September 17, 2008

Jim Wallis, President of Call to Renewal (a national federation of churches, denominations, and faith-based organizations from across the theological and political spectrum working to overcome poverty) and Editor of Sojourner Magazine will speak at Calvin College in the fall of 2008. Wallis is a well known speaker, author, activiist and international commentator on ethics and public life, and will be discussing his new book The Great Awakening.

The event will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center, and is free and open to the public. The lecture will be jointly sponsored by the Henry Institute, the Office of Christian Formation, and the Calvin College Student Activities Office.

Matthew Sitman, Ph.D. candidate in Political Theory in the Department of Government at Georgetown University will speak at Calvin College. The lecture will be held in the Commons Lecture Hall at 3:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public, and will be jointly sponsored by the Henry Institute and the Calvin College Political Science Department.

The fifth biennial "Pollsters and Parishioners: A Workshop on Survey Research and American Religion" was held in June at Calvin College with 16 graduate students and recent Ph.D. graduates in disciplines related to the field of study of The Henry Institute participating in the week-long study seminar. The event was led by Henry Institute Executive Director Corwin Smidt, Lyman Kellstedt (Wheaton College) and James Guth (Furman University).

The Henry Institute's fourth biennial Symposium on Religion and Politics was held at the Prince Conference Center at Calvin College in April of 2008. The event brings together individuals who share an interest in the interplay of religion and politics, and attendance is open to anyone interested in this field of discussion. The Symposium provides an opportunity for scholars in the field to present papers related to their current research, to foster personal and professional networks, to facilitate joint research endeavors, and to learn about ongoing research opportunities in this area.

2008 Symposium Program

March 31, 2008

The annual Paul Henry Lecture featured Dean Koldenhoven, former mayor of Palos Heights, Illinois and 2002 recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Mr. Koldenhoven spoke on "Political Tolerance -- Love Your Neighbor."

In 2000, plans to purchase a Christian church and open a mosque in the Chicago suburb of Palos Heights were met with extensive opposition from the community and numerous city council members. Mayor Koldenhoven took a stand within his community in support of the Al Salam Mosque Foundation, condemning bigotry and religious intolerance toward the Islamic community. He was subsequently defeated in his bid for relection in 2001.

In 2002, Koldenhoven received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for political courage and public service. When asked how he decided to take his controversial stand in the community, Koldenhoven replied "I learned in grammar school about the First Amendment in which the first part of it says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" and Jesus command in the Bible when he says to "love your neighbor." The decision was easy."

Video of Political Tolerance -- Love Your Neighbor is available from the Calvin College Campus Store.

Paula Booke, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Chicago's Department of Political Science spoke on "The Politics of Rapture: The Social Network of Premillennialist Websites." Booke received her M.A. at the University of Chicago in 2005, where she has held several Teaching Assistant positions, and obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester in New York.

Booke's research has focused around religion and politics, race and politics, political psychology, public opinion and qualitative methods. Her dissertation is entitled "Politics of the Apocalypse: The Effect of Premillennial Eschatology on Politics." She has received academic honors and recognition through numerous scholarships, fellowships and lectureships over the course of her studies and has additionally presented various papers at conferences and symposiums.

The lecture was cosponsored by the Henry Institute and the Calvin College Office of the Dean for Multicultural Affairs.

Weng Kaixin, Postdoctoral Fellow on Ethics with the Department of Philosophy at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, presented "The Rule of Law and the Role of Religion in Contemporary China."

Weng Kaixin holds a Ph.D. from the Institute of Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and completed her Masters work at Zhejiang University, with previous studies at Ningbo University. Her research interests are in areas related to church-state studies, basic constitutional rights, the legal profession and legal education, and "new rights" controversies.

The lecture was co-sponsored by the Paul Henry Institute, the Nagel Institute and the Calvin College Philosophy Department.

November 27, 2007

Mark Amstutz, Professor of Political Science at Wheaton College in Illinois spoke on "The Promise and Limits of Political Forgiveness in International Politics,"utilizing his considerable research on the subject of international political ethics. Dr. Amstutz has published many books on the topic, including International Ethics: Concepts, Theories, and Cases in Global Politics and Christian Ethics and U.S. Foreign Policy. Most recently his work has focused on forgiveness and reconciliation in public life, in particular on the healing of nations in the aftermath of civil wars and mass atrocities. In 2004, The Health of Nations: The Promise and Limits of Political Forgiveness was published. He conducted interviews for the book and for ongoing research on the topic in Argentina, Chile, Northern Ireland, South Africa and Rwanda.

Amstutz grew up in Latin America and has traveled widely as a teacher and scholar. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from American University with his undergraduate work completed at Houghton College in New York. In 1993, after more than a decade of service, he retired as a Commander from the U.S. Naval Reserve.

The lecture was cosponsored by the Calvin College Political Science Department.

November 19, 2007

Dr. Harold Dean Trulear, Associate Professor of Applied Theology at Howard University's Divinity School, spoke on "The Christian Church and African American Civic Engagement" at 7:30 p.m. in the Calvin College Commons Lecture Hall. Trulear is also a Fellow at the Center for Public Justice, and senior pastor at the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church of Twin Oaks, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Trulear has taught religion, public policy and community studies at Yale University, Drew University and the Center for Urban Theological Studies. He recently completed a three year term as vice president of faith based initiatives at Public/Private Ventures in Philadelphia. Previous to that position, Reverend Trulear was the dean for first professional studies at New York Theological Seminary and also coordinated several programs for high risk youth with Youth for Christ/ Campus LIfe in Paterson, New Jersey.

A graduate of Morehouse College and Drew University, Harold Trulear has authored more than sixty published monographs, articles, essays, sermons and reviews, including African American Churches and Welfare Reform, Faith Based Initiatives with High Risk Youth, and George Kelsey: Unsing Hero, documenting the life of the man who was Martin Luther King's mentor. He also writes a quarterly column for Prism: The Alternative Evangelical Voice.

Reverend Trulear has served as a consultant concerning faith based community development and outreach to many organizations, including the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Leadership Center of Morehouse College, the University of Delaware, Tuskegee University, the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, and numerous others. He serves on the edictorial board of The Living Pulpit and the advisory boards of Civitas Doctoral Fellows and The Templeton Honors College of Eastern University.

The lecture was co-sponsored by the Office of the Dean for Multicultural Affairs, the Calvin College Political Science Department, and the Paul Henry Institute.

Sometimes outstanding bravery occurs in the most unexpected places. That happened when three peace-seeking nuns allegedly "attacked" a nuclear missile silo in Colorado and were imprisoned for their non-violent protest in 2003. They were released from prison in 2005, and two of the Dominican sisters (who have received national and international awards for their commitment to peace) Carol Gilbert and Ardeth Platte, talked about their experiences and their powerful commitment to peace at Calvin College, following the showing of the film Convictions which documents their story. The event was cosponsored by the Paul Henry Institute and the Calvin College Social Justice Committee.

The fourth biennial "Pollsters and Parishioners: A Workshop on Survey Research and American Religion" was held in June, with twenty-three graduate students and recent Ph.D. graduates in Political Science, Sociology and related disciplines participating in the seminar, which was conducted by Henry Institute Executive Director Corwin Smidt, Lyman Kellstedt (Wheaton College) and James Guth (Furman University).

April 30, 2007

"Practicing Repentance: Christian Politics After Arrogance" was presented by Dr. Douglas Koopman, William Spoelhof Teacher-Scholar-in-Residence and professor of Political Science at Calvin College.

Dr. Koopman worked for many years in Washington D.C., for Congressmen Richard Armey, Peter Hoekstra, Fred Upton, and Paul Henry. He was also an Economist for the Joint Economic Committee of Congress for more than 4 years.

The Paul Henry Institute, the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity, and the Calvin College Religion Department sponsored a lecture by Andrea Althoff, Visiting Scholar at the Martin Marty Center for the University of Chicago Divinity School entitled "Migration and the Transformation of Latino Religious Identities in the U.S."

Dr. Althof resides in Chicago while working on a research project entitled "Religious Identities of Latin American Immigrants and Social Cohesion," and is also an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University, leading a course on immigrant experiences. She has studied the Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Maya Movements, and utilized those insights in writing her Ph.D. dissertation on Ethnicity and Religion. Dr. Althof asserts that her research places her at the intersection of Sociology, Political Sciences, Anthropology and Theology.

"Fundamentalist History, Secular Myth, and the Media's God Problem" was presented by Jeff Sharlet at Calvin College and cosponsored by the Henry Institute, the Calvin Center for Christian Scholarship, the Gainey Institute for Faith and Communication and Calvin Media Relations.

Sharlet, an American journalist and author best known for writing about religious subcultures in the United States, also teaches journalism at New York University. He is a contributing editor for Harper's and Rolling Stone and is the co-creator of two online journals: Killing the Buddha and The Revealer.

For additional information about Mr. Sharlet, forward to the Calvin Center for Christian Scholarship site.

April 4, 2007

Professor Mona Abousenna lectured on "Islamic Fundamentalism and Secularization," discussing her perspective on the current state of Islam and calling for a more enlightened and critical interpretation of her faith tradition.

Professor Abousenna is the founder and Secretary General of two international philosophical associations: the Afro-Asian Philosophy Association, and Averroes and Enlightenment International Association. She is Professor Emeritus of English and Comparative Literature on the Faculty of Education at Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt.

The event was cosponsored by the Henry Institute, the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity, and Calvin College's Philosophy Department.

The Henry Institute and the Calvin College Philosophy Department jointly sponsored a lecture by Dr. Paul Weithman, Chair of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame entitled "Who Gets What - and Why? Entitlements, Capacities, and Human Dignity."

Dr. Weithman received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and works primarily in philosophical areas which include contemporary political philosophy, ethics, and medieval political philosophy. He is the author of Religion and the Obligations of Citizenship and the editor of Religion and Contemporary Liberalism.

February 26, 2007

Nancy Ammerman, Professor of Sociology of Religion at Boston University's School of Theology, discussed "Doing Good in the World: How Congregations Make a Difference." Dr. Ammerman has spent much of the last decade studying American religious congregations. Her many writings include Pillars of Faith: American Congregations and their Partners; Congregation and Community; and Bible Believers: Fundamentalists in the Modern World.

In 1993, Dr. Ammerman served on a panel of experts convened by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Treasury in light of the government's confrontation with the Branch Davidians at Waco, and she testified on the same subject before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1995. In 1997, she lectured in Israel under sponsorship of the U.S. State Department.

November 16, 2006

In "Renewing American Culture: The Pursuit of Happiness," Theodore Malloch discussed the basic questions of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in the face of challenges presented in a global economy with rapidly advancing technology and ever-changing information. Malloch is Chairman and CEO of The Roosevelt Group; he is a pioneer of the global market and works exclusively with CEO's, business leaders and government leaders in conceptualizing projects on a global scale and accessing "real-time" information to understand and manage rapidly changing markets, government transformations, emerging trading blocks, and critical relationships.

In 2005, Dr. Malloch founded and continues to Chair the Spiritual Enterprise Institute; he served as President of the 1992 World Economic Develpment Congress sponsored by CNN, founded The CEO Learning Parnership, and managed the development of UN EDIFACT (the new rules and standards for global paperless trading). Malloch has served on the executive board of the World Economic Forum, has held an ambassadorial level position in the United Nations, has headed consulting at Wharton-Chase Econometrics, worked in capital markets at Salomon Brothers, served in senior policy positions in the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and has worked at the U.S. State Deparment.

Virginia Parish Beard discussed "Democratization: African Female Political Behavior in Islam and Christianity," focusin on a portion of her Ph.D. dissertation: "Democratic Orientation in Emerging African Democracies: Do Religion and Gender Matter?"

Parish Beard, a graduate of Calvin College with a Masters of Public Policy and Administration from Michigan State University, is currently working on her Ph.D. in Political Science at Michigan State University, with fields of concentration in Comparative Politics and Public Policy. She has done research on many topics, including issues related to the Michigan Education Trust, the Afrobarometer Public Opinion Survey Research Project, and the Mission: Moving Mountains, Nakuru, Kenya project.

October 12, 2006

The eleventh annual Paul B. Henry Lecture featured Federal Appellate Judge Michael McConnell, speaking on "Public Virtue, Republican Government and the Separation of Church and State." Judge McConnell was appointed to the Tenth Circuit by President George W. Bush in 2002, and is widely known for his judicial opinions related to church-state issues. He is among the country's most distinguished scholars in the fields of constitutional law and theory with a specialty in the religion clauses of the First Amendment. McConnell has argued 11 times before the U.S. Supreme Court.

McConnell attended Michigan State University and the University of Chicago Law School. He clerked for Judge Skelly Wright on the District of Columbia U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and then for Justice William Brennan on the Supreme Court. McConnell joined the faculty at the University of Utah's S.J. Quinney College of Law in 1997 after serving at the University of Chicago Law School for 12 years. Prior to his teaching career, Professor McConnell served as assistant to the solicitor general with the U.S. Department of Justice and as assistant general counsel for the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

Video of Public Virtue, Republican Government and the Separation of Church and State is available from the Calvin College bookstore.

September 28, 2006

"Orthodoxy, Islam and Religious Intolerance in Russia" was presented by Vyacheslav Karpov, an Associate Professor at Western Michigan University. His current research focuses on religion, moral values and tolerance in Russia, the United States, and other societies. Karpov has also researched and published work on post-communist political and educational change. Presently, he is serving as the Principal Investigator of a collaborative international survey-research project entitled "Religious Intolerance among Orthodox Christians and Muslims in Russia" which is funded by the National Council for East European and Eurasian Research. Prior to coming to the United States in 1990, Karpov had lived, studied and worked in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The third biennial Symposium on Religion and Politics, was sponsored by the Henry Institute, with nearly 100 scholars participating in the event. The program featured 24 panels discussing a wide variety of topics related to the overall conference theme.

March 30, 2006

Dr. Gary Bouma presented "Road Rage on the Way to Heaven: Religious Resurgence and Rising Religious Conflict." Dr. Bouma is the UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations-Asia Pacific, as well as a Professor of Sociology at Monash University in Australia. He graduated from Calvin College in 1963, is an Anglican priest, and has served in professional positions in eight different denominations. Dr. Bouma has written extensively, with his research focusing primarily on the interaction of religion and society in western cultures.

The new Christian Reformed Church Synodical document entitled "Peace, War and the CRC" was the topic of a panel discussion at Calvin College, co-sponsored by the Henry Institute and the Christian Reformed Church of North America. Panelists included Robert De Vries and Scott Thomas (Calvin College Political Science Department), Kevin denDulk (Grand Valley State University Political Science Department), and Doug Koopman (Director of the Leadership Program at the Hope College Political Science Department). Corwin Smidt, Director of the Paul Henry Institute, served as moderator at the event.

A copy of the report is available from the Christian Reformed Church of North America.

February 22, 2006

Dr. Scott Thomas presented "How Shall We Then Live? Rethinking Religion, Politics and Communities in an Age of Global Terrorism." Thomas has extensively lectured and written about the interaction of religion and international relations, as well as about politics in developing countries. His most recent book, The Global Resurgence of Religion and the Transformation of International Relations was published in 2005, and demonstrates the moral force of transnational ideas in world politics (for example, opposition to racism, apartheid or colonialism) and the the growing role of religion and religious leaders on the political world scene.

Dr. Thomas has been teaching at the University of Bath in England and joined the Calvin College Political Science Department in 2005, filling the William Spoelhof Teacher-Scholar in Residence Chair.

February 1, 2006

"Spiritual Public Theology: Advancing Abraham Kuyper's Legacy" was presented by Vincent E. Bacote. According to Dr. Bacote, as Abraham Kuyper so clearly explained, theology and Christian faith ought to impact every facet of life and society; it should not be reserved "for some kind of Christian ghetto."

Bacote's writings include The Spirit in Public Theology: Appropriating the Legacy of Abraham Kuyper, "Justice" in the forthcoming Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of Scripture, and a new forthcoming article entitled "Church As a Lifestyle: Distinctive or Typical?" to be included in This Side of Heaven.

The lecture was co-sponsored by the Calvin College Office for Multicultural Affairs and the Calvin College Department of Religion.

November 10, 2005

"Can There Be A 'Christian Politics' Today?" was the topic of a lecture featuring Dr. Garrett Paul, Professor of Religion at Gustavus Adolphus College. Dr. Paul is the author of The Emphatic Christian Center, a book which argues that, over the long term, politics cannot be healthy without being connected to realms beyond the political arena, i.e., without placing political life in a framework of ultimacy. The extremes of the Right or Left, (or even the middle of the spectrum) do not meet that framework. Instead, the framework which can foster healthy politics is a particular Christian political practice rooted in an emphatic Christian centralism, a body of reflection and action that takes the language and realities of sin, love, and power seriously, and employs them as criteria for reforming political practice.

Dr. Paul asserts that what is needed is a contemporary political agenda based on these principles that addresses the pressing and interrelated problems of poverty, the family, sexual violence, and the environmental crisis.

October 25, 2005

John DiIulio, speaker for the tenth annual Paul B. Henry Lecture, was the first director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, serving as a Democrat in a newly formed office within the Republican Bush Administration. Dr. DiIulio discussed "Forging a Faithful Consensus: The Future of Public-Private Partnerships Involving Community-Based Religious Organizations."

He is currently serving as the Frederic Fox Leadership Professor of politics, religion and civil society at the University of Pennsylvania where he teaches political science. DiIulio has also been an Assistant to the President of the United States, as well as taught politics and public affairs at Princeton University.

September 19, 2005

A discussion of the key Constitutional issues surrounding the relationship between church and state in America featured Constitutional scholars Steve Monsma, from the Paul Henry Institute, and Matt Roberts of the Calvin College Political Science Department, with Bill Stevenson (Political Science, Calvin College) moderating the discussion. The lecture was co-sponsored with the Calvin Political Science Department to commemorate U.S. Constitution Day.

The third biennial "Pollsters and Parishioners: A Workshop on Survey Research and American Religion" was held at Calvin College, with twelve graduate students who spent the week listening to presentations, discussing various readings, analyzing data, and presenting their findings. The workshop was led by Corwin Smidt, Lyman Kellstedt and James Guth.

"Confrontational Politics versus Finding Principled Common Ground" was the second of three case studies in the "Christians Engaging Culture" lecture series (sponsored by the Center for Christian Studies at Gordon College). This Henry Institute seminar featured a case study presented by politician Paul DeWeese, former Republican Representative to the Michigan House of Representatives. While holding office, he successfully promoted a variety of legislative initiatives due to his ability to cross political party lines on the basis of a set of principles informed by his Catholic Christian faith, as well as his skill at forging coalitions amongst fellow politicians holding different religious and secular world views.

Amy Black, Assistant Professor of Politics and International Relations at Wheaton College responded to DeWeese's comments from her practical experience in legislative interaction and coalition building. Black served as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow and drew upon those experiences, including insight into the daily work of a Congressional office and the political process involved in moving from principle and societal needs to the final step of a law to address that issue.

A panel discussion including Deweese, U. S. Senator Vern Ehlers, Michigan Senator Bill Hardiman, Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell and Michigan Representative Jerry Kooiman concluded the event, as each discussed their own experiences and views.

May 5, 2005

Jim Wallis spoke on "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It." In the lecture (which followed the cencepts of his most recent book) he asserted that moral values encompass actions and attitudes toward a host of issues, including poverty, the environment, criminal justice and war. According to Rev. Wallis, evangelical Christians are called to define “moral values” much more broadly than the current trend to look exclusively at wedge issues like abortion and gay marriage, and that religion will be, and should be a factor in American public and political life.

Rev. Wallis is a well known speaker, author, activist and international commentator on ethics and public life. He was a founder of Sojourners: Christians for Justice and Peace, more than 30 years ago and is currently the editor of Sojourners magazine, covering faith, politics and culture. In 1995, Rev. Wallis was instrumental in forming Call to Renewal, a national federation of churches, denominations, and faith-based organizations from across the theological and political spectrum working to overcome poverty. Over the last several years, Wallis has led hundreds of town meetings, bringing together pastors, civic and business leaders, and elected officials in the cause of social justice and moral politics.

April 20, 2005

"Christian Zionism: Roadmap to Armageddon?" was presented by Stephen Sizer, Vicar of Christ Church in Virginia Water, United Kingdom. Sizer examined how evangelical eschatology has embedded itself in modern political ideology, and challenged evangelical Christians to consider appropriate paths for a just resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Sizer has served as Vicar at Christ Church for 8 years, and also works with Campus Crusade for Christ and several other mission agencies on short-term projects in Europe and the Middle East. He is chairman of the International Bible Society UK and vice-chairman of the Christian charity known as "Highway Projects," which sends teams of young people to serve in the Holy Land.

The lecture was co-sponsored by the Henry Institute and the Christian Reformed Church Office of Social Justice.

"Jesus' Politics" was the topic of a lecture given by Dr. Alan Storkey exploring the political significance of Jesus which emerges from the Gospels. The work and study done by Dr. Storkey have confirmed to him that Jesus is the most important political figure in world history and that the political content of the Gospel texts is often both severely understated and superficially seen.

Dr. Storkey has worked for several decades in the disciplines of politics, sociology and economics. He co-founded the Movement for Christian Democracy, based in Great Britain, and has taught for twenty years at Oak HIll Theological College in London.

Dr. Rebecca Blank spoke on "The Role of Government vs. the Role of Market: Should Christians Have a Different View?" in a lecture co-sponsored by The Henry Institute and the Calvin Economics and Business Department as part of The Ford Motor Company Business Lecture Series.

Dr. Blank is co-director of the National Poverty Center at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy, where she also serves as Academic Dean, Professor of Economics and Henry Carter Adams Collegiate Professor of Public Policy. She was a member of the Council of Economic Advisers in Washington DC for a number of years, and has written and lectured extensively in areas including poverty, public assistance and welfare, as well as issues surrounding the labor market. Her most recently released book is entitled Do Justice: Linking Christian Faith and Modern Economic LIfe.

"America in Iraq: How Will It All End?" was presented by James Skillen from the Center for Public Justice (CPJ). Dr. Skillen has worked with the CPJ since 1981, first as the Executive Director and now as President of the organization.

The lecture was co-sponsored by the Henry Institute, the Calvin Political Science Department, and the Calvin College Byker Chair in Christian Perspectives on Political, Social and Economic Thought.

November 11, 2004

Dr. Allen Hertzke, internationally recognized expert on religion and politics, as well as author, frequent news commentator and international lecturer, presented the 9th annual Paul B. Henry Lecture, speaking on "Freeing God's Children: The Unlikely Alliance for Global Human Rights."

His recently published book by the same name provides a window into the changing religious landscape (in the United States and globally) as religious leaders focus attention on human rights concerns and form unlikely alliances between religious organizations and other interest groups. Dr. Hertzke challenges the assumption that modernization in our world automatically leads to the secularization of society, asserting instead that in the face of global Christianity and renewed activism, the role of faith in individuals' lives is leading in the opposite direction.

John Richmond, Director of the International Justice Mission will speak on "The Abolition of Modern Slavery: A Matrix for Applying the Rule of Law to Social Evil." The International Justice Mission (IJM) seeks to help people suffering injustice and oppression who cannot rely on their local authorities for relief. The agency documents and monitors conditions of abuse and oppression, educates the church and the public about those abuses, and mobilizes intervention on behalf of victims.The lecture will be on Thursday, October 28 at 3:30 p.m. in De Vos Communication Center Room 160.

"Christian Involvement in U.S. Presidential Elections: American and Global Perspectives" was the topic of a lecture jointly presented by Calvin College's Paul Freston (Byker Chair in Christian Perspectives on Political, Social and Economic Thought) and Corwin Smidt (Paul Henry Chair in Christianity and Politics).

Dan Philpott, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, presented "Retributive vs. Restorative Justice within International Relations." Dr. Philpott has worked extensively in the areas of transitional justice; societal methods of addressing past injustices; and seeking to balance truth, justice, reconciliation, and stability. He is also a Senior Associate at the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy.

James K. Haveman, who served as the Coalition Provisional Advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Health, addressed the issue of "Reconstructing Post-War Iraq: Challenges and Opportunities." Haveman holds degrees from Calvin College and Michigan State University, has been the recipient of the Calvin College Distinguished Alumni Award, and served as the Director of the Michigan Department of Community Health from 1996 until his appointment to Iraq in January of 2003.

"Between Fundamentalism and Secularization: Church-State Relations in an Orthodox Post-Communist Country, the Romanian Case" was presented by Dr. Silviu Rogobete of the West University of Timisoara, Romania. Dr. Rogobete is one of the co-founders of the Areopagus Centre for Christian Studies and Contemporary Culture in Timisoara, a non-profit organization started in 1997 by a group of Christians concerned with presenting the gospel in a way relevant to today's culture and society.

The second biennial Symposium on Religion and Politics was sponsored by the Henry Institute, with more than 100 scholars participating in the event.

April 26, 2004

The Rev. Dr. Robert Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ, presented the eighth annual Paul B. Henry Lecture on Faith and Politics: "The State of the World as Seen Through the Eyes of the Church." Dr. Edgar has headed the NCCC since January of 2000; was a six-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives (D-PA), and is an ordained elder in the Methodist church and known activist, educator and Christian.

Gerald Vandezande, elder statesman of Canadian Christian political advocacy and former National Public Affairs Director for Citizens for Public Justice, along with Mark VanderVennen, Canadian political thinker, social worker, author and playwrite, presented reflections on current "hot button" issues in modern politics. "Followers of Jesus, Doers of Justice: Can There Be Peace and Justice for All in a Polarized and Violent World?" was co-sponsored with the Christian Reformed Church Office of Social Justice.

Larycia Hawkins (Department of Political Science, University of Oklahoma) presented "The Black Church and Politics: Implications for Sacred and Secular Life." The event was co-sponsored with Calvin Multicultural Affairs and Calvin Gender Studies.

"The First Vote I Cast, I Cast for Myself: Examining the Connections Between Theology and Black Women's Activism," featured Melissa Harris-Lacewell of the University of Chicago Department of Political Science. The lecture was co-sponsored with Calvin Multicultural Affairs and Calvin Gender Studies.

Charles Mast, Calvin College graduate and retired officer of the United States Foreign Service spoke on "Political Changes in Post-Revolutionary Iran: Prospects for Continued Democratization."

"Religious Cleavages among Southern Political Activists" was presented by Professor John Clark of Western Michigan University.

"Church-State Issues in Post-Soviet Russia" was the topic of the lecture given by Alexei Krindatch. Mr. Krindatch is from the Center for Geopolitical Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, and has done research on the social and political impact of religious organizations in post-Communist societies.

Milay Galvez spoke on "Church-State Relations in Cuba from the Revolution to Today." Ms. Galvez is a Placement Specialist with the Hispanic Outreach Project in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

"The Politics of Cultural Differences: Disabling Party Coalitions in Contemporary Campaigns" was presented by Professor David Leege from the Political Science Department at Notre Dame University. Dr. Leege is the co-author of a recently published book entitled "The Politics of Cultural Differences."

Professor Jesse Chupp of the Political Science Department of Texas A&M University presented "The Politics of Grace: The Political Implications of Calvin's Theology."

Ron Wells of the Calvin College History Department spoke on "History and Memory: The Fitzroy Presbyterian Church and the Search for Peace in Northern Ireland." The lecture was co-sponsored by the Henry Institute and the Calvin Center for Christian Scholarship.

"Pollsters and Parishioners: Seminar on Survey Research and American Religion" was held at Calvin College.

Tim Goeglein, Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison, delivered "Real Challenges: Faith in the Public Arena" for the annual Henry Lecture.

Calvin's News story about Mr. Goeglein's visit.

Kuk-Won Shin, visiting scholar in the Communication Arts and Sciences Department, discussed "The 'Culture War' Metaphor Reconsidered: What Christians Should Do Before the Shooting Begins."

Eric McDaniel of the University of Illinois spoke on "Politics in the Pews: The Creation and Maintenance of Black Political Churches."

Rosetta E. Ross, an ordained elder in the United Methodist church and McVay Associate Professor of Christian Ethics at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities gave a presentation entitled "Witnessing and Testifying: Black Women, Religion, and Civil Rights." She spoke about her forthcoming book which examines the lives of seven female civil rights activists, and also discussed some other women who were not featured in the book. Her work "examine(s) black women's civil rights activism as religiously impelled moral practice, redress(ing) an oversight in previous work . . . and lift(ing) up a paradigm for engagement in the challenges of contemporary social life."

Dr. Roger Nemeth of the Hope College Department of Sociology spoke on "The Religious Practices of CRC and RCA Clergy and Parishioners."

Dr. Ogbu Kalu, Henry Winters Luce Professor of World Christianity and Mission at McCormick Theological Seminary, gave a presentation entitled: "Faith and the Gospel: The New Political Theology of Engagement in Nigeria." Dr. Kalu has a distinguished scholarly record. He is a member of the advisory council for the Currents in World Christianity Project at Cambridge University, he has held guest professorships at Harvard, Toronto and elsewhere, and he has over 100 scholarly publications.

February 13, 2003

Drs. James Penning and Corwin Smidt of Calvin College gave a talk entitled: "Solid Rock or Shifting Sand? The Theological Beliefs of CRC and RCA Clergy and Parishioners."

David Hilfiker, M.D., an author and a medical doctor spoke on "Avoiding War with Iraq: Reflections on my Recent Visit to Baghdad."

Mr. Jerry Levin spoke on "Christian Peacemaking in the Middle East: Healing the Dysfunctioning Family of Abraham." Mr Levin is a former CNN Bureau Chief in Beirut, and was the first of the so-called forgotten American hostages in Lebanon. Kidnapped on March 7, 1984, he spent 11 1/2 months in solitary confinement until his escape on Valentines Day, 1985. While a hostage, Jerry experienced a spiritual transformation from a "culturally assimilated Jewish-American atheist" to becoming a follower of Jesus. Since May 2002, he has worked with Christian Peacemaker Teams in the Occupied Territories. Mr. Levin and his wife Sis are active with Every Church a Peace Church, Pax Christi, the Episcopal Peace Fellowship, and World Peacemakers. Mr. Levin's ordeal is the subject of the film Held Hostage, based on the book Beiruit Diary by his wife Sis, who holds a Ph.D. From Columbia University and is herself a renown educator.

Max Laskaris of the United States State Department spoke on "The Peace Process in the Democratic Republic of Congo." Mr. Laskaris is a career Foreign Service Officer who has served in Liberia, Botswana, Angola, the Office of Central African Affairs, the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai, and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.

Dr. Don Luidens of the Hope College Department of Sociology spoke on "Religious Identifications and Loyalties among CRC and RCA Clergy and Parishioners."

Paul Liu, the foremost academic on church-state relations in China and former party official in the Chinese government, spoke on the nature of church-state relations in mainline China today.

Matthew Dowd, an outside political advisor for the White House and the person in charge of all White House polling, spoke on the midterm elections.

State Representative Jerry Kooiman (R 75th District) and 75th District Democratic Candidate Peter Vander Meulen debated numerous issues prevalent in the ongoing election campaign. Professor Corwin Smidt moderated the debate.

Abram VanEngen, a Calvin College McGregor Scholar, spoke on "The Trajectory of Two Mentalities: The CRC-RCA Past and Future."

September 25, 2002

Professors James Penning and Corwin Smidt discussed their latest book "Evangelicalism: The Next Generation."

A symposium on "Christian Responses to the War on Terrorism," with Professors David Hoekema and John Hare of Calvin College, Dr. Glen Stassen of Fuller Theological Seminary, and Dr. Jim Skillen of the Center for Public Justice and Dr.Keith Pavlischek of the Civitas program and the Center for Public Justice. The symposium was cosponsored with the Center for Public Justice, Civitas, and the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.

Professor Stephen V. Monsma of Pepperdine University delivered the Sixth Annual Henry Lecture. Dr. Monsma spoke on "Myths, Lies, and Soundbites: Reactions to President Bush's Faith-Based Initiative."

May 3-4, 2002

The Henry Institute sponsored the first biennial Symposium on Religion and Politics.

Samuel Gregg, D. Phil., spoke on "Three Conceptions of Liberty," Dr. Gregg is director of the Acton Institute's Center for Economic Personalism.

Dr. Amy Black of Wheaton College spoke on "From Consensus to Conflict: Election 2000 and the Faith-Based Initiative."

Dr. Kevin denDulk of the Grand Valley State University Political Science Department spoke on "Representing Christ in Court: The Politics Of Religious Legal Advocacy, 1970-2000."

David Ryden of Hope College spoke on "Black Churches as Governmental Partner in Social Service Delivery: Peril or Promise?"

Ron Stockton, University of Michigan-Dearborn, spoke on "Jerusalem and the Middle East Peace Talks."

Jim Wallis of the Sojourners community in Washington, DC spoke on the Call to Renewal movement.

Sister Helen Prejean spoke on "Dead Man Walking: The Journey." Cosponsored with several academic departments at Calvin College.

"Snapshots of the 2000 Election" at the Gerald R. Ford Museum in downtown Grand Rapids, with Richard Norton Smith of the Ford Museum and Corwin Smidt and Doug Koopman of Calvin College. Hosted by the Ford Museum and sponsored by the Calvin Alumni Association.

Lyman Kellstedt, Professor of Political Science at Wheaton College, spoke on "Religion and the Election of 2000."

Douglas Koopman, Program Director, lectured on "Christians in Public Office: Opportunity or Obligation?"

Corwin Smidt, Paul Henry chair, delivered three addresses as part of Midsummer at Calvin:
"The Presidential Nomination Process: Is There Any Hope for a Better System?"
"The New Religious Order of American Politics."
"Christians and the Presidential Election of 2000."

Dr. Charles Glenn, Boston University, talked about "The Ambiguous Embrace: Government and Faith-Based Schools."

U.S. Representative John Lewis of Georgia, noted civil rights leader and member of Congress, delivered the fourth annual Paul B. Henry Lecture, "Struggling Toward the 'Beloved Community'."

Dr. David Long, State Department (retired) spoke on "The Legacy of Reformed Church in America Mission Activity in Persian Gulf States."

Dr. Michael Budde of DePaul University gave an address, "Chaplain to Caesar: Globalization, Civil Religion, and the Church."

Adrian Helleman, Ph.D. of Moscow State University, spoke on "Church and State in Russia Today."

A. James Reichley, Senior Research Fellow at Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute, spoke on "Religion and Party Politics."

Ed Dobson, pastor of Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan and former Moral Majority executive, spoke on "Blinded by Might: Can the Religious Right Save America?"

Daniel Levine of the University of Michigan spoke on "The Study of Religion and Politics in Latin America: Are We Getting Better At It?"

"Faith and Politics in the Michigan Legislature," a public forum featured the eight Calvin alumni serving in the Michigan legislature.

Corwin Smidt, Paul B. Henry Chair and Executive Director of the Institute, spoke on "The New Religious Order of American Politics."

Second National Conference of Christians in Political Science.

Two lectures by Dr. Clarke Cochran of Texas Tech University and the Erasmus Institute at the University of Notre Dame. "Responding to the Crisis of Institutions: Christian Vision and Politics," and "The Faces of Health Care Injustice: Christian Responses."

Lecture by Donald Browning, Alexander Campbell Professor of Religious Ethics and the Social Sciences at the University of Chicago Divinity School. "From Culture Wars to Common Ground: Religion and the American Family Debate."

The Third Annual Paul B. Henry Lecture
The third annual Paul Henry Lecture was delivered by former U.S. Senator Dan Coats of Indiana, entitled "Conservative Compassion: Oxymoron or Opportunity."

Social Capital Conference
The Henry Institute hosted a major academic conference: "Religion, Social Capital, and Democratic Life" .

The Second Annual Paul B. Henry Lecture
Former U.S. Senator Paul Simon gave the second annual Paul Henry Lecture, entitled "Christianity and Politics: A Personal Reflection."

Inaugural Scholarly Lecture
J. Budziszewski of the University of Texas-Austin presented the inaugural scholarly lecture at the Henry Institute, entitled "Apostles of Common Grace."