What does our spiritual life have to do with our academic life? Should they be separate or can they be brought together holistically?

On Thursday, 21 July 2022 at 1400 UTC, INCHE in partnership with the Society of Christian Scholars is pleased to learn from Dr. Nita Kotiuga, Director of Spiritual Formation at Bakke Graduate University. She observes that academic life often neglects and hinders spiritual formation, because the whole idea is dismissed by atheistic cultures, diminished by secular cultures, or exaggerated by spiritualist cultures. At the root of the problem are conceptions of the relationship between the mind, body, and soul.

In this webinar, Dr. Kotiuga will explore how to nurture the spiritual and the life of the mind. As a trained spiritual director in Ignatian spirituality, she will discuss how academics can embrace the spiritual life by placing their minds under the direction of the Holy Spirit so that they can fully function as God intended, following the Holy Spirit into all truth.

Registration for this webinar at Webinar Registration - Zoom

Singing: A Catalyst That Cured to a Talent That Inspired

By Dr. Granville Pillar

INCHE announces the April 2022 webinar offering from the Society of Christian Scholars on “Singing: A Catalyst That Cured to a Talent That Inspired.”

Granville Pillar’s life story is like reading a tale of the ‘impossible’. In human terms, how could an uneducated agnostic, afflicted with a speech disorder aspire to become a university professor serving God’s mission in academia to make a redemptive influence on student lives?

On Thursday, 21 April 2022 at 1400 UTC, Dr. Granville Pillar will take us on a journey describing how God, in his providence, used the catalyst that cured his speech affliction to become a talent that inspired him to teach philology in the universities of Hungary, Romania, and Ukraine.

Prior to his academic journey, Granville Pillar was an electrician and band singer in Northern Ireland, club entertainer in England and southern Africa, electrical engineer in Germany, and language teacher and church minister in Australia. He enjoys singing, jogging, and walking his dog, and is involved in church ministry through music and preaching. He is married to Ibolya, has two adult children and five grandchildren and lives in Hungary. Listen to his music on his YouTube channel or read the introduction to his latest book, From Doing It My Way to Following His Way (2021).

Join us for this exciting webinar to hear how what seemed impossible in the eyes of humans became possible with God.

To register, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OHhxHpNRQ5Ooy73bPFga-w

INCHE announces the March 2022 webinar offering from the Society of Christian Scholars on “The Mission of Teaching Business.”

Within the next three decades, the global population will be about 10 billion people, most of whom are in the Majority World. This growth will put tremendous pressure on current socio-economic systems, with possible negative effects on the environment, unemployment, education, healthcare, immigration, and even armed conflict.

Business teaching is possibly one of the greatest contributions the Christian community can offer to such a distressed world. We have a Biblical tradition in business and public administration dating back to Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, and Esther, who were used by God to solve their generation’s difficulties. Now we need to educate 21st century business leaders with these same values and principles!

On Thursday, 17 March 2022 at 1400 UTC, Dr Sebastian Văduva, Director of the Griffiths School of Management and IT at Emanuel University of Oradea in Romania, will outline these business principles and values, framing business as mission. Dr. Văduva is a Romanian-American entrepreneur with extensive international experience in both U.S. and Romanian companies. Having immigrated to the US at age 12, he started his first business at 17. After completing his undergraduate studies in marketing, he obtained his MBA from Case Western Reserve University. In 1999 he became one of the youngest International Business and Marketing instructors at the University of Akron and in 2001, their director of The Center for Organizational Development. Also, he co-directed a sizable US State Department grant under which he pursued a doctoral degree at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest in comparative entrepreneurial systems and mentalities.

In 2004 Dr. Văduva was recruited by the Fulbright commission as an international MBA program director; and in 2005 he became the Dean of the Griffiths School of Management where he continues to serve. Sebastian has delivered over 6.000 hours of corporate executive education in the areas of leadership, entrepreneurship, communication, marketing, and team management. Over the last three years, his work has been predominantly in the Romanian IT sector where he focuses on talent development.

Join this important conversation by registering today at: Webinar Registration - Zoom

Indoctrination, Liberal Education, and Evangelism in the University Classroom

Christian professors in pluralistic universities who are open about their Christian convictions in the classroom may be accused of indoctrinating students; and they may face similar challenges from non-Christian students attending Christian universities. Indoctrination is typically understood as the opposite of liberal education, and thus an immoral form of teaching. How might Christian professors respond in such concerns?

On Thursday, 17 February 2022 at 1400 UTC/GMT, Prof. Elmer Thiessen, retired professor of philosophy at Medicine Hat College in Alberta, Canada, will contend, drawing upon his own teaching experiences, that neutrality in the classroom is impossible. But professional and ethical constraints limit what should be done to evangelize students in the classroom. This webinar’s purpose is to help Christian professors think about classroom practices as they seek both to educate students and live their Christian faith.

In preparation for this webinar, read through the introduction and chapter 9, “Evangelism in Professional Life: The Academy,” of his book The Scandal of Evangelism: A Biblical Study of the Ethics of Evangelism (Cascade, 2018) or this review of the book.

You won’t want to miss this provocative and thought-provoking discussion about how effective teaching and evangelization intersect!

Free registration is available to INCHE members at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RO7tG3MKTVSd56OuBrBQ8w

Most studies of the integration of faith and learning focus on cognitive aspects and are conducted in North American contexts. In contrast, Dr. Sarinah Lo focuses her empirical research on the holistic integration of faith and learning in a manner that encompasses faith-integrated being, knowing, and doing, not just thinking. This is based on her research regarding Christian faculty in Indonesian higher education contexts.

On Thursday, 20 January 2022 at 1400 UTC/GMT, Dr. Lo, Program Director for graduate studies in Christian education at Bandung Theological Seminary in Indonesia will discuss her findings. She has spent 25 years in teaching and educational administration while also extending her scholarship about the understanding of Christian faculty in Indonesia regarding the integration of faith into their educational callings. In this webinar hosted by The Society of Christian Scholars, an INCHE partner, Dr. Lo will reflect on the varied ways in which Christian faculty members around the world understand the relationship of faith, learning, and life.

In preparation for the webinar, you are encouraged to read the introduction to her book Faith-Integrated Being, Knowing, Doing (Langham, 2020) as well as her Special Book Feature by INCHE. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bWLUcs3sSgS7ONMWbGLMgQ .

A December 16 webinar (1400 UTC/GMT), The Trinity of Sin, God’s Response, and Human Learning is coming soon. In the INCHE partnership with The Society of Christian Scholars, Dr. Yusufu Turaki, Professor of Theology and Social Ethics at Jos ECWA Theological Seminary (JETS,) in Nigeria will draw upon his understanding of Africa’s traditional beliefs and social and spiritual values and explain scriptural teaching about the origin, nature, effects, and power of sin. He will then consider God’s solution to sin in terms that make sense to Africans and discuss how this understanding affects human learning. Please join us

Register for this valuable webinar here.   

On Thursday, 18 November 2021 at 1400 UTC/GMT, Dr David Koyzis, a senior scholar with Global Scholars Canada and an INCHE member, will offer a webinar to explore the nature of freedom. As evident in the contemporary protest movements in Hong Kong or Belarus, throughout history people have struggled for freedom. Inherent to these cries for freedom and resistance to oppression is, to some degree, an underlying suspicion of authority. What if, though, freedom is simply one more manifestation of authority?

Dr. Koyzis has a PhD in Governmental and International Studies from the University of Notre Dame (USA) where his dissertation compared the political thought of Herman Dooyeweerd and Yves R. Simon. Subsequently, he taught political science at Redeemer University College for thirty years, mentoring hundreds of young people who now contribute to public life in Canada and elsewhere. In recent years, he has broadened his academic ministry through contacts in Brazil, Pakistan, Ukraine, Indonesia, Germany, and Finland. Dr. Koyzis is the author of the awarding-winning book Political Visions and Illusions, translated into Portuguese and widely read in Brazil.

He will explore the nature of freedom and authority in light of the ‘image of God’ whereby authority is neither to be identified with mere power nor played off against freedom. It is not a mere social construction, but rather is resident in an office given by God himself at creation.

To register for the webinar go to: Webinar Registration - Zoom

In preparation for the webinar, read the Introduction to Dr Koyzis’ book, We Answer to Another (Pickwick Publications, 2014).

On Thursday, 21 October 2021 at 1400 UTC/GMT, Dr. Daniel Block, Gunther H. Knoedler Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Wheaton College (USA), will explore the Decalogue in the Hebrew Scriptures as a “Bill of Rights.” INCHE is pleased to partner with the Society of Christian Scholars in considering its implications for contemporary academics serving in pluralistic universities.

For Christians worldwide, the Decalogue is probably the best-known text in the First Testament. Many of us have memorized it; and theologians often declare that although other law codes in the Pentateuch have no bearing on Christians, the Ten Commandments function as a universal moral or natural law, uniquely binding us as they circumscribe a way of life.

Considering its ancient Near Eastern context, some might argue that the Decalogue is the world’s first publicly promulgated “Bill of Rights”. However, unlike modern bills of rights, rather than guaranteeing people’s rights, the Decalogue seeks to rein in the propensity to abuse authority and trample on the rights of those in near-by households and neighborhoods.

In light of Jesus’ interpretation of the Decalogue, saying that “You shall demonstrate love for YHWH your God and for your neighbor as you do for yourself”, what might be the implications for Christian living? What might be the implications for people of other faith traditions?

In preparation for the webinar, read Dr. Block’s essay “The Decalogue in the Hebrew Scriptures” in The Decalogue Through the Centuries (WJK Press, 2012).

Join this conversation about the Decalogue and Christian ethics by registering at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1mc2RmiXRyyXaA7v77QEog.

Approaching the world as God’s creation changes everything! Yet, how does it change the way we approach our academic disciplines as Christians?  The Society of Christian Scholars with INCHE as its partner is please to engage this important conversation for our members.

On Thursday, 16 September 2021 at 1400 UTC/GMT, Dr Craig Bartholomew, Director of the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge, UK, will discuss how a full-orbed doctrine of creation is of vital importance today and why we need to have it operational within our studies and research.

He will also explore some of the ways in which it transforms and shapes individual disciplines, enables us to engage in dialogue with scholars who hold very different worldviews, and opens up the interrelationship among the disciplines. In the end, he argues for seeing the world as it really is as ‘charged with the grandeur of God’ (Gerard Manly Hopkins), bringing hope to a jaded world.

In preparation for the webinar, take some time to read the introduction and various chapters to his most recent book, The Doctrine of Creation (IVP Academic, 2020).

Registration link: Webinar Registration - Zoom

One of the biggest struggles Christian scholars face is how to relate their faith to their research, especially in scientific fields. How can we live out our faith in a demanding, competitive research environment? How do our distinctive commitments as Christians affect our research practice? And can a dedication to scientific research actually strengthen our Christian faith?

On Thursday, 19 August 2021 at 1400 GMT/UTC, Dr. Kumiko ‘Jean’ Takeuchi, Japanese native, will share her life experiences as a scientific researcher for Eli Lilly and describe how her Christian commitments interfaced with her vocation, including her pursuit of two PhDs–one in chemistry in the USA and the other in theology and religion in the UK. Be sure to read her personal story, ‘An American Dream from God’s Perspective‘, published in Engaging Our World: Christian Worldview from the Ivory Tower to Global Impact (W&S Academic Press, 2008) for more details about her spiritual journey.

This will be an exciting opportunity to reflect on our own spiritual journeys and how God strengthens our faith as we seek to grow in ‘the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (2 Pet 3:18).

Reserve your place at Webinar Registration - Zoom

Join members from INCHE and the Society of Christian Scholars (SCS) for this webinar. An ancient Malawian proverb says, “A stranger comes with a sharp penknife,” and this knife is used, at least in a Malawian sense, to help disentangle a community from problems that their own knives could not resolve. In sum, the stranger sees with fresh eyes things that those inside the community cannot see.

On Thursday, 17 June 2021 at 1400 UTC, Dr. Kwiyani will discuss this idea in the context of theological cross-pollination, or what it means for “strangers” in world Christianity to engage with one another in the knowledge that each one has a gift, usually hidden, that can meet them at their point of need. Towards the end of his presentation, Dr. Kwiyani will seek to extend the knife analogy, in conversation with the audience, and probe the implications for interdisciplinarity in God’s multicultural kingdom.

Dr. Harvey Kwiyani serves as Lecturer in African Christianity and Theology at Liverpool Hope University in the UK where he teaches theology, mission, and leadership. Previously he worked and taught in central Europe for seven years and spent another seven years in the United States focused on issues of missional leadership. His current research and writing concentrates on contemporary mission in Europe and North America, intercultural theology, migrations, and particularly African Christians in the Diaspora. He is the general editor of Missio Africanus: The Journal of African Missiology.

The central idea of his presentation can be explored in greater detail in his book Multicultural Kingdom: Ethnic Diversity, Mission and the Church (SCM Press, 2020).

Register at Webinar Registration - Zoom.

Immediately following the webinar, Dr. Susan Felch, Professor emerita of English at Calvin University, will host a small group discussion to reflect on the webinar. Join this Zoom-based discussion here .

Join members from INCHE and the Society of Christian Scholars (SCS) for the Thursday, 15 April 2021 webinar at 1400 GMT/UTC

The English language today is the lingua franca of the academic world. Non-native English-speakers who publish in the English-language are often promoted with greater frequency and have increased influence as a result. Yet non-native speakers face unique challenges in their efforts to write and publish in English.

Dr. Kumiko “Jean” Takeuchi, Japanese native, will share her experiences and practical tips for writing and publishing as a non-native English writer. She has earned PhD degrees in two very different fields in two different English-speaking countries: chemistry in the USA and theology and religion in the UK. Jean will focus in detail on areas of English communication, specifically writing for publication, where non-native speakers often struggle, for example, common grammar errors and the temptation to plagiarize from native speakers’ publications.

The webinar is aimed at non-native speakers but will be beneficial to native speakers as well, especially those who assist colleagues for whom English is a second language.

Immediately after the webinar, INCHE supports a follow-up small group discussion for participants who seek further reflection on the topic. Dr. Susan Felch, Calvin University Professor of English emeritus, will facilitate this discussion. A Zoom link will be provided during the webinar.

Register here for the April 15 webinar. 

Thursday, March 18, 3-5 p.m. CET (1400-1600 GMT/UTC)

During the 20th century a new fragmentation of Europe developed as secularization and political change led to a religiously and politically divided society. Particularly in a time of pandemic, how can European Christians in higher education bridge some of the gaps as Christians study and work in the different fragments of European society? To strengthen European Christian faith and practice, this online event will offer insights into this fragmentation and the role of Christian universities. The INCHE Europe goal is to deepen understanding and prepare for the in-person INCHE Europe conference on this theme in 2022.

There is no fee to register, but registration is required. Webinar registration now is completed and closed.

Click here for more information and registration.

Join members from INCHE and the Society of Christian Scholars (SCS) to explore,

Media and Information Literacy for Intercultural Dialogue:

A Campus Ministry Approach

On Tuesday, 16 March 2021 at 1400 GMT/UTC, Dr. Marlene Hines, the Society’s librarian and former director and project manager in the Jamaican Ministry of Education, will discuss how campus ministries and academics can bridge the diverse barriers that exist within the university community as a means of reaching people where they are through intercultural dialogue.

This SCS webinar will focus on the university campus, particularly those with a large student and faculty population as a melting pot of cultures, peoples of diverse nationalities, and racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. The pluralistic university is thus a fertile mission field for the gospel of Christ.

The UNESCO Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID) strategy will be explored as a Campus Ministry approach that has the potential to bridge and break down barriers that exist within the university community by the application of various media and communication strategies in the presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the university community.

Immediately after the webinar, INCHE supports a follow-up small group discussion for participants who seek further reflection on the topic. Dr. Susan Felch, Calvin University Professor of English emeritus, will facilitate this discussion. A Zoom link will be provided during the webinar.

Register here for the March 16 webinar. 

Join members from INCHE and the Society of Christian Scholars (SCS) for the Thursday, February 18 webinar at 1400 GMT/UTC, titled, “Spirituality and Academia: Learning Simplicity, Humility, and Prayer with Luke’s Earliest Readers.”

In today’s society, we tend to evaluate university teachers on their ability to lecture well, knowledge of the subject matter, and ability to promote student learning. What might the Gospel of Luke have to say about this approach to teaching? How might Jesus’ spiritual practices affect his teaching? How could these practices affect change not only in our lives as educators but also in the lives of our students?

This webinar, sponsored by the Society of Christian Scholars, will feature Dr. Catherine Wright, Associate Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Bethel University in Minnesota (USA).

Immediately after the webinar, INCHE supports a follow-up small group discussion for participants who seek further reflection on the topic. Dr. Susan Felch, Calvin University Professor of English emeritus, will facilitate this discussion. A Zoom link will be provided during the webinar.

Register here for the February 18 webinar.