Search these pages for speakers from Calvin College who are willing to make presentations for church, school and community groups. Please contact speakers by e-mail with your questions and requests. The inviting party is responsible for travel costs and honorarium.
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A B C D E G H K L M N O P R S T V W Z
Aay, Henk
Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies
aay@calvin.edu | Web site
- Biblical Religion and the Environment: Taking Stock of the Situation
- The Church and the Environment
- Children’s Eco-fiction: An analysis of environmental issues as presented in works of fiction written for children
- Selected Topics in the Geography of the Netherlands: A geographical analysis of important aspects of Dutch culture
- A Christian Worldview and Geography: An examination of the significance of a Christian worldview for the field of geography
Adams, Joel
Professor of Computer Science
http://www.calvin.edu/~adams
- Building Your Own Supercomputer: How supercomputers work, and how you can build one yourself
- Iceland: Land Of Fire And Ice: A photo travelog around Iceland's ring road
- Digital Creativity: Demonstrations of software packages that simplify computer
animation, unleashing creativity
Baron, Henry
Professor of English, Emeritus
baro@calvin.edu
- Lent: From Requiem to Resurrection Symphony; a Lenten Journey through tears and triumph with readings, slides and music
- Christmas Faith—confronting the beauty and the burden of the Incarnation through readings, slides and music
- WWII Remembered: the war years in Holland through the eyes of a child: Stories of courage and fear, violence and faith; and reflections on its lasting impact.
- "The Immigrant Experience: promised land or vale of tears?" Personal stories of the Dutch whose quest for a better life did not always lead to "milk and honey."
- "Reminiscing with Sietze Buning: truth through tears and laughter." Readings (with comments) from Stan Wiersma's unique folk poetry that celebrates and sometimes censures the special character of the Dutch immigrant culture and tradition from which he came.
Bierling, Marilyn
Professor of Spanish
mbierlin@calvin.edu
• Immigration Laws and Issues
Bierma, Nathan
Communications and Research Coordinator, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
nbierma@calvin.edu | Web site
- Bringing Heaven Down To Earth: A Reformed View of Heaven and Hope
- A Christian Journalist's Perspective on the News Media
- A Christian Perspective on Language, Languages, and Language Debates
- 15 Words from Hebrew and Greek that Every Bible Reader Should Know
- Crafting Words for Worship
Bolt, Robert
Professor of History, Emeritus
bolt@calvin.edu
- The Call of the Wild—a slide illustrated visit to Churchill, Manitoba, in October when polar bears are roaming about
- The Influence of Religion on Certain 20th Century American Presidents.
- Abraham Lincoln: His Humor and His Religion.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Involvement in His Hyde Park Church.
- Humor of Presidents Ford and Lincoln is compared and contrasted
- Prelude to Pearl Harbor
- President Abraham Lincoln on his Religion
Boonstra, Harry
Theological Librarian, Emeritus
hboonstr@calvin.edu
Bosma, Carl
See Calvin Theological Seminary speakers list
Bouma III, Hessel
Professor of Biology
boum@calvin.edu
The following computer-illustrated talks, each 40-60 minutes, are on topics in Christian biomedical ethics:
- Human Stem Cells: Promises and Perils (2 sessions). The current science, ethics and public policy issues surrounding human adult and embryonic stem cells that are being touted as the long-sought treatment of most chronic conditions and diseases.
- Euthanasia: Dying Amidst Technology. I. Withholding and withdrawing Medical Treatments. Under what circumstances might we forgo medical treatments and how can we make our wishes known through advance directives if our capacities are diminished?
- Euthanasia: Dying Amidst Technology. II. Physician-Assisted Suicide and/or Voluntary Euthanasia. Under what circumstances, if any, might we contemplate ending our own lives and seeking the assistance of health care practitioners through physician-assisted suicide (e.g., states of Oregon and Washington) or voluntary euthanasia (e.g., Netherlands) to do so?
- Neither Male nor Female, God Created Them: Biomedical and Ethical Issues in Intersexuality (1 or 2 sessions). Each year, a small number of children are born with ambiguous genitalia—intersexed rather than clearly male or female. Why does this occur, and what can and should be done, and ought we to understand our sexuality?
Bratt, James
Professor of History
jbratt@calvin.edu
- The CRC Past and Present—2-3 talks including a review of the development of the CRC, current trends and conflicts
- Viewpoints: Exploring the Reformed Tradition—discussion series CRC Publications reader by this title.
- American Reformed Theologians: Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, John Nevin, H. Richard Niebuhr, etc.
- Abraham Kuyper: A single talk or a series on the life and work of this giant figure in Reformed history.
- Gathered at the River: Grand Rapids Church History—the major themes and findings in this book published in 1993
Bratt, Kenneth
Professor of Classics
kbratt@calvin.edu
- The Mediterranean World at the Time of Christ (illustrated)—a study of the 1st century political, cultural and religious factors which contributed to the spread of the gospel.
- Archaeology and the Acts of the Apostles (illustrated)—a study of Paul’s missionary journeys (especially the second), with special attention to the archaeological evidence.
- Corinth (or Rome or Philippi): Archaeology and the Epistles of Paul (illustrated)—a study of the earliest European churches, drawing on the epistles of Paul and recent archaeological discoveries on site.
- Advent (or Lent) in Early Christian Art and Literature (illustrated)—a meditative presentation on the principal feasts of the Christian year, using poetry and art from the early Christian tradition.
- The Ancient Olympics (illustrated)—Ancient Greek athletics, contrasted with the modern games in both their athletic and cultural aspects.
Note: Professor Bratt also offers support services to high-school teachers of Latin and ancient literature.
Bratt, Wallace
Professor of Germanic Languages, Emeritus
wbratt@calvin.edu
- Germany 20 Years After the Fall of the Wall
Brink, Emily
See Calvin Theological Seminary speakers list
Bytwerk, Randall
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
bytw@calvin.edu | Web site
- How to Give a Speech: The Basics of Public Speaking
- The ABCs of Persuasion and How to Avoid Being Persuaded
- The Propaganda of the Holocaust: The methods Hitler used to rouse hatred against the Jews
- Film Propaganda in World War II: How the U.S. and Germany used movies to persuade
Cooper, Dale
Emeritus Chaplain; Executive Associate to the President, Development Office
coop@calvin.edu
- And Grace Will Lead Me Home—on learning to stay tuned to grace amid what someone once said is “the random clutter and busyness of life.”
- All Hell Broke Loose and the People Shriveled Up—on fear, frustration and resentment—three walloping joy killers and a few (modest) antidotes to them
- Why Doesn’t God Just Roll Up His Sleeves, Shove His Weight Around and Show Himself to be God?—on the Christian stewardship of pain and trouble in our lives
- Be What You Is “Cause if You Is What You Ain’t, then You Ain’t What You Is”—on battling pretense and cultivating authenticity in our Christian life
- Don’t Let the World Squeeze You into its Mold—on resisting what our spiritual ancestors called “worldliness”
- Spiritual Companionship—Christians never grow optimally in isolation. They need others—or another, at least—to walk with them. This series deals with what a spiritual companion is, how to find one and what to do once you’ve found one.
- Joy: The Serious Business of Heaven
- Hope: The Serious Business of Earth
- What Happens to God When His People Go to College?—Spiritual profiles of college students today, and how to address these students spiritually
- A Few Things I’ve Learned Since the Time I Thought I Knew it All
- Spiritual Rootedness in an Era of Complexity, Diversity and Ambiguity
- Eight Things I’d Like to Teach My Children—on equipping our children spiritually
- Reflections on My Years as Chaplain at Calvin College
- "Not 'Please' but 'Thank You': A Few Thoughts on Aiming to Grow Old Well"
- Fear, Frustration, Resentment: Three Deadly Spiritual Enemies"
Cooper, John
See Calvin Theological Seminary speakers list
DeBoer, Willis
Professor of Religion and Theology, Emeritus
wdeboer@calvin.edu
- The Parables Still Needle Us (1-15 talks)
- Hermeneutics for Amateurs (1-6 talks)—all of us interpret when we read; what are the rules for good interpretation?
- Controversies in Paul’s Life (4-7 talks)—our age is not the first for Christians to be in controversy over the meaning of the Gospel.
- Mary, As Each Gospel Sees Her (4 talks)
- From Malachi to Matthew: Five Hundred Years Between the Testaments (4-5 talks)
Gordon, Bethany A.
Assistant Professor of Nursing and
Parish Nurse/Faith Community Nurse Educator
bg22@calvin.edu
•Parish nursing/faith community nursing: another opportunity for ministry.
Learn about this additional avenue to enhance the health promotion of congregation members and friends. Most persons spend more time in church than at a doctor or health care provider's office. The church then can be a natural place to offer programs about and visit with members about their health --body, mind and spirit.
Greidanus, Anna
Professor of Art
greida@calvin.edu
- 20th Century Women in Art
- The Cutting Edge of Contemporary American Ceramics
- Exploring Personal Creativity Through Mixed Media Visual Art Exercises – This hands-on workshop can be presented in a single session or series. For various age groups and levels of experience.
- Art and Spirituality
Groenhout, Ruth
Professor of Philosophy
rgroenho@@calvin.edu
2009-2010 Lecturer, Calvin Worldview Lectureship
- Care and Justice in Medicine
Suitable for an academic audience. Disciplines: Philosophy, Medicine, Nursing, Health Sciences, Religious Studies, Sociology. - Medical Dilemmas: Care and Technology
Suitable for generally educated audience. Of particular relevance for those interested in Health Care, Public Policy, and Ethics. - Christians, Technology, and Health Care
Suitable for general audiences, Christian and non-Christian alike, with an interest in the relationship between faith and the culture of medicine.
Haarsma, Loren
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
lhaarsma@calvin.edu
• Origins: Creation, Intelligent Design, and Evolution
• Where Science meets Worldviews: Science, Atheism, and Christianity.
• Neuroscience, the brain, behavior, and the soul.
• Science and God's providence: natural laws, chance, and miracles.
• Science as a Christian vocation
Hamersma, John
Professor of Music, Emeritus
hame@calvin.edu
• Some Secrets of Sin and Salvation in the Organ Hymns of Bach—A lecture recital for adult education and other church meetings
Harms, Richard
Curator of the Calvin Archives
rharms@calvin.edu
- Black Baseball in West Michigan, 1900-1960
- Grand Rapids Church Architecture, 1846-1945
- The History of Grand Rapids
- Grand Rapids Goes to War: The World War II Homefront
- The Lumber and Timber Industry in Lower Michigan During the 19th Century
- Grand Rapids During the Great Depression
- A Postcard Tour of Grand Rapids, 1900-1920
- Ramon Park: West Michigan’s Amusement Park, 1876-1955
- America’s Pastime in West Michigan: Baseball 1880-1960
- The Native People of West Michigan
- Flooding in the Grand River Valley, 1886-1950
Heerspink, Jan
Student Academic Services
janhpk@calvin.edu
- Helping Students grades 5 - 12 be Active Learners
- From Words to Pictures—helping the visual learner put thoughts into pictures.
Hoekema, David
Professor of Philosophy
dhoekema@calvin.edu
Prof. Hoekema will be at Daystar University in Kenya from January to June 2010 as a Fulbright Scholar.
Available to speak on topics related to social justice, peace and war, and the arts in society; also on religion, politics and culture in West Africa, South Africa, and Russia. Sample titles of some recent church and community presentations (some illustrated with photographs):
- “Africa’s Wealth: Some Lessons on Tradition, Family, Religion and Politics”
- “Christianity and Toleration: Why Christians Should Stand Up for Their Enemies As Well As Their Friends”
- “Who Are the Peacemakers? Christian Witness to War and Violence” (with reference to the Study Report on Peace and War adopted by the 2003 Synod of the Christian Reformed Church)
- “The Inevitable War That Wasn’t: Achievements and Challenges in the New South Africa”
Holwerda, David
See Calvin Theological Seminary speakers list
Honderd, Ralph
Professor of Physical Education, Emeritus
hond@calvin.edu
- Mentoring: a way to offset the relational vacuum that exists within our society.
- Can Athletics Be Distinctively Christian?
- Physical Fitness (one talk or a series)
- Health Fitness for the Christian—a series including nutrition, exercise and stress management
Katerberg, William
Professor of History
wkaterbe@calvin.edu
- Connected Critics: The Vocation of the Christian Scholar and Teacher
- Deepest Peril, Last Stands: Violence and Power in American History
- Loyalists & Revolutionaries? Canada and the United States Compared
- Intelligent Barbarism: The Cultural Psychology of Violence in the American West
- Get Real? Visions of Utopia and Apocalypse in American Science Fiction
- Holy Terror: Religion and Violence in the American West
Klooster, Beverly
Professor of Biology, Emerita
bklooster@calvin.edu
- Use and Abuse of Antibiotics—How is it that the antibiotics developed to treat infectious diseases no longer work?
- Microorganisms: Our Unseen Friends and Allies
- Nutrition: Which Approach is Better? Vitamin pills or foods
- Christianity and Politics
Luttikhuizen, Henry
Professor of Art History
lutt@calvin.edu
- Art and Compassion: Depictions of Christ’s Passion in the history of art
- The Nativity in the Visual Arts: Images of Christians in the history of art
- How Art Reveals God in Nature: Pictures of general revelation
- Modern Art and Religion: The religious commitments underlying 20th Century painting.
Maag, Karen
Director, H. Henry Meeter Center for Calvin Studies
kmaag@calvin.edu
- Life in Reformation Geneva: a vivid account of the transformations that the reformation caused Geneva in the 16th Century
- Pastors and Churches in the 16th Century Calvinist communities
- Geneva Under Siege (with slides): Describes in detail the attempt to attack Geneva by night in December 1602. Suitable for young people and adult classes
Matheson, Steve
Professor of Biology
smatheso@calvin.edu
• Topics related to stem cells and to evolution and creation
Mellema, Gregory
Professor of Philosophy
mell@calvin.edu
• Business Ethics: A Christian approach to decision making in business organizations.
Meyer, Nancy
Women's Athletic Director
meyn@calvin.edu
• "Want to Lead Others? Learn to Lead Yourself First"
Miller, Daniel
Professor of History
mill@calvin.edu
- Two Versions of the Cold War in Latin America—conservatives and liberals have very different memories of US-Latin American relations. Who’s right?
- The History of Christianity in Latin America
a. The Colonial Catholic Church
b. The New Catholic Church
c. The Growth of Protestantism - America Before Columbus—a slide presentation on the Maya & Aztec civilizations of Mexico and Central America.
- Latin American Updates—a discussion of particular nations and topics with emphasis on issues of concern to North American Christians.
- After Appomattox: What Ken Burns and Glory Didn’t Tell You about the Civil War—race relations in the U.S.
- U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction:
- Southern Slavery, National Racism
- "A war to preserve 'The Union as it was' becomes a 'War to end slavery' and "War to the last ditch.'"
- "Grant's Virginia Campaign of 1864: Strategic Brilliance or Organized Butchery?"
Monsma, George
Professor of Economics and Business, Emeritus
gmonsma@calvin.edu
- Poverty in America: A Christian Economist’s View—a discussion of the causes of poverty in the United States and options for Christians who want to work to alleviate it.
- Economic Stewardship and Justice—one talk or a series on our callings as stewards of God’s world.
- Access to Health Care in the United States.
The U.S. is the only moderate or high income country that doesn't provide all its citizens with financial access to health care. This situation will be discussed in one or two talks in light of Christian principles of justice. Policies which could increase justice in this area will be evaluated.
Mulder, Mark
Assistant Professor Sociology and Social Work
mmulder@calvin.edu
- Poverty in the United States: A discussion of the foundations of poverty in the U.S.
- Spirituality in U2: An analysis of the role of spirituality in the art/music of U2.
- Congregational Adaptation to Neighborhood Change in Southeast Grand Rapids: A report on congregations from one denomination pursued various strategies in response to changing neighborhood demographics.
- Reconciliation in Cities and Neighborhoods: A talk about how reconciliation in urban neighborhoods might begin with taking "places" more seriously
Noe, David
Professor of Classics
dcn3@calvin.edu
- General classical topics, include church history, St. Augustine, and Hellenistic philosophy.
- Augustine and the Donatist Controversy: One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
- The Persecutions of Diocletian: How Christians Learned to Live (and die) in a Roman World
- Classical and Christian Virtues: Charity and the Development of Christian Community
- Pleasure, Pain, and Living according to Nature: Understanding Paul's Audience in Acts 17
- The Origin of Original Sin: Augustine's Arguments with the Pelagians
Overvoorde, Chris
Professor of Art, Emeritus
over@calvin.edu | Web site
- Art as a Necessary Occupation: Why Every Community Needs Artists (a slide lecture)
- Beyond Images: Art and the Christian Life (a slide lecture)
- The Christian Artist: Art as a Response (a slide lecture)
- The “Grace” Story: What We Have Done Visually at Grace Christian Reformed Church (a slide lecture)
- Dutch Art: The Art of the People (a slide lecture)
- History of Dutch Painting (a series of slide lectures)
- How Fine Art Prints are Made (slide lectures)
- The Foundation of Van Gogh and Mondrian: 19th Century Dutch Painting (a slide lecture)
- My Journey in Art: A Personal Reflection (a slide lecture)
- Stories of Faith: Fifteen Heroes of Calvin College and the Christian Reformed Church (an illustrated lecture on the residence hall paintings)
- Prairie Visions: A Prairie Study of Space and Productivity
Pettinga, Jeff
Professor of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance and Sport
pett@calvin.edu
- Physical Education Curriculum: What the modern curriculum in physical education should include.
- School Health Education Programs and “New Age” Thinking: Do school health programs have a “New Age” value system?
- “Recruiting” the High School Senior Athlete: What are the factors considered?
- History of Sports: What does the past tell us about the current state and future state of sports?
- Coaching Baseball—Clinic setting: How to improve your baseball skills.
Post, Arden
Professor of Education, Emerita
apost@calvin.edu
Workshops for Teachers:
- A Balanced Literacy Program in the 21st Century—presents current and future trends in teaching reading/language arts, reviews research and makes suggestions for teaching
- Book Censorship—reviews current issues and how schools can deal with parent concerns
- Building a Classroom Literacy Community—examines key components by which we can set up or evaluate the literacy learning in our classrooms
- Childrens’ Choices—Using children’s favorite books in the classroom to teach literacy
- Creating a Christian Teaching and Learning Community—reviews writings and discussions and presents some questions for schools to consider
- Holiday Reading/Writing Connection—presents children’s books and reading/writing activities to correspond to 10 annual holidays
- M-O-T-I-V-A-T-I-O-N to Read—presents new questionnaires for students and ingredients we may be missing
- Multicultural Children’s Literature—presents a five-phase literature study that can occur over five days or five weeks and can be adapted for many ethnic groups
- Phonics Today—presents observations of how teachers are incorporating phonics into their classrooms
- Poetry from A-Z—gives patterns for a multitude of poetry from the silly to the sublime, from simple to complex
- Study Skills—involves teachers in examining those skills needed for students to effectively learn in their classrooms
- Teachers as Readers (TaR) Groups—suggests ways of setting up monthly book clubs of teachers who share children’s literature and teaching ideas
- Teachers’ Ten Top Literary Practices—presents the results of research into elementary teachers’ literacy activities
Presentations for PTAs, churches, community groups:
- Adolescence—a look at the characteristics of this age and suggestions for relating to adolescents
- Adoption and Childbirth—a discussion of the ways God builds our families
- Collegial Relationships in our Schools—a devotional and some hard facts
- Communication in the Christian Family and Decision Making in the Christian Family—a two-part series for church or civic groups
- Desires of your Heart—a devotional for educators and others
- Developing Responsibility in Children—an interactive presentation for parents
- Grandparents Share Books with Grandchildren—children’s books about grandparents
- The Middle Schooler—a factual and humorous look at past and present students and schools
- Tips for Teaching All God’s Children—a list of 10 timely tips for Sunday School Teachers
- The Ups and Downs of the Christian Life—a comparison of our lives to the psalmist David
Rottman, Ted
Professor of Sociology, Emeritus
rott@calvin.edu
- Capital Punishment—an analysis of key issues
- Christian Perspective on Funerals
- White Collar Crime—an analysis of crime in the suites vs. crime in the streets
Schaefer, Kurt
Professor of Economics
schk@calvin.edu | Web site
- American Experiments with Poverty Policy
- Husband, Wife, Parent, Child, Master, Slave: The Economic Context of the New Testament Household Codes
Selles, Otto
Professor of French
oselles@calvin.edu
- Jesus Laughed? Humor and Religion
- Charismatics or Fanatics? The French-Calvinist "Multiplier" Sect (Montpellier, 1720-1723)
- Tolerance: Virtue or Vice?
Shoemaker, Allen
Professor of Psychology
shoe@calvin.edu
- Christian Perpectives on Self-Esteem—how compatible is self-esteem with humility and pride? What factors affect our self-esteem?
- The humor of Christ—Sayings of Jesus that the Jews of His day found humorous but are lost on Western audiences
- Understanding Those Going Through Divorce: How can we as Christians understand and help others who are going through divorce?
Smidt, Corwin
Professor of Political Science; Executive Director of the Paul B. Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics
smid@calvin.edu | Web site
- Christians in Politics or Christian Politics: Issues in Transforming Culture for Christ
- The New Religious Order of American Politics
- The Political Characteristics of American Evangelical Christians
- The Politics of Protestant Clergy in Contemporary America
- The Christian Right in American Politics: Contributions and Liabilities
- Islam and Politics
- The Religious Beliefs of Evangelical College Students Today: Continuity or Change?
- The Role of Media in the Presidential Selection Process
Smith, David
Professor of German; Associate Editor, Journal of Education and Christian Belief
dsmith@calvin.edu | Web site
- Spiritual Development Across the School Curriculum (1 or 2 talks or a workshop, with practical examples from several curriculum areas)
- In What Sense can Christian Education Today be “Biblical”? (One overview talk or four more specific talks and/or workshops)
- Why Should Christians Learn other Languages and Cultures? (1 or 2 talks)
Smith, James K.A.
Professor of Philosophy
jkasmith@calvin.edu | Web site
- "Do Codes Make Us Good?" – about training professionals, especially engineers, physicians, nurses, etc. – to be virtuous, more than just talking about a "Code of Ethics."
- "Socrates in The Matrix: Philosophy as Liberation" – An introduction to philosophy comparing the classic Plato's Republic with themes from the film The Matrix (requires a DVD player and projector with screen; good for high school seniors and their parents)
- "Charting a Course Through the Quarter-Life Crisis: A Biblical Perspective" on the unique challenges for those in their twenties (this fits for "college and career" groups)
- "Alien Disciples: Counter-Cultural Meditations on the Gospel" – a series of sermons on foundational elements of the Christian faith—hope, grace, love—which go against the grain of modern cultural demands
Steenwyk, Steven
Professors of Physics
ssteen@calvin.edu | Web site
- Now That’s Cool—demonstrations with liquid air, intended primarily for youth groups aged 9–14 to experience the amazing effects of extreme cold on material.
- An Electrifying Performance—demonstrations of some of the amazing effects of electricity—intended for youth groups aged 9–14.
- Comets, The Swords of Heaven—Legends and facts about comets, meteors and asteroids with video illustrations highlighting their potential threat to life on earth.
Stronks, Gloria
Professor of Education, Emerita
stro@calvin.edu
- Christian Schools Throughout the World: some parents want Christian education for the values and morals, others for the good education and caring teachers, and others realize that disciple of Jesus Christ through the experiences of their children.
- When Christians Teach in Public Schools - how can they legally teach with authenticity according to their world and life views?
- Real Boys and Golden Girls: A comparison of the ways private and public middle school boys and girls respond to schooling, to school relationships and to classroom work.
- Will Our Children Have Faith? — findings of a research study concerning the faith journeys of middle school students in Christian schools can be used in teaching Bible or in planning worship for the school and church.
- Planning Curriculum with a Christian Perspective in Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Schools: What role do state benchmarks and standards play?
- Middle School Years:What is happening to destroy the dreams and heroes of young adolescents? Can we use the developmental needs of middle school students to create an excellent Christian discipleship curriculum for them?
Tiemstra, John
Professor of Economics
tmst@calvin.edu | Web site
- Recycling: Is Recycling Economically Wise? Do we do too little or too much?
- Regulating and Deregulating Business—the purposes and problems with regulation of business and the record of deregulation since the late 1970s.
- Christian Responsibilities of Consumers and Business—one talk or a series on the Biblical themes concerning economic life and how we can apply them today.
- Organ Building in Northern Europe—one talk or a series with slides and recordings on the development of the organ and its music in France, Germany and the Netherlands from 1400 to 1900.
- Equality and Efficiency: The Big Tradeoff or the Big Easy?—how increasing equality in the U.S. economy and taking better care of the poor will make the economy work better.
- Globalization—The growth of global trade and investment raises ethical questions about the environment and poverty.
- Financial Crisis and the Culture of Risk--How have Christians' attitudes toward risk changed over the last fifty years? How has this affected our financial system? Is financial globalization a good thing in a world where the assessment of risk has become more difficult?
Timmer, James
Professor of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance and Sport
jtimmer@calvin.edu
- A Christian Perspective on Interscholastic Athletics
- A Christian Perspective on Physical Education
- Intercollegiate Athletics and Higher Education—a lecture on the inconsistencies between the goals of higher education and Division I athletic programs
Triezenberg, Glenn
Director of Career Services
gtriezen@calvin.edu
- Creating Enemy Images: An Inside Look at Interpersonal Problem-Solving and Conflict Management—this one to three hour presentation/workshop focuses on how individuals, groups, and organizations produce conflict and what each can do to manage and grow in the face of conflict.
- Where the Jobs Are: Fantasies, Facts and Forecasts—Does a college degree, particularly one from Calvin, make a difference in today’s job market? Which careers are hot and which ones aren’t? How should a student decide on a career? This session will address these and other real world questions as well as provide the opportunity for questions and group discussion.
Van Andel, Glen
Professor of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance and Sport
vdel@calvin.edu
- When I Relax I Feel Guilty—the hectic pace of an active lifestyle often results in the worship of our work, working at our play, and playing at our worship.
- Vacations with a Vision: What Christians Should Know—vacations need to be viewed like the Old Testament sabbath, a period of time when we restore our relationship with God, others, and His creation.
Van Der Weele, Steve
Professor of English, Emeritus
svweele@calvin.edu
- A Study of the Poem “The Hound of Heaven”—the classic literary account of the working of God’s irresistible grace.
- An Overview of Dante’s Divine Comedy—Dante, the pilgrim, goes on a journey which teaches him the effects of sin, and shows him how to practice the virtues and how to achieve eternal life.
- Vondel: Part of our Literary Heritage—Vondel’s achievement in his biblical play Jepthah.
- Samuel Johnson as a Christian Warrior, 300th Anniversary—Samuel Johnson, in his life and work, emerges as an 18th Century servant, sage and saint
- C.S. Lewis: Man for all Seasons—why does Lewis still appeal to many readers decades after his death?
- Our Hungarian Experience—slide illustrated.
- Impersonation of Albert Einstein
- Impersonation of Benjamin Franklin
Vande Streek, Kevin
Professor of Physical Education; Men's Basketball Coach
kvstreek@calvin.edu
- Raising Championship Children—a perspective on parenting relating coaching experience with the challenge of raising four sons
- Christianity in Sport—How a Christian can look at sport in today’s society
- Coach-Athlete-Parent-Principal-Board Relationships—a discussion on the role of each in the high school setting
Van Reken, Calvin
See Calvin Theological Seminary speakers list
Van't Hof, Ellen
Professor of Dance
evanthof@calvin.edu
- Sacred Dance: What Is It? (a lecture-demonstration)
- Dance and the Arts in Elementary Education
- Sacred Dance Workshop—a single workshop or series of workshops to introduce sacred dance—learning dances and creating our own.
- Dancing Across the Intelligences—A workshop that explains and explores Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences from the perspective of creative dance.
- The Klompendance: Tulip Time in Holland, Mich.—An investigation of the origin and history of the wooden-shoe dance.
- Finding Their Own Dance: Reawakening the Alutiiq Arts--a discussion and presentation of a documentary film produced in Alaska during a fall 2006 sabbatical
Weima, Jeffrey
See Calvin Theological Seminary speakers list
Whitekettle, Richard
Professor of Religion
rwhiteke@calvin.edu
- The Psalms: The Mirror of the Soul—a look at how the Psalms grapple with the joys and sorrows of life
- The Triumphs and Tragedies of Saul, David and Solomon—a look at the political and spiritual life of the first three kings of Israel
- Thus Says the Lord: The Prophets of Israel—a look at those Israelites who were called by God to speak to a nation and world gone awry
- Sexual Intercourse, Menstruation and Childbirth in Old Testament Law—a look at why sexual intercourse, menstruation and childbirth made men and women “unclean” according to Old Testament law (Lev. 12 and 15)
- The Ant, the Hippopotamus and Israelite Wisdom Literature—a look at how the Old Testament wisdom writers answered the two questions, “How does the world work?” and “How should I live?”
- The Sacrificial Theology of Dead Lambs and a Living Jesus—a look at how God used the sacrificial system to restore the divine/human relationship, and how the death of Jesus Christ is the culmination of this process of restoration
Zuidema, Marvin
Professor of Physical Education and Athletic Director, Emeritus
mzuidema@calvin.edu
- Fitness and Sport in a Christian Lifestyle
- The Christian and Sports: How should Christians view sports?
- Motor Development in Children: An Important Aspect of Christian Parenting
- Youth Sports: What Do They Do to Our Children? How should we structure programs?
- Interscholastic Athletics: Is competition consuming us?
- What’s Involved in Choosing a College?
- Physical Education in Christian Schools
- Building a Physical Education Program (K-12)
- New Trends in Physical Education and Sports
- Competition: Should Christians Compete? How?
Zylstra, Uko
Professor of Biology
zylu@calvin.edu
- Biotechnology and Food Security: The Ethics of Genetically Modified Foods
- Environmental Stewardship and the Kingdom of God
- Creation, Evolution and Life—A critical examination of the meanings of creation and evolution.
- The Christian and World Hunger—An examination of population, environmental resources, and their relation to world hunger.
- The Genetic Age: Are we ready for it?—A review of the recent developments and potential of biotechnology and a consideration of the ethics of genetic engineering.
- Intelligent Design: Is this the appropriate response to how we should understand how God interacts with the creation?