R. M. Keelan Downton

Signs of Emergence by Kester Brewin

2008-08-06T12:00:00.003-04:00

A review published in Blackwell Reviews in Religion and Theology

Podcast Theology Lectures

2008-07-29T11:19:00.013-04:00

As an increasing number of seminaries and universities make public lecture series available online, students of theology may find the following compendium a useful supplement to their education–particularly those with long commutes. Suggestions of additional resources that would improve this fragmentary index are most welcome.
Note: Posting these links does not indicate an endorsement of the sponsoring institutions or content of linked presentations, simply an indication that they include academic presentations of some value for reflection or response.

Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry - Great Theologians Lecture Series
Spring Institute for Lived Theology
Taylor University College and Seminary (Canada) Lectures and Special Events
H. Orton Wiley Lecture Series in Theology
New College Lecture Series (Australia)
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary audio resources
The Center for Christian Studies
N.T. Wright Lectures
Gifford Lectures (no audio, but well-indexed summaries of lectures from 1888 to the present)

iTunes U (links open to iTunes podcasts)
Abilene Christian University
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary
Gordon College
Loyola Marymount University
Seattle Pacific University
Villanova University

Envision the Future: A Declaration on the Common Good

2008-06-11T17:00:00.000-04:00

"We are at a critical moment in the history of the United States. The common good has been seriously compromised. Perpetual war, rampant poverty and inequality, environmental crisis, and the narrowing of the possibilities of human life and cultural flourishing imperil our future..." [more]

Complexifying Our Thinking About the Church in Public Life

2008-06-10T14:00:00.003-04:00

EnVision: the Gospel, Politics, and the Future
Princeton University

[transcript]

Immigration Colloquium: Advocacy and Best Practices

2008-05-11T16:47:00.001-04:00

Princeton Theological Seminary

Rev. Luis Cortés, Julia Thorne, Patty Kupfer, and Belinda Passafaro shared about the complexity of immigration issues, emphasizing the damage done to families where one or both parents of U.S. citizens face deportation.

Envision the Future

2008-05-03T17:37:00.001-04:00

Have a prophetic imagination for social change? What to share your thoughts on how Christians should relate to politics? Well, now is your chance:

In preparation for the EnVision conference this summer, we're holding an online dialogue ~~May 12-14~~ June 2-3 to help create a statement entitled, “Envision the Future: The Next Decade” using innovative collaboration software called Synanim.

By spending just two hours over those days, you can help set the direction for positive change. Once you sign-up, you can log in from anywhere in the world to discuss the issues you think Christians need to address in the next decade. There is no limit to the number of people who can participate in this free event, so even if you can't come to Princeton for the conference June 8-10, sign-up for the online dialogue and make your voice heard.

Pecha-Kucha Transcript Designer

2008-04-26T00:05:00.003-04:00

One of the creative assignments I introduced this semester consists of a powerpoint presentation using 20 slides displayed for exactly 20 seconds each - a format known as "pecha-kucha" that has become an international craze among urban designers and will be used for the first time at a theological conference in June. You can see an edited version of one of my presentations here. To make it easier for students to avoid rushing through 100 words in a single slide, I've created a transcript designer tool that estimates how long it will take a person to say the words typed out for each slide.

New Horizons in Christian Unity (panel)

2008-04-16T19:16:00.006-04:00

National Workshop on Christian Unity
Chicago, IL

Compassion Forum

2008-04-13T20:00:00.006-04:00

Presidential Candidate Compassion Forum
Messiah College - Grantham, PA

Michael Eric Dyson

2008-04-10T19:00:00.004-04:00

Michael Eric Dyson

Broad Street Ministry

Among the many points Dyson covered in his reflection on Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy, a few pithy aphorisms stood out that I paraphrase here:

King is often reduced to thirty-four words [of the "I Have a Dream" speech] written when he was thirty-four years old
our society is intolerant of complexity and allergic to nuance
justice is what love sounds like when it speaks in public
nationalists are people who can't make a distinction between love and their country"
prophecy is not about gazing into the future but bringing visions into existence

Evangelicals, Ecumenism, and Emerging Questions

2008-03-28T09:00:00.004-04:00

American Academy of Religion Mid-Atlantic Region meeting
New Brunswick, NJ

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Entrepreneurial Ecclesiological Narratives and the Unity Project

2008-03-14T16:30:00.007-04:00

Joint Meeting of the Wesleyan Theological Society and Society for Pentecostal Studies
Duke University

Why Narrative

2008-02-27T15:00:00.003-05:00

Pecha-Kucha Proof of Concept Demonstration
Somerset Christian College

Ecclesiological Malleability as Ecumenical Horizon

2007-07-20T19:00:00.007-04:00

On Being Christian Together: The Faith and Order Experience in the United States
Oberlin College

Authority in the Church (post-dated)

2006-05-01T12:00:00.001-04:00

Authority in the Church: An Ecumenical Reflection on Hermeneutic Boundaries and Their Implications for Inter-Church Relations (University Press of America, 2006)