Forums for
2009-2010
September 10th – Bible Study “Good King? Bad King? Why the Bible and
History Disagree”
9:00
a.m. led by Ellie Beach, Professor at Monmouth College. With this background we will attend the Augustana
College Convocation, from 10:30-11:20 a.m., where the speaker for the day is
Kamran Pasha, a Hollywood screenwriter, director, and novelist. He has
most recently produced and directed the NBC series, Kings, a modern-day setting of the story of David and
other kings of Israel. He will show film clips and talk about the
development of the series at the Convocation. Following the Convocation the Forum group is to
have lunch, at their expense, with Mr. Pasha in the College Center.
October 8th – This
will be a day to learn from Islam.
Our
presenters will be Imam Saad, the new Imam of the Moline Mosque on “Islam 101.”
Dr.
Cyrus Ali Zargar, Assistant Professor of Religion at Augustana, on “Resources
from the Islamic Mystical Tradition,” and Lisa Killinger on “Models for Interfaith
Understanding at the Local Level.” We will also share lunch, provided by
the college, and will have some highlights presented of what’s happening at
Augustana.
November 12th - "The Lord is Our Righteousness": Preaching
Christ in Advent
Presented by Samuel D. Giere is Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Wartburg Theological Seminary, and an ELCA pastor
In anticipation of the incarnational and
eschatological swirl of the Church's season of Advent, we will walk through the
lessons for the four Sundays of Advent with particular attention to the Old
Testament and Gospel readings and in preparation for the proclamation of
Christ.
January 14th – Fundamentalism:
Anti-modern Traditionalism or a Contemporary Critique of Modernity?
Presented by Dr. Peter Kivisto, Professor of Sociology, Augustana College
During the past
century, all of the major world religions have encountered fundamentalist
movements within them, with often profound consequences both for religion and
more broadly for political, cultural, and social life. For this reason,
it becomes increasingly important to address two interrelated questions: What
is fundamentalism and why has it become a global phenomenon? This forum
will examine these questions, with a particular focus on the interrelated
character of the fundamentalisms of the three Abrahamic religions—Christian
fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalism, and Jewish ultraorthodoxy.
February 11th –"Reading, Seeding, and (of course) Meeting: Leadership Models and Issues Today"
Presented by Dr. Duane Larson – President
Wartburg Seminary
According to pop
lit today, Moses was at best a manager and Jesus a great teacher but poor
administrator. Are there theologically credible options to the ever changing
cure alls of leadership lit? Can we really turn brown oceans blue? What is good
leadership for Christians who want to keep faith and integrity? Is it possible
to have leadership without scapegoats? We'll consider together such questions
for us who lead, whether we want to or not, in a time of deep anxiety and
exceptional opportunity.
March 11th – “How Should Christians Consume? Resources for an Ethics of Consumption.”
Presented by Dr. Laura M. Hartman, Religion Dept. at
Augustana College
Consumption,
when it is exaggerated into consumerism, is bad for everyone, from human health
to relationships to the environment. But if we are to stay alive, humans must
consume in some fashion. What, then, does good Christian consumption look like?
By exploring four answers from the Christian tradition and weaving them
together into an integrated Christian ethics of consumption, we begin to
glimpse a new angle on the meaning of stewardship, neighbor love, and the
fulfillment of creation.
Presented by Pr. Stephen Bouman – Executive Director of Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission unit of the ELCA
We will explore the ways in which a congregation can
"re-root" in its community and give folks an opportunity to think
about their own settings for mission.
May 13th- Ascension Day - “A
conversation about the culture of the church. Are we changing the culture
of is the culture changing us?
”
Bishop Michael Burk, Southeastern Iowa Synod, will preach at the Ascension Day worship service and then, following breakfast, make a presentation.