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Calendar and Events

Public Theology Series Archive

Below are links to the recordings from the previous Public Theology lecture series presented by North Park Theology Seminary with generous support from Lilly Endowment, Inc. 
For information about the current Public Theology lecture series, please visit the North Park Theological Seminary Calendar and Events Page.

 

Centered in the Storm: A Public Theology Series

The Seminary’s 2022–23 public theology series focuses on being centered in Christ—not as an escape from the needs of the world, but as a necessary means to the transformative work of the church in the world.

Seminary faculty from each disciplinary field will facilitate dialogue in reflection on Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28–30: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out…? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (The Message). We invite you to join us as we seek Christ’s unforced rhythms of grace. All lectures are free and open to the public but registration is required.

Culture and Belonging: A Public Theology Series, 2021–22

Responding to the invitation of theologian Willie James Jennings (After Whiteness), this series pursued an ethic of  belonging that builds people toward each other, shared habitation, and ultimately communion. Drawing from the fields of ministry, Bible, theology, and history, we reimagined communities of belonging through the lens of culture. NPTS  faculty and leading practitioners of Covenant congregations and denominational ministries collaborated to lead creative discussions integrating scholarship, ministry practices, and formation. View the recordings below.

“Purposeful Narrative: Engaging the Mosaic of Covenant History”
“Multiracial Congregations: Transformative or Status Quo?”
“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat”: Biblical and Practical Understanding of
“Global Hunger in Our Time”

Reconciled & Reconciling: P.P. Waldenström’s Atonement Sermon 150 Years Later

The year 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of Rev. Paul Peter Waldenström’s sermon on reconciliation (1872), which set in motion events that led to the formation of the Covenant Churches in Sweden (1878) and North America (1885) and left an indelible mark on Covenant preaching, mission, and ecclesiology.

Four scholars and church leaders shared how this crucial aspect of Covenant history remains relevant today to the church’s calling to restorative justice, racial righteousness, global mission, preaching, and congregational life. Co-sponsored by the Commission on Covenant History and North Park Theological Seminary. View the recordings below.

Traditioned Innovation: A Public Theology Series 2020–21

We entered 2021 amid continuing economic and political uncertainties, navigating the layered crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, persistent, and pernicious racialized inequities in church, nation, and world. This complex reality requires all the resources available to us, including a critical evaluation of the past—“traditioned innovation” (L. Gregory Jones) that fruitfully draws from, critiques, and reimagines the past for the needs of the present and future. NPTS faculty and leading practitioners of Covenant congregations and denominational ministries collaborated to lead creative discussions integrating scholarship, ministry practices, and formation. View the recordings below.

“Pursuing Unity in Church and World”
“Community Vaccinations: Remembering the Past to Heal for the Future”
“#ImpactOverIntent: Today’s Black Theology in Black History Month”
“Embodied Worship over Zoom?: The Possibilities and Pitfalls of Online Worship”
“Discovering Signs of God’s Grace in the Midst of Chaos”
“Essential Ministry During Pandemics”