The Regent
Winter 2011, Volume 23, Number 1
ground-truthing
Loren Wilkinson
A
few years ago, in the west of England, I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with the Mappa Mundi in Hereford Cathedral. It is the biggest and most detailed medieval map of the world, drawn in remarkable detail on carefully prepared vellum (the skin of what was once a very large cow). It is, in its own way, a sort of 13th century “Google Earth,” and it reflects humanity’s deep fascination with maps: with being able to step outside our own skin and have what we imagine to be a sort of God’seye-view of a place. I love maps. Forty years ago, when I wrote my doctoral dissertation, far from my beloved west coast, I covered one wall of my dingy Syracuse University office with a nine-map rectangle of large-scale Geological Survey maps of the mountains of Northern Washington. I spent too much time (away from Heidegger and Barfield and the Romantic poets) standing in front of my map wall and making imaginary trips: we could hike up Thunder Creek and camp there, and the next day climb over Park Creek Pass…and so on. Shortly after coming to Regent thirty years ago I discovered the map room in the old UBC library, and could procrastinate for hours by working up the BC Coast fjord
by fjord, glacier by glacier. I suspect you all have similar stories, whether with road maps, atlases, or the increasingly sophisticated on-line tools that let us navigate the globe or zoom in on a single street. Maps are marvelous tools: mindexpanding, time-saving, sometimes even life-saving. Yet they are, of necessity, deceptive and dangerous tools as well. Forgetting that the map is not the territory can lead to big trouble—especially in this era of GPS maps in cars—luring people into thinking that the lines on the screen are more real than the world outside their windows. Map-makers simplify and distort; no map can present things exactly as they are; this is a necessary physical limitation. But maps also embody a more subtle problem: Every map is also a philosophy: it presents a kind of argument about the world. The roughly circular Mappa Mundi in Hereford, for example, has Jerusalem at its exact center; is that wrong? Not necessarily, for one who believes the meaning of life is centered on the events that happened there, but physical navigation by that map would be difficult. When I used to pore over maps of the BC coast I discovered, to my consternation, that the only political lines crossing the vast forest valleys were labeled “tree-farm license.” What did that way of mapping the territory imply about its value? And how many Australian students at Regent have, somewhere, a map with Australia at the top and the other continents grouped subserviently around it, an arrangement that is no less (or more) right than having Europe or
North America front and centre, and North at the top. Maps reflect a distinction which Martin Heidegger made clearly: between earth, which is the rich and inexhaustible mystery we humans encounter when we venture outside our cars, cities, and the regular lines of our maps, and world, which is the human meaning we necessarily map onto that mystery. We can’t help but surround ourselves with worlds of our own making. (This little publication is called “The Regent World.”) And we drag our innumerable worlds with us across the earth. These worlds (which our maps reflect) are sometimes a glory, sometimes a horror. So it’s good to keep checking the map against the territory. Map-makers use a lovely word to describe the essential discipline of checking the map they are making, however perfect and satisfying it seems, against the uneven ground of the earth it pictures: ground-truthing. They get away from the table, outside the car, and walk across the earth, which is always bigger, richer than the map. Maps are useful guides. But we need to keep checking them against the bumpy ground we walk on. The intertwined pleasures and dangers of maps are especially good to be aware of in a school of Christian theology like Regent: for theologies too are maps—human worlds imposed on the mysteries of God’s action. It is all too easy to become overly comfortable with our world of necessary maps. Perhaps, then, theological students—and professors—must, more than anyone, cultivate the discipline of ground-truthing. Loren Wilkinson Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies&Philosophy
from the president
Regent on the ATS Map
What is ATS? Two hundred and fifty-one schools (Canada, 36; United States, 215) are accredited with the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS), an organization that exists to promote the improvement of theological schools to the benefit of communities of faith and the broader public. ATS schools represent three broad faith traditions—Mainline Protestant (40%), Evangelical Protestant (39%), and Roman Catholic and Orthodox (21%)—but when you break down all 75,500 students, Evangelical Protestants (61%) have a higher percentage of students compared to Mainline Protestant (29%) and Roman Catholic and Orthodox (10%). While ATS focuses primarily on assisting boards, administrators, and faculty, the Association’s “Commission on Accrediting” accredits member schools through a peer review based on communally established standards. Why would Regent want to be involved with ATS? • Just as individuals can be faulted for the pursuit of autonomy, so too can institutions. Involvement with the ATS encourages a posture of institutional humility and reciprocity in which Regent has something to receive from other schools as well as something to offer. • Individuals and institutions are considered healthy if they engage from time to time in self-reflection but, without external accountabil-
The Regent World Winter 2011, Volume 23, Number 1
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ity, both run the risk of self-deception. By opening ourselves to the evaluation of our peers, we invite observation in our blind spots. • Involvement with the ATS means that the public, both Christian and secular, has assurance that we are committed to quality control, continual assessment, and accountability. • Incoming, transferring, and graduating students can have confidence that Regent is an accredited institution and is in good standing with other institutions of quality. • ATS accreditation is recognized by the US government, which provides federally guaranteed student loans for all US citizens, whether they study in ATS institutions in the US or Canada. How does ATS view Regent? Since Regent became fully accredited by ATS in 1985, our status is reviewed every ten years and we are required to provide an extensive self-study report to the Board of Commissioners. This past June, the Board discussed our self-study document and the report of the three person visiting team who were on campus last March, to determine whether we would receive accreditation for another 10 years. I am pleased to report that they reaffirmed our accreditation until Spring 2020, while asking us to respond formally in four ways: clarify Regent’s assessment of student learning; pull together various written materials on Board functioning into one document; clarify the nature and scope of Distance Education; and outline our approach to long-term financial stability. Is Regent like other ATS schools? Regent is in the 5% of schools who have over 1000 students in a given
year and within the 16% who have a full-time equivalent number over 300. This means that, while Regent is among the larger schools in the ATS, the gap between head count (1,210) and number of full-time equivalent students (319.4) is one of the highest in ATS. All 251 schools are seeking to serve God where they are with the resources at their disposal. However, it is the Mainline, Catholic, and Orthodox schools that are on the receiving end of significant endowments, while the Evangelical schools rely more on tuition (averaging 40% of revenue from tuition). Regent receives 60-70% of its revenue from tuition. Within ATS slightly less than half of all enrolled students are in Master of Divinity programs, a number that has decreased in recent years. Regent has always considered the training of the laity to be its niche in the world of theological education, but more schools are beginning to look toward education of the whole people of God. Lastly, many ATS schools are advocating accessibility through distance education, shortening the duration of degrees, and decreasing residency requirements. It is in this context that Regent’s stress on communal “under the Green Roof” education can appear counter-cultural and expensive. My hope is that many of those who understand and support what we do will, in the providence of God, provide the financial resources that will allow us to continue to provide high quality theological education without capitulating to the cultural pressure toward unbridled accessibility and the bondage of affordability.
Rod Wilson, President, Regent College
Senior Editor Dal Schindell
Editor Stacey Gleddiesmith Designer Rosi Petkova Cover Images Wikimedia Commons Photographers Martin Dee, Ken McAllister Printer Western Printers
5800 University Blvd, Vancouver, Canada
Ordinary Time, a band comprised of Regent alumni Ben Keyes, Peter La Grand, and Jill McFadden, has released a new album entitled “At the Table.” The album is a fresh, simple collection of old hymns and new songs. Ordinary Time, who met in a “History of Worship” class at Regent College, seeks to build up the body of Christ through the gift of music, to think deeply about worship and about the interrelationship of faith and art, and to beautifully and gracefully point to what is true and good for those who are as of yet outside the church. If you like this album, also check out “Until He Comes,” the band’s 2008 release, and their popular Christmas album: “In the Town of David.” Music by Ordinary Time is available in the Regent Bookstore, or online at ordinarytimemusic.com.
M a r i a m K a m e l l r ecently published several articles: “Incarnating Jeremiah’s Promised New Covenant in the ‘Law’ of James: A Short Study” in Evangelical Quarterly; “The Implications of Grace for the Ethics of James” in Biblica; and “James 1:27 and the Church’s Call to Mission and Morals” in Crux. Regent College was well represented in the Christianity Today Book Awards. Professor Emeritus Eugene P eterson won in the category of Spirituality with his book Practice Resurrection: A conversation on Growing Up in Christ. Alum Julie Canlis won an award of merit in the category of Theology/Ethics for her book Calvin’s Ladder: A Spiritual Theology of Ascent and Ascension. And Professor Emeritus J.I. Pack er and alum Gary A. Parrett won an award of merit in the category of Church/Pastoral Leadership for their book Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old Fashioned Way.
In November, R. Paul Stevens (Professor Emeritus) and Alvin Ung (alum) released a book entitled Taking Your Soul to Work: Overcoming the Nine Deadly Sins of the Workplace. Viewing the workplace as an arena for spiritual formation in the life of a believer, Stevens and Ung examine the nine fruits of the Spirit, discovering them to be powerful gifts that can overcome the “nine deadly sins of the workplace.”
Alum Tim Dickau just published Plunging Into the Kingdom Way, which chronicles Grandview Calvary Baptist’s efforts in the last twenty years to live as a church with genuine roots in and impact on the immediate neighbourhood, Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
Hans Boersma’s new book Heavenly Participation: The Weaving of a Sacramental Tapestry has just been released. Arguing that both Catholics and evangelicals have moved too far away from a sacramental mindset, Boersma draws on the wisdom of great Christian minds to cultivate a greater awareness of eternal mysteries.
John Stackhouse, in addition to his chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Evangelical Theology, recently published chapters in two other new books: “Secularization, Postmodernism, and Religious Diversity” in The Oxford Handbook to Religious Diversity; and “How to Produce an Egalitarian Man” in How I Changed My Mind about Women in Leadership: Compelling Stories from Prominent Evangelicals.
The recently released Oxford Handbook of Evangelical Theology is peppered with Regent authors. Three full-time professors published chapters in the book: Loren Wilkinson Rod Wilson’s book How Do I Help a Hurting Friend? has been wrote the chapter on “Creation”; John Stackhouse wrote republished in Taiwan, in the Chinese language traditional script. the chapter on “Jesus Christ”; and Rikk Watts wrote the chapter on “Israel and Salvation.” In addition to these three The fantasy novel Wind and Shadow, alum Kathy chapters, the book also features Regent Teaching Fellow Tyers’s Integrative Project in the Arts and Theology, A lister McGrath, sessional lecturer Gordon T.Smith, and has been picked up by Marcher Lord Press for publication. several regular summer school lecturers. They also plan to re-release her Firebird trilogy.
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kudos|news
Regent College is pleased to announce Dr. John Conway’s new annual Conway Middle East Travel Scholarship Award which commemorates Conway’s commitment to the study of history. The successful applicant will receive an award of $5000 ($4000 for travel, and $1000 for tuition upon return) www.regent-college.edu/bursary to visit sites throughout the Holy Land, Jerusalem, and the Middle East. The application process requires: an outline of the candidate’s interest or research; a description of how the trip would benefit their work; a proposed travel itinerary; and plans for further study. The trip is to be completed within the calendar year of the award, and the student shall share a written or oral outcome report upon returning to Regent.
PASTORS’ CONFERENCE 2011
Leading with the Leader May 3–6, 2011
conferences.regent-college.edu/pastors Cycle of Conferences
conferences
By Holly Rail
This morning, as I walked out my front door, I saw little green nubs pushing up through the still-cold earth. The cycles of life press on in Vancouver, and the greens of spring are gradually supplanting the grays of winter. The cycles of academic life also press on. A new term has begun: students once again fill the couches in the atrium, and the line at the Well is five people deep. The atrium is buzzing with discussion— of the latest theological debate in the Et Cetera, the exegetical significance of the Greek syntax in Luke 3:22, or Nouwen’s call to biblical leadership from In the Name of Jesus. Some students sit around café tables, heads inclined, interceding for one another, their communities, and their world. On the wall above this scene, like a caption, colourful energetic script declares, “Regent College cultivates intelligent, vigorous, and joyful commitment to Jesus Christ, His church, and His world.” This is why I came to Regent College one snowy day in January of 2007—I wanted to be challenged and equipped in my faith, to learn how to better help others along this same path. Four years later, I too press on through the cycles of life. My season of study has been supplanted by a new season of work. And as much as I loved my time of study at Regent, I am excited about my role as the Conference Coordinator at the College, knowing that, through it, I continue to further Regent’s mission. Each year, I have the privilege of working with our staff and faculty to provide unique learning opportunities that complement the life of the College, both in ethos and content. These conferences are places 4
Heaven on Earth? the future of spiritual interpretation
where questions of biblical, cultural, and theological significance are considered; where voices beyond those of our own faculty are welcomed and critically engaged; where participants are challenged to engage not only their minds, but also their hearts and bodies, so that they might leave better equipped to live well for Jesus. They are available to anyone who desires to come. I love the opportunity to collaborate with various members of faculty, assisting them in creating events that communicate their passions— from questions of global economy to spiritual interpretation of Scripture. I also love the opportunity to welcome and interact with reputable scholars from diverse schools and disciplines, whether, Paul Mills, a Senior Economist with the International Monetary Fund who spoke about capital concerns at the Global Economy Conference; Old Testament scholar Dr. Walter Brueggemann, our 2008 Laing Lecturer; or the Director of the Faraday Institute, Dr. Denis Alexander, who spoke on matters of science and faith at the 2010 Pastors’ Conference. But most of all, I love providing a place, and creating an experience, in which our guests can be encouraged—mind, body, and soul. From the shape of the day, to the atmosphere in the building, to the food served, I seek to provide the
brian e. daley, s.j. and kevin j.vanhoozer
September 16–17, 2011 www.regent-college.edu/theology
right conditions for the cultivation of intelligent, vigorous, and joyful commitment to Jesus Christ, His church, and His world. I hope you will consider experiencing one of our upcoming conferences. May 3-6 we host our annual Pastors’ Conference. This year we will explore the topic of Leading with the Leader: Character, Community, and Charisms with Rod Wilson, Paul Williams, W. David O. Taylor, and Ross Hastings. Regent’s annual Pastors’ Conference is always a rich week of worship, teaching, and practical engagement—an opportunity for pastors and lay ministers to be nourished. On September 16-17 I invite you to join Dr. Hans Boersma and sixteen other scholars from Protestant and Catholic traditions as they engage in two full days of lectures regarding the spiritual interpretation of scripture: Heaven on Earth? The Future of Spiritual Interpretation. Full details for both events are available on the Regent College Conferences webpage: conferences.regent-college.edu. I encourage you to visit the website and learn more about these upcoming opportunities to join the academic cycle of life at Regent College. Come and be encouraged, come and converse, come and be fed—go home with new ideas, new enthusiasm, and fresh joy in your walk with Christ.
PASTORS’ CONFERENCE May 3–6 with R.Wilson, P. Williams, D. Taylor and R. Hastings
Spring Session The Pastors’ Institute Weeks 1&2, May 9–20 Rod Wilson May 9–13 APPL Dynamics of Church Leadership Marva Dawn May 16–20 APPL Pastoral Care for Those who Suffer Krish Kandiah APPL Kinetic Christianity: Evangelism and Apologetics for the Third Millennium Nancy Nason-Clark APPL Family Violence and the Contemporary Church Session 1 Weeks 1&2, May 9–20 Christopher Wright May 9–13 BIBL God’s Word, God’s World, and God’s Mission: Reading the Whole Bible for Mission Paul Stevens & Gray Poehnell APPL/INDS/spir Vocation, Work, and Ministry BIBL Rikk Watts John’s Gospel: The Life of God to the World Andrea Sterk HIST History of Christianity I Sven Soderlund Weeks 1-3 May 9–27 BIBL Biblical Exegesis and Interpretation Session 2 Week 3, May 23–27 Mariam Kamell BIBL Spinning Gold from Straw: Theology and Exegesis of James
summer Session Session 1 Weeks 1&2, June 27–July 8 David Gill & William Edgar June 27–July 1 INDS All that Jazz: A Christian Take June 27–July 1 INDS/THEO Alister McGrath Truth, Beauty, and Imagination: Christian Apologetics in a Postmodern Context Paul Stevens & Alvin Ung APPL/SPIR Taking Your Soul to Work Paul Barnett BIBL Power in Weakness: Second Corinthians Phil Long BIBL Haggai and Zechariah Christopher Hall HIST/SPIR Spirituality in the Life and Thought of the Church Fathers Paul Williams & Paul Oslington INDS Christianity and the Political Economy of Capitalism Session 2 Weeks 3&4, July 11–22 Grant Wacker July 11–15 HIST Billy Graham and the Evangelical Tradition Larry Hurtado BIBL/HIST Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity Mark Noll & David Livingstone INDS Science and Christianity: Retrospect and Prospect Roger Lundin INDS Christ and the Poets: Theology and Modern Literature Bernd Wannenwetsch INDS The Moral Fit: A Fresh Look at the Relationship of the Sexes
Summer programs 2011 summer.regent-college.edu
Leading with the Leader: Community, Character, and Charisms
Gordon T. Smith SPIR Spiritual Discernment James M. Houston SPIR Living Elders in a Dying Church Paul Helm SPIR/THEO Unifying Heart and Head: A Historical Odyssey Maxine Hancock INDS/SPIR Devotional Poets of the 17th Century: John Donne & George Herbert Susan Phillips SPIR Spiritual Disciplines: How We Set Our Hearts to Seek God Session 3 Weeks 4&5, May 30–June 10 Michael Hodson APPL/INDS Business as Mission: Engaging with Christian Social Enterprise Iain Provan BIBL Old Testament Foundations Iain Provan BIBL Living with Beastly Empires: The Book of Daniel Sarah Williams HIST Mapping Gender, c. 1780-1900 Sharon Jebb Smith INDS/SPIR Writings of the Soul: Themes in Spiritual Autobiography Hans Boersma INDS/THEO Theology of Culture Hans Boersma THEO History of Christian Doctrine Loren and Mary-Ruth Wilkinson June 5-17 inds Gardening the City of God Chelle Stearns INDS/THEO Beauty, Brokenness, and the Cross: Exploring Atonement Theology through the Arts Dennis Okholm SPIR Benedictine Spirituality for the Rest of Us Charles Ringma APPL/SPIR Themes in a Missional Spirituality
Session 3 Week 5, July 25–29 Miriam Adeney APPL/INDS “Half the Sky:” Women in the World Christian Movement Michael Pucci APPL/INDS Owning Poverty: A Transformational Spiritual Journey Bruce Waltke BIBL The Psalms Scott Cairns INDS Writing with Scripture: The Gift of Enigmatic Text Crystal Downing INDS Changing Signs of Truth: The Influence of Culture on Christianity David Downing INDS The Fiction of C.S. Lewis Dominic Erdozain INDS Grace and Play: Christianity and the Meaning of Sport Loren & Mary-Ruth Wilkinson August 5-15 INDS Technology, Wilderness, and Creation
Biblical Languages Weeks 1-7, June 27–Aug 12 Carolyn Hindmarsh New Testament Greek LANG Drew Lewis Old Testament Hebrew LANG 5
O
n the surface, the categories of study at Regent College may seem dry, but a taste of Regent Summer school will allow you to go deeper—to discover the richness, the varied glory of God’s kingdom and story within these topics of study. So go ahead! Take a deep breath, and dive right in.
APPL Applied Theology combines action and theological reflection, helping you to go deeper into the understanding and skills necessary for Christian life and ministry.
Rod Wilson Dynamics of Church Leadership For
those in leadership roles, or training toward that end, this course will allow participants to look at leadership from the inside-out, exploring their own dynamics and understanding how these dynamics will influence their leadership.
Nancy Nason-Clark Violence and the
Contemporary Church This course will offer students a window into the prevalence and severity of abuse (with particular attention given to violence in families of faith), focusing on appropriate professional best practices and the development of collaborative models for religious leaders to work together with community agencies in addressing violence.
Michael Pucci Owning Poverty: A Transformational
Spiritual Journey Taking a Christian spiritual formation approach to the exploration of poverty, this course will propose an epistemology of poverty of spirit: as poverty is allowed to engage us internally, our mode of engagement with the poor shifts from distant empiricism and observation, to identification and incarnational compassion.
HIST Church History courses allow you to go deeper into the lives and times of our very large family, by studying the influences and consequences of significant people, events, and movements in the life of the church after the New Testament period.
Sarah Williams Mapping Gender, c. 1780-1900
Designed for those who are asking questions about identity, gender, sexuality, and theology, this class will consider how one culture understood masculinity and femininity as social and relational categories, as ideas, and as cultural constructs—seeking to shed fresh light on many of the issues which preoccupy us today.
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BIBL Biblical Studies courses deal primarily with the
exegesis and interpretation of Scripture, moving you deeper into ancient history, culture, and literature and moving the word of God deeper into your life.
Phil Long Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi All
three of these prophets ministered during the time when a remnant of Israel had returned from exile in Babylon and when the Temple of the Lord needed to be rebuilt. This course will explore the original meanings and ongoing significance of these books for Christians today.
Mariam Kamell Spinning Gold from Straw:
Theology and Exegesis of James Introducing readers to the complex theological word of the Epistle of James, this course will be guided by the text’s focus on the practicality of Christian life as it teaches on questions of salvation, economics, worship, speech, and community.
Bruce Waltke: Psalms This course will
edify the student by exegeting selected psalms and by providing the background information to guide the student into a lifetime of enriching their appreciation of the Psalms.
Grant Wacker Billy Graham: His Life and
Context This course will examine the interaction between Billy Graham and his times, focusing primarily on how Graham turned the times to his own purposes and how the times made his purposes possible.
Christopher Hall Spirituality in the Life and
Thought of the Church Fathers This course will explore the specific type of Christian spirituality practised by Christians living from roughly the third to the seventh centuries. How, for example, did these early Christians pray? How did they deal with temptation? What was their particular contribution to Christian spirituality?
INDS Interdisciplinary Studies encourages you to engage
with your own life more deeply by engaging in Christian reflection on subjects that traditionally do not fall within the theological curriculum, such as philosophy, science, art, literature, culture, and education.
Chrystal Downing Changing Signs of Truth: The Influence
of Culture on Christianity Why did early Christians leave forty-one images of Noah’s Ark in the catacombs but fail to sketch a single cross? This course will focus on the way signs of Christianity have changed through the millennia—signs such as celibacy, atonement, and Eucharist—discussing how semiotics and its heirs explain such changes.
Dominic Erdozain Grace and Play: Christianity and the
Meaning of Sport This course will explore two related questions: “what is the meaning of sport in modern Western culture”; and “how should Christians seek to engage with it?” Tracing the interactions between Christianity and sport from classical times to the present, the course will develop historical and theological perspectives on an often troubled relationship.
Chelle Stearns Beauty, Brokenness, and the Cross:
into the life of the Spirit, teaching you to recognize and respond to the reality of God in human experience.
Charles Ringma Missional Spirituality This
course will explore the biblical, theological, and historical themes in understanding and living a missional spirituality, which is to animate, direct, and empower the witness and service of the people of God in the world.
Dennis Okholm Benedictine Spirituality for
the Rest of Us This course will mine the riches of the monastic tradition that began with Benedict of Nursia 1500 years ago, and explore the ways in which it continues to nurture and deepen the lives of disciples of Jesus and the communities in which they live.
James M. Houston Living Elders in a Dying Church This course asks if the church, which has long taught that our hope lies in a youth culture, is prepared for the rapid increase of “seniors” who have not been equipped to be “elders.”
THEO Systematic and Historical Theology courses deepen
your understanding of Christian theology by helping you with the systematic articulation of the Christian faith, whether in the past or in light of contemporary realities.
LANG Biblical Languages courses assist you to Alister McGrath Truth, Beauty, and
Imagination: Christian Apologetics in a Postmodern Context This course aims to reassure, encourage, and resource all those engaged in apologetic ministries, exploring how we can use reason, emotions, and the imagination to convey the relationality, reliability, and delight of the Christian faith in the contemporary cultural situation.
Paul Helm Unifying Heart and Head:
A Historical Odyssey This course explores the conflict often experienced between the study of the Bible and Christian theology on the one hand, and the religious life on the other, addressing this issue using various models of integration drawn from notable theological figures in Christian history.
translate and exegete Scripture and other pertinent literature, deepening your understanding of the word of God.
Carolyn Hindmarsh New Testament Greek
Summer snapshot
Exploring Atonement Theology through the Arts This class will explore the concept of beauty, shaped by a theology of the cross that not only leads us to a Christian understanding of beauty but to an understanding that beauty must have the power to identify, confront, and redeem that which is most ugly—even death itself.
SPIR Spiritual Theology draws you deeper
This course provides an introduction to the basic elements of Greek in order that students may become readers of the New Testament in its original tongue. The ultimate goal is to enjoy the text itself.
Drew Lewis Old Testament Hebrew This intensive
course introduces the basic morphology, syntax, and vocabulary of Biblical Hebrew, laying the foundation for a lifetime of reading the original language text of the Old Testament.
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Dan Richard Kirkbride
for eight years, wrote a newspaper column, family one afternoon in 1993. I’ve treasured my
DipCS 1982, US broadcast ball games, and served most of the critters, weather, stars, wildlife, and plants, but
Cattle Rancher ways a layman can in a small church. My “I left Regent to love God and big test came in accompanying my first wife return to my family’s ranch through 40 months of breast cancer, a fight in Wyoming. On the side, I that ended in 1991, and subsequently adding a was a county commissioner fine new spouse and three small stepsons to my
there are too few like-minded pals around right now. This is a winter of reinventing myself, and I’m anxious to discover where I might land.” Dan states that he counts his nine months at Regent as the best money he ever spent.
Joy Rudder
Corrigan Clay MCS 2008, Haiti, Co-Founder
MCS 2000, Barbados, Writer
and Art Director/Designer of the Apparent Project
Joy Rudder, after graduating from Regent College, entered clinical pastoral education in Miami, where she worked as a hospice chaplain for a year and a half, and enjoyed every minute of it—coming out of the experience with a wealth of stories. She then worked in Pastoral Care for the Anglican Church in Trinidad, and completed numerous writing jobs in the area of environmental education, including The Old House and the Dream: The Story of the Asa Wright Nature Center. In between her writing and work, Joy and her husband Charlie cared for Joy’s mother and aunt, both of whom struggled with Alzheimer’s. They are currently restoring their old house by the sea in Barbados, and Joy is bursting with stories—written and unwritten—a necessary response to life that forms the heart of her calling.
“I have lived in Port Au Prince, Haiti since graduating with an MCS in Christianity & the Arts in 2008. After my wife, Shelley, and I found that the overwhelming majority of Haiti’s so-called ‘orphans’ had living parents, we realized that poverty and opportunist orphanage schemes were at the root of child abandonment in this country. This has Norway caused us to respond to God’s mandate to care for orphans and widows Latv through less traditional Netherlands means. Through Belgium Czech Republic our non-profit (www. AustriaHungary Mo Swiss apparentproject.org), we teach homeless and Bulga Macedonia impoverished Haitians Greece marketable artisan skills so that they can afford Moroco to care for and keep their own children.”
Cecilia Esther Alemán-Martínez
DipCS 1996, Costa Rica, Psychologist Cecelia Esther Alemán-Martínez left Regent to return to Costa Rica, Central America, where she worked for the government as a Psychologist. “First I worked in a jail with juvenile delinquents, with committed murderers. Now, I am a Forensic Psychologist working as an investigator for the Judiciary, so I work with victims of rape, and different forms of abuse—knowing every case is a way to serve God. Today I feel called to work with women and children from the Middle East, so I am walking in that direction and praying to be part of a secular job as a Psychologist with some international organization.” She is extremely grateful to have met people in Canada who have transformed her life, and continue to be close friends.
Kofi Owusu MTS 1988, Ghana, Pastor In a suburb of Accra, Kofi Owusu serves as Pastor of the Gethsemane Methodist Church, a position he assumed when he retired as General Secretary of the Bible Society of Ghana two months ago. The church worships in a temporary structure, and has an adult membership of about 300, with about 200 children. His vision is to produce men and women “full of goodness, filled with knowledge, and able to instruct one another” (Rom 15:14). Kofi says his time at Regent was “a watershed,” sharpening his gifts and tools for ministry. Of particular significance in his ministry with the Bible Society is a project in which they supplied almost 800,000 free Bibles to Jr. High students—a project which has yielded numerous testimonies of transformation. 8
Dominican Republic
Burkina Faso Benin
Central African Republic Angola
Peter Fraser DipCS 1983 South Africa, Engineer “Our three boys Duncan 22, Rob wonders that surround us on the 20, and Jamie 14, are a source of ‘nano’ and ‘stellar’ scales, and am contentment and pride for Cherry very grateful for the opportunity to and myself, and manage to keep be part of the Regent experience. the bills rolling in! I continue at Our home group is key to how we what I believe is my calling: to be face the turbulent challenges that an engineer developing applications South Africa poses as ‘a-worldfor high-pressure water hydraulics, within-a-country,’ and we continue mainly in the South Africa mining to be saddened as the country of our industry. In between times, I marvel birth, Zimbabwe, regresses into even at the beauty and complexity of the deeper poverty and suffering.”
Cathy (Farn)Unger, Paul Unger MCS 1995, MCS 1997 Solomon Islands, Bible Translation “We are working with the Lengo people to get the Bible translated into their language. We have trained ten translators from four denominations (Anglican, Catholic,
United Methodist, and Seventh Day Adventist), and have recently printed up draft copies of a Lengo-English dictionary for them to use in their work. In the past year, the translators have drafted some thirteen books from both Old and New Testaments, which provides us with enough exegetical and linguistic ‘checking’ work for
Petro Kovaliv MCS 2008, Ukraine,
Siew Li Wong
Dean of non-resident BTh program at Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary
via
ecology, marketplace, and community, issues which are new to churches in Ukraine.” He began an initiative called “Eco-shalom” which runs a recycling program at the seminary, and has also developed a presentation on ecological responsibility, which has been presented at different churches, and even some local public schools. Petro also serves as a coordinator of Evangelical-Orthodox dialogue in Kyiv.
Russia
oldova
garia a
Kyrgyzstan
Lebanon Israel
MCS 2000, Malaysia Corporate Social Responsibility “For the past two years, I’ve been working for the training and development arm of the regulator of capital markets in Malaysia. I’ve coordinated a network of companies interested in promoting responsible corporate practices. In recent days, I’ve been designing and developing courses on corporate governance. I enjoy the work I do, since it involves issues I am passionate about. Needless to say, I am also able to put my previous training and experience to good use. I enjoy being back in the corporate marketplace (my previous job was with a Christian think-tank) including living out my faith in the midst of a predominantly nonChristian environment.”
Kristi Lonheim
Yemen
c
areas where Regent alumni work
Chuck Stephens DipCS 1992, South Africa, CEO Desmond Tutu Center for Leadership Chuck Stephens is the CEO of the Desmond Tutu Centre for Leadership. Focus there has shifted to a younger age bracket because of high youth unemployment, which results from a growing population (up 10 million in the 16 years that Chuck has been in South Africa); the death phase of the AIDS pandemic taking out people aged 20-40; and the fact that formal-sector jobs are clung to
Tasmania
by unionized workers (protected by the Congress of South Africa Trade Unions being part of the ruling coalition). This grid-lock in the work force means there is only a one-in-ten chance that those who leave school will find a paying job. So Chuck facilitates the training of youth leaders in both community service skills and entrepreneurship.
MDiv 2010, Saudi Arabia Mother, Teacher “I am still married to an amazingly smart, witty, adventure loving, and patient man. Now Mom to a goofy 20-month-old girl with blue eyes and red, curly hair who is quick to giggle. While at Regent I knew I was called to serve kids and families. Now I daily try to find ways to allow my class of 5th graders in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia be better learners and people. So, I still live internationally, but the green of Vancouver has been replaced by palm trees. The boots have been replaced with sandals. My Regent life culminated in the wearing of a black robe. Here I must wear one anytime I go out.”
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Putting Regent on the Map
Petro Kovaliv, married to Yana and father of a 1.5-year-old daughter, works as the dean of the non-resident BTh program at the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary in Kyiv, where he teaches five courses in three different programs. He states: “I am glad that at Regent I…was exposed to the breadth of different cultures and church traditions. Regent helped me to form a Christian perspective on issues like
the foreseeable future. That’s a good thing, after some years of seemingly spinning our wheels trying to get started! With the foundation of traditional society crumbling quickly, we’d like to get the Lengo Bible into peoples’ hands so they can build a new foundation on the true cornerstone.”
Spring Session Week 3, May 23–27 Spinning Gold from Straw: Theology and Exegesis of James BIBL 670
Mariam Kamell Mariam Kamell is Regent College’s new postdoctoral fellow. We caught up to her in her second semester at the College to ask her a few questions about life before and during Regent.
faculty profiles
Q: What led you to choose your dissertation topic? MK: I chose my topic for pastoral and pragmatic reasons. The pastoral reason is that I was working at an inner city church in Denver called The Scum of the Earth, and I found myself tired of people who seemed to think that if they prayed occasionally and showed up at church, then the rest of their life was theirs to live as they pleased. It seemed to me that Christianity had more to say about life than that, but I didn’t know how to word my thoughts in relation to the truth of God’s free and generous grace. The pragmatic reason was that I applied for my PhD in about a two-week space of time, and so needed a topic on which I was fairly familiar with the literature and state of research. Since I had done my MA thesis on James and was also part-way through writing a commentary on James (with Craig Blomberg), I knew that there was no full-length study on the topic of faith, works, and salvation—surprising as that may be! Q: This is your first experience of Regent College— what are your first impressions? MK: Honestly? My first thought when I came out for my first interview was, “It’s one building? But I’ve heard about this school for years as a premier theological training school!” …I have come to appreciate the one-building nature of it, and the intentionality with which the building has been developed to foster community and relationships. I am also very impressed with the academic rigor with which students are challenged. At the same time, professors model and students are encouraged to cultivate a life outside of the school…I like the holistic view of humanity this encourages.
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Q: What challenges have you faced since coming here, and what unexpected joys have you discovered? MK: Part of my difficulty has been the sheer ambiguity of the postdoc position—identifying what exactly I’m supposed to be doing so that I can do it well and also be able to communicate it to others. But at the same time, that is part of the unexpected joy—the feeling that I can simply explore what comes to hand. If I want to work on an article (or the book I’m supposed to be writing!), I can and that is good. If I start meeting with students, all the better. I receive constant opportunities to be in front of a classroom if I wish, and am planning a class on James in Spring Session (yay!), but I am able to take time to think about how I teach, and why I teach that way. Also, I have to admit to loving being on a faculty that wholeheartedly encourages me to find ways to express myself outside of the academic world—Going to the gym? Good, stay healthy! Starting on pottery? Great! When are you going to show off your results?...The faculty have truly cared for me in this time of transition, each in their own way. They have welcomed me fully and they do not make me feel a “lesser” creation; it is a joy to work with this faculty! Q: What do you hope to contribute to Regent, and what do you hope that Regent will give to you? MK: I hope to contribute my love for the New Testament (and the whole of Scripture), my passion that this stuff matters and that we ought to take it seriously for how we live and think! I hope to encourage students even while challenging them to reconsider the frameworks within which they have functioned thus far—to see where Scripture might challenge them, but also encourage them to meet the God of love who consistently reaches out to people with grace and gentleness and even humour. What do I hope Regent will give me? Grace, gentleness, and humour. Seriously, I do hope that people will give me grace as I am learning, while also challenging me not to settle or merely survive…I do hope to finish my three years here with a far greater appreciation for the craft of pedagogy and an ability to help students meet material in a way that is most conducive to learning—learning what they need for their lives, not simply my classes.
Diane Stinton Diane Stinton joined the Regent College faculty this January, in the dual position of Dean of Students and Associate Professor of Mission Studies. She comes to us from Nairobi, Kenya.
Q: What areas of expertise do you bring to Regent? DS: Well, within the broad spectrum of theological studies, I’ve had the privilege of teaching, researching and writing in the area of contemporary African Christianity. With interest in the study of World Christianity more broadly, and contextualized theologies more specifically, I hope to perhaps bring new perspectives, new questions, maybe even new ways of doing theology from recent developments in the global South. Q: You are a Regent College alumna, was it this relationship that drew you back to teach at Regent? DS: Definitely! I was thriving at NEGST and very much at home in Nairobi, so I wasn’t looking to move on just now. However, when this opportunity arose at Regent, I prayed about it and consulted with close
Q: What has it been like so far to settle back into a place that’s both familiar and strange? DS: It’s certainly wonderful to return to Canada, to family and friends, and to the incredible beauty of the Pacific Northwest. And I’m really overwhelmed by the warmth of the reception I’ve had at Regent, so there’s lots to be grateful for in this rapid transition. Yet it is indeed strange, at the same time, and I pray that it will remain strange on certain levels—hence my need to stay connected with life and various communities in Kenya, including my home church there, Nairobi Chapel. When I informed some of my theologian friends about my sense of God’s calling me back to Regent, I was particularly struck by an email response from Fr. Laurenti Magesa, one of Africa’s leading theologians: I cannot resist quoting this paragraph from Galatians 2:9-10, putting you in Paul’s position: “Recognising that my calling had been given by God, James, Peter, and John ... shook hands with me and Barnabas, assigning us to a ministry to the non-Jews, while they continued to be responsible for reaching out to the Jews. The only additional thing they asked was that we remember the poor, and I was already eager to do that.” The last line is what interests me most in your situation, Diane: the only additional thing we back here ask is that you go on doing African Theology, which, of course, already from your note, you are eager to do. So, do not let not the flesh get in the way of the spirit! We will pray for you.
faculty profiles
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about the position you held at the Africa International University (AIU) / Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (NEGST)? DS: I’m an Associate Professor of Theology at AIU/ NEGST, where I’ve been involved in some new initiatives in the study of World Christianity. In September 2009 we launched a new MTh in World Christianity, so I’ve been teaching courses and supervising theses in this program. Then in September 2011 we’ll launch a new PhD program in the same area of study. NEGST has also established a new Center for the Study of World Christianity, which as far as we know, is the first of its kind in the global South. We’re excited about this venture, given the vitality of Christianity in Africa and other regions of the South. Yet we’re developing this Center in collaboration with other established centers and institutions, such as the Centre for the Study of Christianity at the University of Edinburgh, Yale Divinity School, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, among others. With the complexities entailed in studying World Christianity today, we favour a polycentric approach in which we can engage with others around the globe from our perspective in Africa. Now, you’ll note I’m using the present tense here! Regent has very graciously enabled me to continue as adjunct faculty at NEGST, so I plan to continue ministry in Kenya for two to three months each year. This is crucial to me in terms of my own vocational calling, as well as to whatever I hope to contribute to Regent.
mentors in Kenya and in North America. One of the key factors in moving me in this direction was a sense of seasons in life—I feel so deeply privileged by the impact that Regent has had upon my own theological and spiritual formation, that if I could play a role in mentoring others as I’ve been mentored here, that would be a great honour and gift.
Q: What are you looking forward to this year? DS: What I look forward to the most is simply getting to know the current community at Regent: students, staff, and faculty. And though “integration” might seem a bit of a buzzword around the place, I do hope to be able to integrate my ministry within the Dean of Students office with ongoing growth in scholarship and teaching within the field of Mission Studies. If this isn’t a tall enough order, there’s the added dimension of seeking to integrate my identity and experience in Kenya with this new season of life and ministry here. So all this, plus, on a lighter note, playing with my 5-year-old daughter at the beach! 11
www.regentbookstore.com
read, listen, listen again
How Do I Help a Hurting Friend?
The Psalms as Christian Worship: A Historical Commentary
Rod Wilson In this book, Rod Wilson provides a description of common sources of hurting, biblical ways of thinking about them, descriptions of how it feels to experience these problems, and practical suggestions for coming alongside to help a hurting friend.
The J.I. Packer Classic Collection: Daily Readings for Your Spiritual Journey
Bruce Waltke and Jim Houston Focusing on thirteen psalms that represent various genres and perspectives, Waltke and Houston have written a masterful historicaldevotional commentary that will deepen the church’s worship and enrich the faith and life of Christians.
www.regentaudio.com mp3-downloads The Meaning of Sacraments Gordon T. Smith
Gordon T. Smith
This course is a theological examination of the sacraments and their place in the life, worship, and witness of the church. Listeners will be urged to appreciate the sacraments more fully within their own tradition and in others.
J.I. Packer With excerpts from Dr. Packer’s classic writings and teachings—including Praying the Lord’s Prayer, Evangelism, and the Sovereignty of God—this year-long devotional conveys timeless wisdom and encouragement for your spiritual growth.
2009 Evening Public Lecture Series: Special Collection
2010 Evening Public Lecture Series: Special Collection
Evening Public Lectures 2009
Evening Public Lectures 2010
This is a special collection of all 2009 Evening Public Lectures given at Regent College, including lectures by: Marva Dawn, James Houston, Cherith Fee Nordling, Oliver Crisp, Mark Noll, Bruce Waltke, and Darrell Johnson.
This is a special collection of all 2010 Evening Public Lectures given at Regent College, including lectures by: Rikk Watts, Denis Alexander, Charles Ringma, Susan Phillips, James K.A. Smith, Mark Buchanan, and Maxine Hancock.
www.regentradio.net featured speakers
Regent Radio allows you to listen to individual lectures and complete series by Regent College Faculty Members, Emeritus Professors and Visiting Lecturers over the Internet. This is a great way to participate in the “Regent World,” regardless of where in the world you live. Broadcast schedules are posted daily. #
Address Change/Information Request Name _____________________________________ Address ____________________________________ Postal/Zip Code_____________________________ Phone_____________________________________ Email_____________________________________ Comments _________________________________ ___________________________________________ 12
Diane Stinton
Mark Davies
address: Regent College, 5800 University Blvd. Vancouver BC, V6T 2E4 ph: 604.224.3245
Please note my change of address. Please remove my name from all mailing lists. Please send me more information about: (list below) __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________
Gordon Fee To order any book or audio set please visit the websites listed, or call the bookstore toll free at 1.800.334.3279. If you live in the Vancouver area, our local number is 604.228.1820.