; published “Baptism in the Presbyterian and Reformed Tradition” in Baptism Today: Understanding, Practice, Ecumenical Implications, edited by Thomas F. Best; wrote “WCC Faith and Order Paper no. 207” published by Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN; completed a threemonth sabbatical during which she lived at United Theological College, Bangalore, India, and researched Eucharistic theology in south India; taught a Sunday school class on the sacraments at Shallowford church, Atlanta, GA; co-taught with Mark Douglas a five-week series of classes on the theology and ethics of sexuality” for the Lay Academy at First church, Atlanta; and serves as convener of the Liturgical Theology seminar at the North American Academy of Liturgy. . . . David Moessner, former professor of New Testament, was made an honorary professor of New Testament at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. . . . Jeanne StevensonMoessner, former adjunct assistant professor of practical theology, is the author of the book Prelude to Pastoral Theology and was promoted to full professor of pastoral care at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX. . . . Haruko Ward, associate professor of church history, is the author of Women
Religious Leaders in Japan’s Christian Century, 1549-1650, to be published by Ashgate. . . . John White, dean of students and vice president of student services, preached at Glenshaw Valley church, Glenshaw, PA; and preached at Hillside church, Decatur, GA. . . . Christine Roy Yoder, associate professor of Old Testament, gave a presentation on Proverbs at Peachtree church, Atlanta, served as scholar-in-residence for Lectio Jubilate, a lectionary group, which met in Malibu, CA, taught the first Sunday of a six-week course on Proverbs at Central church, Atlanta. T r a ns ition s Godspeed! Jane Fahey ’01, director of Columbia’s Faith and the City program for two years, resigned at the end of January to become pastor of Druid Hills church, Atlanta. We l c o m e ! Joseph L. Roberts began in January as the Wade P. Huie Professor of Preaching and Homiletics. He will also provide leadership in the establishment of the new Center for Preaching. The news release announcing his appointment last fall is available online at www.ctsnet.edu > News and Publications > News Releases.
L i f e l o n g
Students Erin Kobs ’09 represented Columbia Theological Seminary at the PC(USA) seminaries booth and was co-leader of the workshop “Work Camp Ministry” at the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators Conference, San Antonio, TX. . . . Scott Santibañez ’10 (MATS), a physician with the CDC, was interviewed by pandemicflu.gov on the importance of faith communities in pandemic and emergency preparedness and served as guest faculty for the “Faith and Health” track in the Doctor of Ministry program at Memphis Theological Seminary, Memphis, TN. See the interview here: http://vietnamese.pandemicflu.gov/pandemicflu/envi/24/_ pandemicflu_gov/news/multimedia/scott_santibanez.html. Scott’s article “Faith-based Organizations and Pandemic Preparedness” will be published in the new Vantage Online, coming in April 2009. Richard W. Medina ’09 (MATS) has published “Job’s Entrée into a Ritual of Mourning as Seen in the Opening Prose of the Book of Job” in Die Welt des Orients (2008). The article will be re-published in Vantage Online in April 2009. . . . David Hawkins ’09, Jim Yao ’09, Kati Salmons ’11, and Mary Cox ’09 led music in worship at the 2009 Biennial Consultation of the Association for Theological Field Education (ATFE) in Atlanta, GA.
l e a r n i n g
events
For more information and to register for events listed below, go to www.ctsnet.edu > Lifelong Learning > Courses and Events, and scroll to the dates of the events you wish to attend. Or contact the Center for Lifelong Learning at 404-687-4587. Unless otherwise noted, all events take place on the seminary campus. Meals and lodging may be extra. Courses that are listed as part of a certificate program are open to occasional students.
April 26–May 1 Men’s Contemplative Retreat John Knight Hill. $350. At Shrine of the Holy Spirit, Conyers, GA.
March 15–20 Study in the Book of Isaiah Walter Brueggemann. $350. Certificate in Spiritual Formation.
May 1–2 Theology & Polity: How Presbyterians Talk About God
March 21 Latino Immigration: Challenges & Opportunities for the Church Harold J. Recinos and Maria Marquardt. Interseminary Faith and the City conference. April 16–19 Growing in Discernment: Attuning our Spiritual Senses Marjorie Thompson. $378. Certificate in Spiritual Formation. At Montreat Conference Center. April 19–23 Women’s Contemplative Retreat Barbara McKee. $300. At Benedictine Spirituality and Conference Center, Sacred Heart Monastery, Cullman, AL. April 20–22 Calvin Now! (Colloquium 2009). See ad on page 9.
April 26–May 1 History of Western Spirituality Catherine Gonzalez. $350. Certificate in Spiritual Formation.
Martha Moore Keish, Sarah Erickson, Neema Cyrus-Franklin. $150. Certificate in Youth Ministry Leadership. May 26–30 Evangelism in Ministry: Exploring the Missional Church
(Thompson Scholars) Steve and Sharol Hayner. July 23–26 Invitation to a Deeper Spiritual Life Led by Columbia Faculty. $300. Certificate in Spiritual Formation, Immersion Experience. July 27–29 Renewing Congregational Song Patrick Evans, Kimberly B. Long, and others. Summer Scholars event. Details will be available
soon on the seminary website. August 3–6 Korean Worship and Music Conference Paul Junggap Huh.
$100 ($50 children and youth).
April 23–24 Religion Writers’ Workshop Cecil Murphey. $200 ($180
Presbyterian Writers’ Guild members). VANTAGE Spring 2009
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Planned Giving During Economic Slump
D
uring these challenging economic times, we are reminded every day of the critical role of estate gifts in building a strong endowment. You can also receive an income during your lifetime through certain types of estate gifts. The J. McDowell Richards Society was established to honor those who have included the seminary in their estate plans. Membership in the Society is accorded to anyone documenting a planned gift to the seminary through any of these options: • A bequest provision in your will or revocable trust • A life-income gift that names Columbia as a remainder beneficiary, such as a charitable remainder trust, a charitable gift annuity • A charitable lead trust that provides income to Columbia for a donor’s lifetime or a term of years • A gift or assignment of qualified retirement assets such as an IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) • A gift of life insurance Please contact us at 404-687-4568 to discuss how a planned gift can satisfy your overall financial and personal goals while providing a secure future for Columbia Seminary. We would be happy to guide you through examples of how different gift strategies may benefit your income, your tax situation, your family and your charitable giving to Columbia. Majoring in both biology and religion in college I received many confused questions in both departments: “How do you reconcile the two?” But I saw no need to reconcile two sides of the same creation coin. The order of creation even at its microscopic levels is evidence of a life-giving, life-preserving, life-creating God. The love of God who cares for creation throughout all time gives me hope for living now and for life in the future.
Ste phanie E. (Boardman ) A n t h o n y ’ 0 2
VA N TA G E P.O. Box 520
Decatur, GA 30031 404-378-8821 www.ctsnet.edu
Contents President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 S c i e n c e & t h e o l og y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3–7 “The Wonder of It All”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 “Science, Religion, & the End of the World”. . . . . 4 “Science and Spirituality” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Tributes to Dana and Chuck Campbell . . . . . . . . . 8–9 Next issue of atthispoint.net. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 For the Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Capital Campaign Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Lifelong Learning Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
S p r i ng 2009
Periodicals Postage Paid at Decatur, GA Publication No. 124160