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Kairos and Chronos: A Biblical Study - with Grady Spires
- Weeks I and II (repeated)
From the earliest days of the Christian era, a profound question has arisen
concerning God's independent existence and His relationship to His creation.
Over the centuries, theologians from within historic Christian orthodoxy
have proposed various answers to this question. This seminar will examine
the biblical bases for these proposals, including some basic theories
concerning the "end of history."
* * * *
Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Gordon College, Wenham, MA; Lecturer,
Ockenga Institute, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; and beloved Bible
teacher in the School of the Bible at 12th Baptist Church, Roxbury, MA.
A Founding Trustee of the C.S. Lewis Foundation, Prof. Spires holds graduate
degrees from both Westminster Theological Seminary and Harvard University.
Time & Eternity Through the Great Books -
with Gayne Anacker - Weeks I and II (continuous)
Our conference theme, Time & Eternity: The Cosmic Odyssey, has inspired
thinkers and writers for millenia. This wide, rich feast of literature
will guide our consideration of ideas such as the nature of both time
and eternity, the relationship of God to both, our relation to God in
both, the human experience of time, and our odyssey in time as followers
of Jesus Christ. We will read and discuss excerpts from the Bible, Plato,
Aristotle, Augustine, Boethius, Thomas Aquinas, Shakespeare, Newton, Kant,
Kierkegaard, Keats, Tennyson, Teilhard de Chardin, Einstein, Lewis, Percy
Walker, Hesse, Heschel, Hugh Ross, and others. Conducted in collegial
dialogue, the seminar will live out the motto of the future C.S. Lewis
College - Pursuing Truth in the Company of Friends. (The Great Books Seminar
Reader, containing all readings, will be mailed out to seminar participants
several weeks prior to the conference, permitting substantial reading
and thought prior to the conference.)
* * * *
In addition to teaching philosophy at Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa,
CA since 1986, Dr. Anacker serves as Vice President of the C.S. Lewis
Foundation, and has been closely involved in all of its activities since
1993. From 1995-99, he served as Founding President of Community Christian
College, Redlands, CA. Dr. Anacker holds graduate degrees in both philosophy
and theology, but his real passion is Great Books education. He has been
a Humanities Resource Fellow of the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies,
and he was, for two years, a Teaching Associate of the Humanities Core
Course at the University of California, Irvine. In 1994, Dr. Anacker led,
and edited the Reader for, the Great Books Seminar at the C.S. Lewis Foundation's
Cambridge '94 - Cosmos & Creation: Chance or Dance?
'Eternal Lines to Time. . .': Temporality and Eternity
in the Works of William Shakespeare - with James Helfers (Week I)
and William Gentrup (Week II) - (continuous)
As the conference explores the themes of time and eternity in Lewis' work,
this seminar will explore issues of time and eternity as they apply to
William Shakespeare. Over the conference's two weeks, we will give an
extremely short history of time (and eternity!), then experience and analyze
how issues of time and eternity manifest themselves in the various kinds
of plays and poetry that Shakespeare wrote: comedy, tragedy, romance,
and sonnets. We plan to involve everyone in both discussing and viewing
Shakespeare's works, focusing on Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like
It, Hamlet, Othello, Lear, The Winter's Tale, and selected sonnets. Bring
your knowledge and curiosity for an interactive multimedia experience.
* * * *
Dr. Helfers is Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Grand Canyon University,
Phoenix, AZ and English Literature specialist in the Humanities Department.
He has taught various courses on Shakespeare for eight years; has also
lectured on C.S. Lewis, Shakespeare, and Renaissance English literature
at Arizona State University as well as at numerous conferences. He has
written several articles about medieval and Renaissance English travel
writers and editors.
Since 1991, Dr. Gentrup has been the Assistant
Director of the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at
Arizona State University, where he coordinates many of the Center's research
activities, such as conferences, symposia, book publication, and grant
writing. He received his Ph.D. in Renaissance English literature, and
he has taught a variety of courses, (i.e., Shakespeare, Milton, 16th Century
Poetry and Prose, 17th Century Poetry and Prose, Biblical Backgrounds
for Literature, Classical Backgrounds for Literature, and Romantic Poetry.
In 1994, he led a week-long seminar for school teachers titled "InterActive
Shakespeare: Teaching through Performance, Video, and Computers" funded
by the Arizona Humanities Council.
Blaise Pascal and George Herbert: I Get by with a
Little Help from My Friends - with Ben Patterson - Weeks I and II
- (continuous)
For the past 15 years I've gotten by with a little help from these two
17th century companions; one a French Catholic scientist, the other an
English Anglican priest. Each, in his own way, addressed the meaning of
time and eternity. Herbert, in his poetry, found in his faith a way to
see eternity in time. Pascal, with epigram and argument, saw in eternity
the crisis of time. Remarkably, both commend to our times a jarring and
comforting vision of God's reality in the world. The seminar will be a
kind of devotional midrash - less a scholarly exercise, more an introduction
to two friends who have been worthy guides on this pilgrimage of time
into eternity.
* * * *
Author of four books and contributing editor to Christianity Today and
the Leadership Journal, Ben currently serves as the Campus Pastor of Westmont
College, Santa Barbara, CA. He served for six years as Dean of the Chapel
at Hope College, Holland, MI. Ben has also been senior pastor at two churches,
including founding pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, Irvine, CA. We
are privileged to have Ben as our Oxbridge 2002 Chaplain as he was in
1998 as well. He combines the heart of a poet with the mind of a theologian.
Embracing Eternity: Community and Camaraderie in the
Cosmic Odyssey of the Inklings - with Bruce Edwards - Week I
While much is known and beloved of C. S. Lewis's efforts to defend and
propagate the Christian faith in the 20th Century, less well known and
regarded is the character and collective contribution of his community
of fellow believers and writers known as the Inklings. Lewis and the "other"
Inklings grasped how profoundly the genres and metaphors employed in expressing
the Christian worldview determined its reception. This workshop will explore
the spiritual journeys and the respective literary achievements of Lewis
and these "other Inklings," and how they swept "past the watchful dragons"
of secularism and principled doubt to reach their audiences with transcendent
truth. Discussions and presentations will center on Lewis' friendships
and literary camaraderie among J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Owen
Barfield, providing compelling overviews of their individual achievements
and thematic concerns, and the role their interactions played in shaping
the faith and the publications of their fellow Inklings. This workshop
is especially designed to help those who would like a basic introduction
to these "other Inklings."
* * * *
Prof. Bruce L. Edwards is the author/editor of two books, and numerous
articles on the life and work, of C. S. Lewis. Dr. Edwards, an ordained
minister, serves as Associate Dean of Distance and International Education
at Bowling Green State University (Ohio) after directing the graduate
program in English at BGSU for six years. He has regularly featured Inklings'
works in his undergraduate and graduate classes at Bowling Green State
University.
Time & Eternity in Children's Literature - with
Eric Metaxas - Weeks I and II (continuous)
Award-winning children's book author Eric Metaxas will lead discussions
on essays by Lewis, Chesterton ("The Ethics of Elfland"), Tolkien ("On
Fairy-stories") and others on the role of art -- specifically fairytales
-- as a pathway to the eternal. Hollywood films such as "Shrek" and "Harry
Potter" will be discussed in relation to Lewisian concepts of "Otherness"
and "the Numinous". Guests will include Vigen Guroian and Frederica Mathewes-Green.
* * * *
Eric's more than 30 children's books and videos have won three Grammy
Nominations for Best Children's Recording, many Parent's Choice and Action
for Children's Television awards, an Angel Award, and Amazon.com's #1
Bestseller Award for Squanto & the Miracle of Thanksgiving . His humor
pieces, critical essays, and poems have appeared in the N.Y. Times, Washington
Post, Atlantic Monthly, Christianity Today, Regeneration Quarterly, First
Things and other publications. He has written extensively for Chuck Colson's
"Breakpoint," and is a contributing editor to Books & Culture: A Christian
Review. Eric has written several VeggieTales children's videos and is
the voice of the narrator on the VeggieTales' ESTHER video.
Time & Eternity: A Science and Religion Symposium
- (continuous) with Kevin Sharpe (Week I) and Jim Buchholz (Week II)
One of C. S. Lewis' final hurdles to overcome in coming to faith in Jesus
Christ was the issue of time. Featuring guest speakers (e.g., Bob Russell,
John Polkinghorne, William Lane Craig, Hugh Ross), this facilitated session
will explore a variety of approaches to and views on the scientific and
philosophical understanding of time and how this is to be understood and
read into scripture (or not). It will allow participants to ask many of
the plenary speakers follow-up and more in-depth questions as the material
presented in this break-out session will be an extension of that presented
in the plenary sessions. This session will take a very science- theology
dialogue approach and should be considered by any scientist, philosopher,
theologian, or lay person following or studying this interdisciplinary
dialogue
* * * *
A Core Faculty of the Graduate College of the Union Institute, member
of Harris Manchester College, Oxford University, and Founder of Science
& Spirit magazine, Kevin Sharpe is both a philosopher of religion and
a mathematician. He has authored seven books, numerous papers, and is
a frequent speaker at conferences and workshops around the world. Professor
of Mathematics and Physics at California Baptist University, Riverside;
Jim Buchholz has worked with the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary
Physics (IGPP) at the University of California, Riverside, for many years,
and is presently continuing to work with the C. S. Lewis Foundation in
the area of Science & Religion; on the Program Committee for the '98 C.
S. Lewis Summer Institute, coordinating and directing the Science & Religion
Symposium held there. In 2001, along with Jeff Cate, Dr. Buchholz and
California Baptist University won a CTNS (Center for Theology and the
Natural Sciences) Templeton Science and Religion Course Prize for the
development of the course "Science and Faith". This newly developed course
is presently being taught at CBU and has already become a major part of
the general education curriculum.
Connecting with God: Experiments in Prayer - with
Jan Johnson - Weeks I and II (continuous)
As a spiritual director and author of spiritual formation works, facilitator
Jan Johnson believes that if we do the "connecting" with God, God does
the perfecting. Trying to be good only makes us obnoxious, but abiding
in God bears surprising fruit. So we'll experiment with ways of connecting
in different forms of prayer including walking prayer, praying psalms,
and contemplative prayer. We'll also look at creating a life of prayer
with Ignatian scripture meditation, lectio divina, C. S. Lewis' "festooning"
method, and practicing God's presence. In this way, an abiding consciousness
of eternity becomes a rhythm of life and teaches us to hear God. Suggested
reading: Letters to Malcolm by C. S. Lewis.
* * * *
Author of thirteen books, including When the Soul Listens and Enjoying
the Presence of God, Jan also is a journalist, having sold over a thousand
magazine articles to publications such as Weavings, Christianity Today,
World Vision, Los Angeles Times, and Woman's Day. A trained spiritual
director, she speaks frequently at retreats about authenticity with God
and transformation into Christlikeness.
Time & Eternity: From Gregorian Chant to Jazz
- with David Clemensen - Weeks I and II (continuous)
The concepts of time and eternity frame all of life, and they are particularly
important for Christian faith. Thus, these themes are naturally embodied
and reflected in music, especially music composed within the Christian
era. This seminar, for non-musicians as well as the musically inclined,
will examine music from the Middle Ages to the present to appreciate how
it has embodied and expressed these themes and how it lends itself to
the life of the Christian church in theology, worship, and prayer.
* * * *
David Clemensen is Director of Music Ministries at Irvine Presbyterian
Church, Irvine CA. He holds the M.Mus. in Piano Performance from California
State University, and earned his D.M.A. in Keyboard Collaborative Arts
from the University of Southern California. He juggles the sometimes conflicting
roles of classical musician, worship leader, teacher, composer, husband,
father, and crossword puzzle addict. David will be our Worship Accompanist
throughout the Institute.
Dealing with Grief through Time and Eternity (Observing
C.S. Lewis through the Lens of Grief) - with Rodger Murchison - Weeks
I and II (repeated)
This seminar is a multimedia experience focusing on grief. Attention will
be given to the literature of Lewis (e.g., A Grief Observed, The Problem
of Pain, etc.) and to the theme of grief that permeates much of Lewis'
life. Through a dramatic PowerPoint presentation, this seminar will contain
lectures (Understanding Grief, Grief and God, Grief and Comfort, Living
with Grief and others), visual graphics, music (Bach, Mozart, Williams,
Rutter, Barber, Rodrigo), Biblical passages (Lament Psalms, Ruth, John
11 and 14, I Corinthians 15, I Thessalonians 4), quotes from religious
leaders and scholars, and movie video clips (Shadowlands, Les Miserables,
Schindler's List, Romeo and Juliet), along with guest speakers, all on
the subject of grief. Lewis suggests that grief is like a winding valley
and during this seminar we will journey together to discover new and promising
landscapes.
* * * *
Rodger has served as the Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care at First Baptist
Church of Augusta, GA since 1987. For 15 years he worked at Southern Seminary
as Assistant to the President, Assistant to the Provost and Theology Dean
and Director of Capital Funding. Rodger earned his D.Min. degree at Princeton
Theological Seminary, his thesis being "Grief and Faith: A Study of Effect."
Sabbatical study has taken Rodger to Regent's Park College Oxford, England.
Reconsidering the Ethical Underpinnings of Medicine
- with John Patrick - Weeks I and II (continuous)
The training of physicians pays no serious attention to the realities
of the belief systems of patients although everywhere lip-service is paid
to the idea of patient-centered medicine. Multicultural ethics are in
vogue although no one has ever seen a multicultural patient. This seminar
will discuss the philosophical incoherence of medical school problems
by deconstructing the sacred cows of tolerance, multiculturalism, radical
autonomy and non-judgmental counseling. The inevitable increase in tensions
which will result from an increasingly instrumental understanding of what
it means to be human will be discussed, including the question of whether
a point could be reached where Theists will be forced in the words of
MacIntyre to contemplate the cessation of support for the current imperium
and retreat into communities within which the civilities and virtues can
be preserved.
* * * *
John Patrick was educated in the UK in medicine
and cell physiology; received a Wellcome Trust fellowship to study severe
malnutrition mainly in Jamaica for 7 years; in Canada for 22 years with
periodic forays to Africa. He is a founding member of Augustine College,
a program designed to teach the history of Western thought as though it
is the product of Jewish and Greek thought modified by the church. Currently
lectures frequently on issues related to faith, culture, ethics and public
policy, mainly in the context of medicine.
Time and Eternity in the Motion Picture Cosmos with
Rob and Joyce Marcarelli - Weeks I and II (continuous)
Together with the class, the Marcarellis' will explore the multi-faceted
artistic and commercial aspects of the medium we call film, and its relevance
and influence upon today's postmodern world. Most specifically, they will
focus on how our interpretation of time - past, present, future - has
been impacted by film and how film influences our conception of eternity
and eternal questions. To augment the discussions, the class will screen
film clips that directly or indirectly portray aspects of this theme.
The classes are rated G, for general audiences (from the novice to the
experienced filmmaker and from the sophisticated critic to recreational
viewer).
* * * *
Robert Marcarelli is an accomplished director, producer, technologist
and marketer. His extensive experience in the film and television industries
spans more than twelve long-form features, including his 1999 independent
feature The Omega Code, and his most recent feature film The Long Ride
Home. In addition to feature films, he has directed more than three hundred
national commercials for distinguished clients including McDonalds, Blue
Cross, and Pepsi. Joyce Marcarelli's screenwriting credits include numerous
feature films and documentaries, both period pieces, and modern-day dramas.
One of the world's premier authors of biblical films, her work includes
Out of Jerusalem, The Revolutionary I, The Revolutionary II, and The Emissary.
She is currently developing a feature film entitled Valley of Shadows.
Time and Eternity in New Age Mysticism - with
Vishal Mangalwadi - Week I
Time and Eternity, Past and Present are patterns of dualistic thinking
that don't mix with mysticism. The idea of eternity presupposes a realm
that transcends the universe of time and space. What are some of the logical
and cultural implications of denying dualism? Mystics insist that logical
thinking is the problem: since rational thinking can never escape dualism
(e.g., past and future), therefore we must escape thinking. Thinking may
be our problem: but what are the cultural implications of escaping thinking?
The Chinese invented printing centuries before Guttenberg. The press,
however, did not reform the East. The Chinese Buddhists went on to invent
rotating bookshelves and the idea of salvation by the rotation of sacred
writings. The endless rotation of sacred writings was meant to kill rational
thinking . . . can postmodern destruction of language and thought escape
the fate of the ancient East? (Please read "When The New Age Gets Old:
Looking For A Greater Spirituality" available on www.VishalMangalwadi.com)
* * * *
An international lecturer, social reformer, political columnist, author
of eleven books, including The World of Gurus, In Search of Self: Beyond
The New Age, and India: The Grand Experiment. He was born (1949) and raised
in India and studied philosophy in universities, Hindu ashrams, and at
L'Abri Fellowship in Switzerland. He founded a community to serve the
rural poor in India. From social work he moved on to political activism
and served at the headquarters of two national political parties organizing
peasants and the lower castes. Currently he is producing a seven-hour
television documentary, The Book of the Millennium: How the Bible Changed
Civilization for public television.
A Time for Truth-Seeking? Christians in the University
- with George Marsden and others - Weeks I and II (continuous)
This seminar will involve discussions on the role of Christian faith in
the intellectual life of the contemporary university. Why are faith-informed
perspectives not welcomed and how might they best be presented in a pluralistic
setting? It is strongly recommended that participants read and bring with
them Marsden's The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship (1997).
* * * *
George Marsden is the McAnaney Professor of History at the University
of Notre Dame. He has also taught at Calvin College and Duke University.
His best-known works are Fundamentalism and American Culture (1980), The
Soul of the American University (1994), and The Outrageous Idea of Christian
Scholarship (1997). He has also written five other books and edited, co-edited,
or co-authored another five. His major biography of Jonathan Edwards is
to be published by Yale University Press in 2003.
Lewis Remembered: Visits with Friends of C.S. Lewis
- with Michael Ward (Week I) and Kim Gilnett (Week II) - (continuous)
What was it like to know C.S. Lewis as a friend? A stepfather? A benefactor?
Meet with those who knew him best as family and friends of Jack Lewis
reminisce about a man of integrity, scholarship, and humor. Gain an insider's
glimpse into formative influences on Lewis' life. Consider how he integrated
his Christian faith with work and personal pursuits. Beginning with a
biography of Lewis' life and conversion, each day's discussion will introduce
you to another of Lewis' closest contemporaries.
* * * *
Michael Ward is the former President of the Oxford C.S. Lewis Society.
His expertise on Lewis is vast and has included teaching a number of Lewis
classes as well as giving Lewis tours of Oxford. Michael spearheaded a
campaign to have a plaque of honoring Lewis presented to Magdalen College
which now may be seen on Addison's Walk. He is the former head resident
at Lewis' home, The Kilns. Kim Gilnett serves as Marketing Associate for
the School of Fine and Performing Arts, Seattle Pacific University; but
his abiding passion as an Anglophile and true Lewisian has made him a
highly experienced and engaging tour leader. His intent study of Lewis
has afforded him the opportunity to meet a number of Lewis' friends and
scholars. He has spent a decade of summers at The Kilns, where he has
been actively involved in ensuring the historical accuracy of its restoration.
Storytelling Workshop - with Anthony Nanson -
Week I
A story is a journey in time. Live storytelling allows more freedom to
romp through time than possibly any other narrative art. It touches parts
of the imagination that TV cannot reach - and conjures a special connection
between teller and listeners. In this workshop you will learn how to shape
a story for telling - without learning a script - and then present it
to an audience with confidence and spontaneity. We will use some tales
from the 'wonder voyage' genre, which includes the Voyage of St. Brendan,
Homer's Odyssey, and C.S. Lewis' own Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The workshop
will provide a safe space for beginners as well as those with some previous
experience of storytelling or other forms of public speaking.
* * * *
Anthony is Founder of the Bath Storytelling Circle and member of Fire
Springs Storytelling Company. He has performed and run workshops in venues
around England, including work with the Christian storytelling initiative,
The Telling Place, and teaches courses in storytelling and creative writing
at the University of Bath and Bath Spa University College. His stories
and critical writings have been published in several magazines and books.
Gaining Time: Creative Writing Workshop with Jeanne
Murray Walker - Weeks I and II (continuous)
A hundred years from now, we will be known by what we wrote. Are we writing
well about things that matter? Bring your own fiction or poetry (a short
story or three poems) to this workshop. We'll xerox it for the group and
read and talk about it. If you don't write, or prefer not to bring your
work, come along anyway, to talk about the work of others. In addition
to discussing participants' work, we will do some in-class writing improvisations
which you might use as the basis of new poems and/or stories. We'll also
look carefully at the work of contemporary writers, particularly writers
who dwell on issues of Time and/or Eternity. We'll discuss the theme of
these, yes, but we will also look carefully at how the pieces are written,
hoping to discover strategies for our own writing. We will examine ways
of creating voice, point of view, metaphor, and structure. What are ways
of opening a piece? How does one achieve closure? What is the role of
form in contemporary fiction and poetry?
* * * *
Jeanne Walker is Professor of English at The University of Delaware and
author of five books of poetry, the latest of which is Gaining Time (Copper
Beech, l998). Her poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies,
and her work has been honored with numerous awards, including a National
Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. She was named a Pew Fellow in The Arts
in l998. As a playwright, Jeanne has also won awards, and her plays have
been produced in many cities, including Boston, Washington, Chicago, and
London.
Sketching in C.S. Lewis' England: Capturing Time with
the Image and the Sketchbook - with Gail Ward - Weeks I and II (continuous)
How can we as people who are specifically attuned to the visual elements
of our experiences grab and collect these images and transform them into
a sort of time capsule for our future use? How do we share with others
our afternoons in beautiful Oxford or Cambridge? Designed for all levels
of artistic background, this workshop will focus on capturing landscapes,
buildings, and environments quickly and accurately in the sketchbook with
emphasis placed on inspiration, technique, and development according to
the needs and desires of each individual participant. Using pencil, ink,
and paints together with a variety of techniques, i.e., bookbinding, paper
design, and image transfer, participants will work toward developing a
visual record of their experience in Oxford or Cambridge.
* * * *
Having spent eight years as a visual arts instructor in Nashville, and
one year working for the C.S. Lewis Foundation as Head Resident of The
Kilns, she is now traveling the United States as a private tutor for EMI
recording artists - "Jump5". Gail's university training included studio
art and art history degrees from Vanderbilt University and a post-graduate
degree in education from the same. When not on the road, she can most
likely be found at the easel, in the kitchen, in the garden, or in the
darkroom.
Oxbridge 2002 Choir: Sacred Choral Workshop -
with Larry Ball - Weeks I & II (continuous)
Under the direction of Dr. Larry Ball, Minister of Worship and Music at
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Newport Beach, CA, the Summer Institute
Choir will devote its efforts to the preparation of various musical pieces
to be performed throughout the conference. Rehearsals will be scheduled
so as not to conflict with other workshops. In addition, an extended pre-conference
rehearsal is planned for Sunday, July 14. The choir will participate in
the Opening Service at the University Church of St. Mary's the Virgin
in Oxford on July 14, at the Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication of
The Kilns on July 17, at the Closing Service of Evensong on July 19, at
the Service of Choral Evensong at Ely Cathedral, Cambridge on July 21
and at the concluding Service of Eucharistic Evensong at Great St. Mary's
on July 26.
Putting Creation to the Test - with Hugh Ross
- Week II
Theistic and non-theistic models compete for credibility in explaining
the origin and structure of the universe, the Milky Way, the solar system,
and life, with special focus on human life. The competition often generates
more heat than light. This course will offer a comparison and contrast
of the two sets of models, demonstrating if and how they can be verified
or falsified. Using predictions as a testing tool, participants will assess
models' success in anticipating discoveries. Forecasts of future discoveries
provide ongoing tools for testing and refining models - with the hope
of greater objectivity and less hostility.
* * * *
Astrophysicist, Founder and President of Reasons to Believe, an international,
interdenominational ministry aimed at communicating the uniquely factual
basis for belief in the Bible as the wholly true Word of God and for personal
faith in Jesus Christ. He hosts a weekly broadcast TV series and a live
weekly webcast program. He is the author of several books - The Creator
& The Cosmos, Creation and Time, Beyond the Cosmos, and The Genesis Question.
Inheriting Paradise: Meditations on Gardening and
the Christian Life - with Vigen Guroian - Week II
The Bible tells us that the garden is our home to which He will be return
us when all things are made anew. A garden is a place to which many persons
retreat for rest and reflection, while others even toil with spade and
hoe because the Maker is there and rewards them with beautiful life. We
will meet in the gardens of Cambridge to rest and reflect and maybe turn
over the earth and do some weeding. The lecturer will read from his book
Inheriting Paradise: Meditations on Gardening and make several other presentations,
including "The Fragrance of God: On the Sense of Smell and Spirituality."
We will be joined by horticulturists and master gardeners associated with
the gardens of Cambridge
* * * *
Professor of Theology at Loyola College in Maryland; an Orthodox theologian,
avid gardener, and lover of children's literature. Among his books are:
How Classic Stories Awaken a Child's Moral Imagination, Inheriting Paradise:
Meditations on Gardening, and Life's Living Toward Dying: A Medical-Ethical
Study.
How to Carpe Diem ("Seize the Day") by Finding and
Following Our Quest - with Walter Bradley - Week II
My greatest personal challenge in life has been to discover God's quest(s)
for me and to be disciplined and focused in faithfully pursuing this sacred
calling(s). In this seminar, we will explore together the importance of
determining our God-given quests (or callings) and strategies to live
lives that are focused by this divinely ordained set of opportunities
and challenges. Biblical principles and practical strategies will be considered.
Topics will include: (1) the criticality of vision (or calling); (2) different
ways of viewing time; for example, as a commodity, a gift, an opportunity,
etc.; (3) the relationship of Biblical rest to the modern view of leisure;
(4) balancing action and reflection (the Mary/Martha problem); (5) the
relationship of spiritual disciplines to a transformational Christian
life; (6) setting margins to overcome out-of-control living; (7) goal
setting versus problem-solving; (8) overcoming procrastination; (9) exploring
what is meant by "redeeming the time"; and (10) the criticality of planning
to living in focus. Our goal will be to consider how, in our noisy culture,
we can hear God more clearly and follow Him more nearly, day by day. Only
then can God replace the hustle, bustle and clutter of our modern lives
with the fullness and richness that God has planned for us.
* * * *
Walter Bradley has been an engineering professor at the Colorado School
of Mines and at Texas A&M University. He was certified as a Franklin-Covey
facilitator for 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Things that Matter
Most, and 4 Roles of Leadership. He has been the primary facilitator for
these programs at Texas A&M, taking hundreds of faculty and staff through
them. He has subsequently developed his own Time Management and Study
Strategies Seminar for students, which he has presented to over 19,000
students. Recently, this program has been put into a video format (see
success4student.com). He took early retirement in 2000 to be able to work
full-time developing the Christian Faculty Network at Texas A&M and to
serve similar faculty groups around the country through his speaking and
writing (see leaderu.com).
As It Happens: Keeping a Reflective Journal in Real
Time - with Luci Shaw - Week II
This informal workshop will cover topics such as: the need for quiet reflection
in daily life, the power of language to penetrate and express truth, journal-writing
as therapy, as a way to pray, as a door into spiritual and artistic growth
and creative thinking, and as an encouragement to self-awareness and God-awareness.
Notebooks and writing instruments required.
* * * *
Writer-in-Residence at Regent College, Vancouver, Canada. A poet, essayist,
and author of 23 books, she is a frequent retreat facilitator and writing
workshop leader in church and university settings, and lectures in North
America and abroad on art and spirituality, the Christian imagination,
poetry, and journal-writing as an aid to artistic and spiritual growth.
She has authored three books with Madeleine L'Engle.
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