Registration is now open and new offerings have been added:
Full list at registration.
Registration opened this week for the Institute and we added a few more offerings:
Host: Christians For Biblical Equality (CBE)
Offering Title: The Apostle Paul: Male Supremacist or Pioneering Feminist?
Offering Description:
For centuries Christians have citied the apostle Paul as the biblical basis for excluding women from teaching and leadership positions in the Church. This offering will explore Paul’s spiritual journey from Pharisee to feminist, noting the radical vocation of Paul who worked beside women, slaves and other untouchables in building Christ’s kingdom.
Host: Mimi Haddad, President of Christians for Biblical Equality
Offering Title: A Feminist Critique of Christian Faith and the Historical Similarities to the Abolitionists Critique of Christian Faith
Offering Description:
Over one century ago, Christian abolitionists sought to free the slaves and in doing so they leveled a valid critique of the theological support for slavery from the Church. Just as the abolitionists offered a thoughtful and biblical critique of proslavery Christian rhetoric, one of the greatest challenges to the Church today is the critique coming from radical and Christian feminists alike. This offering is a dialogue, in my home, where we explore the similarities between the abolitionist and feminist critique of Christian faith.
Host name: Jenell Williams Paris
Offering title: Homosexuality and emergent churches
Offering description:
Many denominations and individual congregations are in active conflict over the issue of homosexuality. How might we create fresh ways to move beyond the liberal – conservative impasse?
I will present themes and questions from queer theory that perhaps could inform Christian theology and church practice. Our session will mostly involve group discussion based on our local contexts and experiences, focused toward ways we can make a better future regarding sexuality, sexual orientation, and homosexuality in our faith communities.
I expect that participants will be of diverse theologies and practices regarding sexuality. I will encourage an ethos of hospitality in which all voices are welcomed and respected. The most important outcome of the session will be to cultivate friendships and a relational web of people in emerging churches who care about theology and practice regarding sexual identity.
I am a member of Solomon’s Porch. I am also an associate professor of anthropology at Bethel University in St. Paul, MN. Sex and gender is one of my research and writing interests.
Host Name: Mark Scandrette
Offering Title: EXPLORING AND INHABITING THE MESSAGE OF JESUS
It is often said that each generation must creatively engage with the gospel to discover why the gospel of Jesus is good news for our time. Many of us are asking, “What is the message of Jesus and how might we integrate the message into our lives in the here and now? As a trickster and provocateur, Jesus announced the availability of a new kind of life by declaring “The Time has Come. The Kingdom of God is at hand.” And he called for a visceral existential response: “Repent and Believe the Good News.” (Mark 1:15) If we are being invited into collaboration with God in the restoration of creation, which of our cultural assumptions and habits need subverted and dismantled to inhabit “The way?” How can we be awakened in our imaginations and animated in our bodies to live as seekers of God’s kingdom?
This workshop will explore the message of Jesus and the task of connecting the goodnews of the kingdom to the details of our lives in the present by:
EMBRACING OUR LIVES AND OUR TIMES AS A GIFT AND SACRED TRUST
PURSUING THE RESTORATION OF CREATION
SURRENDERING TO IMAGINE A NEW WAY OF LIFE.
ACTING WITH INTENTION TO PURSUE LIFE UNDER THE RULE AND REIGN OF GOD
Hosts Names: Christopher Baker and Luke Hillestad
Offering Title: Art in Christian Community
Christopher is currently pursuing a graduate degree in interactive arts at the University of Minnesota. His research and artistic explorations reside at the intersection of media arts, technology and community. Luke is a freelance painter and an Art Director for Solomon's Porch. He is currently finishing a degree in Visual Art and Music Composition at the U of Mn.
Offering Description: Our discussions will examine the contemporary and historical roles of art in christian community. We will discuss the process of artistic creation, community collaboration and strategies for forming meaningful relationships with artists outside of the local church community. We will discuss the artistic expressions present in the Solomon's Porch community, review relevant secular artistic currents and invite participants to share their own ideas and community practices. On Thursday evening after the discussion we invite your to join us for dinner and a free trip to the www.walkerart.org