2010 Conferences

For a complete description of sectional sessions, please click on the title below. An expanded view of the session, including sponsor, facilitator, and times for the session will appear.

For registration purposes, there is a letter at the beginning of each breakout title. Participants will use this letter to indicate sectional choices on their registration form. To view a list of what sessions will be offered during each sectional set, please see our sectional schedule (in .pdf format). You may wish to use this form to help plan your sectional choices prior to registering.

An overview of the conference schedule is available here.

Session sponsor: H. Henry Meeter Center for Calvin Studies

This panel will explore the impact of the Reformed tradition in two countries: Taiwan and Indonesia (specifically the island of Java). Professor Yang-En Cheng (Taiwan Theological College and Seminary) and Professor Yudha Thianto (Trinity Christian College) will each present case studies discussing the ways in which Calvinism has both shaped and been shaped by local articulations of the Christian faith. The audience will be invited to share in the discussion, adding in other points of comparison and contrast as we seek to understand more clearly how Calvinism was both adopted and adapted in different cultural settings over the centuries.

Facilitator: Dr. Karin Maag, Director, Meeter Center for Calvin Studies, Calvin College

Offered during Sectional Set 1 (June 16, 8:30 am) and Sectional Set 4 (June 16, 3:30 pm)

Session sponsor: Calvin Center for Christian Scholarship

Christians have always lived in a multi-religious world. But this fact has generated new urgency in the twenty-first century as global Christianity faces the challenge of sharing space and resources with well-established institutions that are rooted in diverse religious practices and traditions. Dr. Diane Obenchain, Professor of Religion at Calvin College, and Expert in Asian Studies, examines ways in which Christians can bring a well-grounded, theologically-informed faith to bear on such intersections so that they honor the authenticity of others’ religious commitments without replacing vibrant Christian faith with vague spirituality, with relativism regarding central Christian truths, with a form of tolerance that doesn't encourage evangelism, or with ineffective missionizing. Reformed Christianity, in particular, has a theologically-rooted understanding of God’s common grace that allows us to respect and work with those from other religious traditions within the bounds of a pluralist civil authority. In preparation for this session, participants may want to read Andrew Walls' "The Gospel as Prisoner and Liberator of Culture," from The Missionary Movement in Christian History: Studies in Transmission of Faith (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1996), 2-16. Click here to access the article (permission has been received from the publisher).

Presenter: Dr. Diane Obenchain, Professor of Religion, Calvin College

Respondents: Dr. Mwenda Ntarangwi, Professor of Sociology,Calvin College; Bennett Samuel, Calvin College graduate in nursing

Facilitator: Dr. Susan Felch, Director, Calvin Center for Christian Scholarship

Offered during Sectional Set 3 is FULL (June 16, 1:30 pm) and Sectional Set 5 (June 17, 8:30 am)

Session sponsor: International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education

How are institutions of Christian higher education (CHE) doing in preparing Christians for pursuing justice for all in the public realm? How are Christians trained for service in politics, the legal system (criminal and civil justice), and agencies struggling for religious liberty, economic fairness, and so on? Is CHE helping Christians see that service in public life is shaped by contending worldviews, biblical and otherwise, and not simply by so-called, neutral rational science? Speakers will share some ‘best practices of CHE’ in seeking to accomplish this task, in various settings around the world and in relation to various pressing public problems. They will also address ways to improve in this area. The session features several leading educators talking about how institutions of CHE are training people for public justice service, on several key practical issues, as well as several practitioners in public life talking about how CHE has helped them work for public justice, and how it could do this better.

Host: George Monsma, Professor of Economics Emeritus, Calvin College

Facilitators: Mariano Avila, Professor, Calvin Theological Seminary; Susheila Williams, Secretary, Bishop Appasamy College of Arts and Sciences, India; Jim Skillen, Senior Fellow, Center for Public Justice, Dr. Clinton Stockwell, Director of the Chicago Semester Program

Offered during Sectional Set 1 (June 16, 8:30 am) and Sectional Set 5 (June 17, 8:30 am

Session sponsor: International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education

The term “worldview” has been championed by Reformed thinkers in higher education in Holland and North America. Over the last two decades, the term “worldview” has gained in popularity around the world. Where does this common usage come from? Does this term help Christians communicate ecumenically? How do Christians in higher education use “worldview” to distinguish Christian from non-Christian approaches? What are the dangers involved with a “worldview” approach? Participate in a discussion on these questions with Christian leaders from around the world.

Host: John Hulst, Executive Secretary Emeritus, IAPCHE

Facilitators: David Lim, President, Asian School of Development and Cross-cultural Studies, Phillippines; Ken Gnanakan, International Council for Higher Education, India; Ida Mutoigo, Director, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee-Canada; David Wright, Provost, Indiana Wesleyan University

Offered during Sectional Set 1 (June 16, 8:30 am) and Sectional Set 2 is FULL (June 16, 10:30 am)

Session sponsor: International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education

For centuries institutions of Christian higher education were nurtured from within the institutional church. Although the last century saw most such connections strained if not severed, many institutions and churches are trying to re-establish healthy institutional connections. This multi-denominational panel will discuss some of the practices in which Christians have worked to bridge the gap between those involved in worship and those involved in academia. We will be asking for other participants to join the conversation to help develop strategies for continued development between church and higher education around the world.

Host: Dr. J. Dinakarlal, IAPCHE Director for Asia/Oceania, India

Participants: Reformed, Claudia Beversluis, Provost, Calvin College, USA; Orthodox, John Bernbaum, Founder & President, Russian American Institute, Moscow; Holiness, Kevin Mannoia, Chair of the Wesleyan Holiness Consortium, Azusa, CA; Baptist, Joseph Ilori, past president, Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso

Offered during Sectional Set 2 (June 16, 10:30 am) and Sectional Set 3 (June 16, 1:30 pm)

Session sponsor: Paul B. Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics - Calvin College

This session will examine some of the lessons we may be learning about the relationship between the Christian faith and democratic life drawn from observations and study of some of the relatively new democratic systems in the southern hemisphere.  The panel consists of Reformed Christian scholars whose recent scholarly study focuses on how Christianity has helped to foster democratic impulses in both Africa and Central America.  The panel will note some of the resulting challenges and opportunities which confront both the church and Christian citizens within these settings. The panelists include Tracy Kuperus from International Development Studies at Calvin College, Paul Brink of the Department of Political Studies at Gordon College, and Daniel Brinks of the Department of Political Science at University of Notre Dame.

Facilitator:  Corwin Smidt, Director, the Paul B. Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics, Calvin College

Offered during Sectional Set 1 (June 16, 8:30 am) and Sectional Set 2 (June 16, 10:30 am)

Session sponsor: Kuyers Institute for Christian Teaching and Learning; with the Van Lunen Center for Executive Management in Christian Schools-Calvin College

Christian schooling is a global endeavor comprising tens of thousands of schools in a wide variety of geographical, cultural, and political settings. As Christian educators have sought to develop and sustain Christian educational possibilities for children in their various contexts, different models and practices of Christian education have emerged that could benefit from greater mutual contact and may have much to learn from one another. This session will bring together a panel representing Christian schools in several international contexts to describe developments and challenges in Christian schooling in their regions. We hope to gain insight through the panel into the diversity as well as the shared mission of Christian educational initiatives internationally, revealing some of the directions in which global Christian schooling is headed in the 21st century. The session will feature educational leaders from Asia and Europe as well as Dr. Bruce Hekman, Adjunct Professor of Education at Calvin College.

Facilitator:  Dr. David Smith, Director, Kuyers Institute for Christian Teaching and Learning, Calvin College

Panelists: Dr. Bruce Hekman, Adjunct Professor of Education, Calvin College; Daniel Aragon, Nicaragua; Darling Hüeck (de Aragón), Nicaragua; Laszlo Demeter, Asssociation of Christian Schools International, Hungary.

Offered during Sectional Set 3 (June 16, 1:30 pm) and Sectional Set 5 (June 17, 8:30 am)

Session sponsor:  Department of Classics - Calvin College

Christians worldwide, since the foundation of Christianity through to the present day, have wrestled with Pagan thought. Nevertheless, we have a Christian pastoral tradition--spanning lengths of both time and place--that trains us in the understanding of Pagan texts before the Sacred writings. Exercising the Christian imagination in the writings of Homer, Plato, and Vergil has borne fruit in the integrity of both pedagogy and prayer, and in the skill of applying moral theology to everyday life. Dr. David Noe, Professor of Classics at Calvin College, will begin our conversation by discussing the history of the intersection of sermon preparation and readings of Pagan authors. In the process, we shall reflect upon how a preacher in the 21st century can incorporate Classical readings into pastoral preparation. Pastor Byunghoon Woo--a PhD candidate in Classics at Seoul National University and also in training at Calvin Theological Seminary--will provide us with perspectives on how his study of literature written before Christ's ministry on Earth has informed his own youth ministry in Seoul Youngdong Church. As a Classicist studying in Korea's only Classics department, Pastor Woo will engage questions of globalised Christianity as it relates both to teaching and to worship. Continuing our exploration of the impact which Pagan thought has exercised upon contemporary Christian worldviews, Dr. Joel Westra, a political scientist at Calvin College, intimately conversant with Classical literature, will address the extent to which ancient Greek historians invite both Christians and non-Christians to ponder the possibility of international justice and foreign policy restraint in a fallen world. Faced as we are with wars not only between those of different faiths but even among Christian neighbours, Thucydides in particular, notwithstanding his focus on Classical rather than Christian virtues, can lead us to reflect upon the limits of moral assessment. As we embark upon considering an Age of World Christianity, then, we shall investigate ages of Christianity across time and space: just as Augustine drew an analogy based on the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt in order to encourage us to use Pagan teaching as a "treasure" for the "just use of teaching the Gospel", so too we shall investigate the spiritual worth of "Egyptian gold".
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Facilitator: Dr. Umit Singh Dhuga, Professor of Classics, Calvin College

Offered during Sectional Set 1 (June 16, 8:30 am) and Sectional Set 2 (June 16, 10:30 am)

Session sponsor:  International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education

Many college graduates fall into a gap between their college community and their new professional association. How can Christian higher education help bridge this gap and better prepare students for kingdom service? In April of 2009, IAPCHE dedicated a conference on this topic. This panel will pick up this discussion by featuring some best practices from those involved in working at the “joint” between the academy and civil society. We will invite further suggestions from participants during this session. How can Christian scholars and institutions better serve developments in your part of God’s kingdom?

Host: Clinton Stockwell, Director, Chicago Semester Program, USA

Participants: Bram De Muynck, Professor of Education & Identity, Chriselijke Hogeschool de Driestar, Netherlands; Jim VanderWoerd, Associate Professor of Social Work, Redeemer University College, Canada; Arturo Gonzalez Gutierrez, Professor and Researcher, Information Sciences Faculty, University of Queretaro, Mexico; Emmanuel Janagan, Lecturer in Social Work, Malaysia

Offered during Sectional Set 3 is FULL (June 16, 1:30 pm) and Sectional Set 4 (June 16, 3:30 pm)

Session sponsor: Integrated Science Research Institute-Calvin College

As Reformed Christians, we believe that God is sovereign over the natural world, including the amazing things discovered by modern science.   Christians have readily accepted the technological and medical benefits of modern science but have often ignored or rejected other scientific developments.  In this seminar, Deborah Haarsma will give a case study of Christian responses to the science of origins, including young earth creationism, intelligent design, and theistic evolution.   Scott Hoezee will discuss how the church can have a broader and more positive engagement with the scientific disciplines, in sermons, worship, and the life of the church.  The seminar will include time for participants to discuss their experiences with science in the church.

Facilitators:  Dr. Deborah Haarsma, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Calvin College; Rev. Scott Hoezee, Director, Center for Excellence in Preaching, Calvin Theological Seminary

Offered during Sectional Set 1 (June 16, 8:30 am) and Sectional Set 2 (June 16, 10:30 am)

Session sponsor:  William Spoelhof Teacher-Scholar-in-Residence Chair-Calvin College

Dr. Andras Visky, a well known playwright and professor of theater at Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj, Transylvania will lead this session.  During 2009-2010 he is the current holder of the Spoelhof Chair at Calvin College. His plays have been performed by professional companies in Europe and US; and he is the author of 20 books. This sectional proposes to approach drama and performance as tools to create a space in between different cultures, languages, genders, etc. Theatrical communication involves the human being as a whole, and the ultimate goal is to dissolve the actor-spectator, giver-receiver hierarchy, the foundation of the daily power games in society and the church.   Dr. Visky will explore such themes together with his session participants.

Facilitator: Dr. Stephanie Sandberg, Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, Calvin College

Offered during Sectional Set 3 (June 16, 1:30 pm) and Sectional Set 4 (June 16, 3:30 pm)

Session sponsor:  Dean of Natural Sciences-Calvin College

            -Description pending

Session sponsor: Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity-Calvin College

Allan Boesak will speak on the theme: Globalization and Reformed faith responses. He will offer a brief historical outline of the Accra Declaration, and of the project on globalization that he is leading at the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology at the University of Stellenbosch. This project is undertaken at request of the Evangelical Reformed Church in Germany and the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa. This collaboration between a Reformed church in the south and one in the north seeks ways to embody what we confess in Accra. It aims to strengthen the reception of the Accra Declaration in churches. The thrust of Boesak’s paper will offer a Reformed theological perspective on globalization.

Nico Koopman, the Director of the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology, will speak on the theme: Globalization and human dignity: a Reformed perspective. Trinitarian faith entails the establishment of dignity by God the creator, the affirmation and embodiment of dignity by Jesus Christ the redeemer, and the actualization and fulfillment of dignity by the Spirit, the renewer. This Trinitarian rationale for dignity provides a framework for a theological interpretation and assessment of globalization, especially with regard to its impact on the most vulnerable members of society.

Facilitators:  Dr. Joel Carpenter, Director, Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity, Calvin College; Dr. Nico Koopman and Dr. Alan Boesak, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

Offered during Sectional Set 4 (June 16, 3:30 pm) and Sectional Set 5 (June 17, 8:30 am)

Session sponsor: Calvin Institute of Christian Worship-Calvin College

How can worship be both counter-cultural and contextual in appropriate ways? How can cross-cultural learning--including the learning of conferences like this--deepen worship practices (including prayer, preaching, sacraments, architecture, visual arts, and music)? What unique resources and challenge come to us as members of Reformed denominations? Members of the multi-continental worship team for the emerging World Communion of Reformed Churches will probe case studies of worship practices in their home countries, drawing on the categories of the Nairobi Statement on Worship and Culture.

Facilitator: Dr. John Witvliet, Director, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Institute, Calvin College

Participants: Alison Adam (Iona Community, Scotland); Nicqi Ashwood (Jamaica); Emily Brink (USA); Sabine Dressler-Kromminga (Germany); Benebo Fubara-Manuel (Nigeria); C.J. Kingdom-Grier (USA); Christina Mandang (Indonesia); Joel Navarro (Philippines/USA); Gerardo Oberman (Argentina); and Anne Zaki (Egypt).

Offered during Sectional Set 4 is FULL (June 16, 3:30 pm) and Section Set 5 (June 17, 8:30 am)

Session sponsor:  Integrated Science Research Institute and Department of Engineering-Calvin College

Technology is a God-given gift:  the incredible ability humans have to create tools from the natural resources in the creation.   But while we can see the original creational good in our tools, we can also find the effects of sin.  In this session we explore some Biblical principles that can guide the design and use of technology through some concrete examples -- senior projects from Calvin's engineering program that have addressed needs in other parts of the world.  Significant time will be left for discussion and sharing ideas about how we can use technology in pursuit of our Christian calling.

Facilitator:  Dr. Steve VanderLeest, Chair of the Engineering Department, Calvin College

Offered during Sectional Set 2 (June 16, 10:30 am) and Sectional Set 5 (June 17, 8:30 am)

Session sponsor:  Dean for Multicultural Affairs-Calvin College

As both the Christian Reformed Church and the Reformed Church of America consider steps toward adopting the Belhar Confession it is opportune to examine the implications for both racial unity and racial responsibility within the Reformed project. This session will begin with a brief overview of a historic timeline of the adoption of the Belhar Confession in South Africa. The overview of the timeline will provide the backdrop for group discussions which observe the origins and lingering racial tensions within the church, as well as, address the challenges of accountability. 

Facilitators:  Dr. Michelle Loyd-Paige, Dean for Multicultural Affairs at Calvin College; Dr. Hank Aay, Professor of Geography and Frederick Meijer Chair in Dutch Language and Culture, Calvin College

Offered during Sectional Set 4 (June 16, 3:30 pm) and Sectional Set 5 (June 17, 8:30 am)

Session sponsor:  Dean for Natural Sciences, Calvin College

Reformed Christians worldwide confess the sovereignty of the God over the creation and that humans have a special place in the care and nurture of the creation. Made in the image of God, humans have the capacity and duty to discover and unfold creational potentials in ways that enable human life with dignity, justice, and meaning, and that provide non-human life with opportunities to flourish in all of its diversity. At the dawn of the 21st century, it is becoming increasingly clear that humans may already have fulfilled, the scriptural mandate to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth…” (Gen 1:28). We live in a full world. Non-human life is increasingly threatened with extinction. Access to adequate food, clean water, and basic health care is a luxury for millions. At this precise moment in time, Reformed Christians worldwide can make a meaningful and important contribution to addressing the issue of righteousness in a filled creation.  As we look toward a more sustainable future, we need a new vision of the Kingdom of God for what comprises a sustainable civilization.

Facilitators: Dr. Uko Zylstra, Dean for Natural Sciences; Dr. Ken Piers, Professor of physics, emeritus, Calvin College

Offered during Sectional Set 1 (June 16, 8:30 am) and Sectional Set 4 is FULL (June 16, 3:30 pm)

Session sponsor: Office of Off-Campus Programs-Calvin College

Join us as we explore ways to use the natural environment to create shared experiences that can form the basis of metaphors to help participants understand the Christian faith and how to live one's faith in today's world.  The session will include both theoretical foundations as well as a rock climbing experience, both of which will offer participants an opportunity to develop their own faith metaphors.  The session location is the Calvin College Fieldhouse.

Facilitators:  Dr. Don DeGraaf, Director of Off-Campus Programs; Mr. Ryan Walter Rooks, Campus Recreation Coordinator, Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance, and Sport, Calvin College

Offered during Sectional Set 2 (June 16, 10:30 am) and Sectional Set 3 (June 16, 1:30 pm)

Session sponsors: Byker Chair in Christian Perspectives on Political, Social and Economic Thought; International Development Studies-Calvin College

Adopted in 2004 by the general council of World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the Accra Confession is the culmination of a fifteen-year conversation in WARC churches about Christian theology and global justice. In this session, Dr. Setri Nyomi, general secretary of WARC, will provide a brief background to the development of the confession, after which representatives from other regions, Asia, Africa and Latin America will present how the Accra Confession has been received by Reformed churches in their particular region of the world. Panelists will include Dr. Puleng LenkaBula, Senior Lecturer at the University of South Africa, the Rev. Dr. Ofelia Ortega Suárez from the Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba, and Mr. Philip Vinod Peacock, Lecturer at Bishop's College in Kolkata, India.

Facilitators:  Dr. Janel Curry, Byker Chair; Dr. Roland Hoksbergen, Professor of Economics and Program Director, International Development Studies, Calvin College

Offered during Sectional Set 1 (June 16, 8:30 am) and Sectional Set 2 (June 16, 10:30 am)

Session sponsors: Byker Chair in Christian Perspectives on Political, Social and Economic Thought; International Development Studies-Calvin College

Dr. Augusto de la Torre, a Roman Catholic who is currently Chief Economist-Latin America & the Caribbean for the World Bank and was formerly Ecuador’s central bank president from 1993-1997, will address some of the global economic justice issues raised in the Accra Confession.  As an economist, Dr. de la Torre will focus on recent patterns of global poverty and income inequality and the role that global and national economic policies play in these important issues of justice.  He will also comment on the big question of markets versus social policy in the quest for social equity. Dr. de la Torre has published extensively, including Washington Contentious: Economic Policies for Social Equity in Latin America, a monograph he wrote with Nancy Birdsall in 2002.

Facilitators:  Dr. Janel Curry, Byker Chair; Dr. Roland Hoksbergen, Professor of Economics and Program Director, International Development Studies, Calvin College

Offered only once during Sectional Set 3 (June 16, 1:30 pm)

Session sponsor:  Center for Social Research-Calvin College

In a unique and interesting deviation from the usual conference format, the Calvin Center for Social Research (CSR) will sponsor focus groups in which participants discuss key questions regarding social service provision at the congregational level.  Prospective questions to be addressed include: (1) should Reformed congregations provide social services to their congregants and the broader community?  (2) What types of services, if any, should congregations provide?  Does this vary by national and cultural context?  (3)  What congregational and extra-congregational resources are available to do the job?  (4) Are Reformed congregations forced to make trade-offs between preaching the gospel and meeting the physical and social needs of their communities and (5) Should Reformed congregations seek to cooperate with non-Reformed congregations or non-governmental secular organizations in meeting human needs?  We look forward to a lively and enlightening discussion.

Facilitator:  Dr. James Penning, Director, Center for Social Research, Calvin College

Offered during Sectional Set 2 (June 16, 10:30 am) and Sectional Set 5 (June 17, 8:30 am)

Session sponsor:  International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education

Over the past century Abraham Kuyper's influence has expanded far beyond the borders of the Netherlands and across nearly every academic discipline. How has this broad approach effected the growth of higher education in various regions of the world? What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of a Kuyperian approach to higher education? This session will start with a presentation by a key advocate of a Kuyperian approach in Africa with reflections from those involved in Christian higher education from around the world.

Host: John VanderStelt, Professor Emeritus, Dordt College

Paper: B.J. Van Der Walt, Director Emeritus, Institute for Reformational Studies, Northwest University, Potchefstroom, South Africa

Respondents: Dr. Jose Ramon Alcantara Mejia, Professor of Literature, Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City; Dr. Peter Tze-ming Ng, Centre for Religious & Spirituality Education, Hong Kong; , Dr. Taeyon David Choi, Planning Director of Baekseok Christian Academy, Korea

Offered during Sectional Set 4 (June 16, 3:30 pm) and Sectional Set 5 (June 17, 8:30 am)

Increasingly new technologies useful for interaction and information sharing are available in the two-thirds world. Are these technologies, which include mobile telephones, social networking, streaming media, and opinion systems (such as blogs and podcasts) useful in presenting the Christian faith? Or are they merely flashy distractions for otherwise uninterested or bored young urbanites? Dr. Robert Fortner, Director of Center4Media.org, and former Calvin College professor of communications, will explore the opportunities to use new technologies as a means through which Reformed Christians can learn to translate the message of the gospel across cultural and geographic borders.

Facilitator: Dr. Mark Fackler, Communication Arts and Sciences Department, Calvin College