We will meet at the Panera on Lane Ave. and have reserved the community room in the back.

Howard VanCleave’s colleague and friend, Rick Mattson,  will be in town and would like to meet some OSU faculty.  He travels for InterVarsity and speaks on campuses. This will be a time to think together and discuss how we can make the gospel alive and relevant in conversations with colleagues and friends who are absorbed into the fabric of secular culture.

October 13, 2022
12pm ET
An ESN Conversation on Dawn, A Proton’s Tale of All That Came to Be (link is external) with Cees Dekker, Corien Oranje, and Gijsbert van den Brink. Combining its authors’ scientific knowledge, storytelling skills, and insights from theology, Dawn provides a fresh look at the fundamentals of cosmology, evolutionary biology, and the good news of God in one overarching adventure—in the form of a gripping story. If you love both science and Scripture, you will discover an engaging, thought-provoking tale that reminds us we each have a big place in God’s plan of creation—even if we’re very, very small.

As a special treat, all three co-authors of this book will be joining us online from The Netherlands!

IVP link to book description.

September 15, 2022 at 12 pm ET.

From America’s beginning, Christians have often merged their religious faith with national identity. But what is Christian nationalism? How is it different from patriotism? Paul D. Miller, a Christian scholar, political theorist, veteran, and former White House staffer, provides a detailed portrait of—and case against—Christian nationalism. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/ESNAmericanGreatness for a link to the conversation.

August 9, 2022, 12 pm ET

By tracing the development of jazz, placing it within the context of the African American experience, and exploring the work of jazz musicians like Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong, Edgar argues that jazz deeply resonates with the hope that is ultimately found in the good news of Jesus Christ. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/ESNSupremeLove for a link to the conversation.

July 18, 2022 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time

Highlighting both the continuity and the diversity within the Christian movement over the centuries in his book The Shape of Christian History, Scott Sunquist identifies three key concepts for framing church history: time, cross, and glory. These themes shed light to help us discern how the Jesus movement developed from the first century to the present, through an explosion of contextual expressions. Tracing these concepts through the centuries, we learn from the stories of Christians reflecting the glories of God’s kingdom—and from their failures.

Register here.

In addition to the hundreds who have participated in ESN Conversations live conversations, our YouTube channel now has 31 conversations online that have been viewed over 3000 times along with 134 subscribers, qualifying us for our own YouTube URL: https://www.youtube.com/esnivcf

Even where there are deepening divisions, love is possible.
Even when there is suffering, joy is possible.
Even in the midst of brokenness, rebuilding is possible.
A simple, singing monk from the 13th century just might be able to teach us what is still possible—for us, today.

Via Divina – The Franciscan Way from InterVarsity Study Abroad on Vimeo.

Join in this third edition of Via Divina – The Franciscan Way – a digital pilgrimage in which you can participate wherever you find yourself this summer.

From June 28 – August 2 engage with five audioguides that follow Francis through the narrow stone streets of Assisi and along the dirt paths of the Umbrian countryside. We will share in his journey of transformation from disillusioned youth to joy-filled fool for Christ. Francis’ full-hearted embodiment of the way of Jesus sparked a deeply felt renewal within himself and within the Church.

Let the stories of Francis and Clare, along with scripture, prayer practices, and contemporary stories, inspire you this summer in an experience of walking in the Divine Way (Via Divina).

Learn more at: https://gfm.intervarsity.org/divina-franciscan-way-faculty-ministry

Ways You Can Engage

1. Register and walk with us from June 28 – August 2 – https://gfm.events.intervarsity.org/franciscanwayfacultyministry

2. If the July timeframe doesn’t work for you, sign up for The Franciscan Way hosted by the InterVarsity Study Abroad Team – May 13 – June 13 – https://intervarsity.org/via-divina/franciscan-way

3. Invite your campus group, church, family, friends, or small group. Send a few personal invitations and plan to take this journey with others. Discounts are available for those walking with a group!

This is open to faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, and InterVarsity Ministry Partners. Anyone who wants to explore the practice of pilgrimage, learn about Franciscan spirituality, and deepen their faith walk. We look forward to seeing you along the Franciscan Way!

The post Via Divina: The Franciscan Way appeared first on Emerging Scholars Blog.

Racial tensions continue to be a part of the American landscape. George Yancey, a Baylor sociologist identifies two failed strategies to address these tensions. One is colorblindness, that ignores the realities of race and the historical injustices that have taken place. The other is antiracism, that in centering racial concerns often alienates people essential to the process.

In our May ESN Conversation, we will be talking with George Yancey about his new book, Beyond Racial Division, and the alternative approach he proposes based on his research. He advocates for a collaborative conversations in a mutual accountability model. The model allows for different responsibilities for different participants within a shared commitment to mutual accountability and to the common good.

Our Conversation will be on May 19 at 1 pm ET/12 pm CT/11 am MT/10 am PT and 7 am if you are in Hawai’i. Sign up for a zoom link today at https://tinyurl.com/ESNBeyondRacialDiv

Copies of the book at a discount price will be available to call participants and there will be time for audience discussion with George Yancey.

Begins March 31, Thursdays at 8P EDST

Calling all mathematicians! Join our weekly reading group engaging with the book Mathematics for Human Flourishing by Francis Su (Harvey Mudd). The book intertwines themes of math, philosophy, justice and grace and is a fruitful resource for Christians working in math. These discussions will be led by Ben Wormleighton, Postdoctoral Lecturer in Mathematics at Washington University in St. Louis. We’ll meet over Zoom from March 31st to May 26th on Thursday evenings (5-6pm PT / 6-7pm MT / 7-8pm CT / 8-9pm ET) including conversations with the author in the first and last weeks. Research and teaching faculty, postdocs, and graduate students are all welcome. If you are not able to commit to the group, we would still love to have you join for the conversations with Francis Su on 3/31 and 5/26.

Register for the Reading Group

April 22, 2022 – 12P EDST

Derek Schuurman, professor of computer science at Calvin University, will discuss how designing and using technology can actually be a way of loving God and our neighbors. This event is being co-sponsored with Women in the Academy and Professions (WAP), Christian Women in Science (CWIS), and Emerging Scholars Network (ESN).

Register for Upcoming ESN Conversation