On October 1, 2008, at 3pm in the ATO chapel in Deerfield, IL, the Center will sponsor a Scripture and Ministry lecture by Dr. Phil Ryken, Senior Pastor, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA. The lecture is entitled “The Suffering and the Glory: Pastoral Ministry in Union with Christ” and will cover the following, among other matters: What is the meaning and purpose of suffering in the work of pastoral ministry? What hope do we have that preaching the gospel will make a lasting difference for Christ? The rich biblical doctrine of union with Christ provides a complete theological and practical context for understanding both tragedy and triumph in the ordinary work of the pastor.

Dr. Philip Ryken has experienced both the cross and the empty tomb in his ministry at Philadelphia’s historic Tenth Presbyterian Church, where he has preached for thirteen years. The author of thirty Bible commentaries and other books on Christianity, culture, and the church, Dr. Ryken has a passion for the local church and for connecting people in ministry to the life-giving work of the crucified and risen Christ.

The Center anticipates an excellent event with Dr. Ryken and encourages all to attend the free and stimulating lecture.

On Thursday, April 23, 2009, at Park Community Church in Chicago, IL, the Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School will host an evening of free lectures and discussion with Dr. John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist Church and Dr. D. A. Carson of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. The event will begin at 7:00pm and conclude around 10:00pm. Titled “The Pastor as Scholar, and the Scholar as Pastor: Reflections on Life and Ministry with John Piper and D.A. Carson”, the evening will feature hour-long lectures by Drs. Piper and Carson that offer reflection of a theological and personal nature on the work of the pastor and the scholar, respectively.

Please visit the new website devoted to this event to learn much more about this event.

The Center is excited about this evening and the connection with a city church it affords.  We trust that the talks by Drs. Piper and Carson will be personally helpful for a wide variety of people and that they will inspire many future ministers to consider the model of the pastor-theologian as an excellent paradigm for their ministries.  Please note that the evening is in its entirety free and open to the public.

The Center is pleased to announce that missiologist and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School professor Harold Netland has just published his essay for the Christ on Campus Initiative, titled “One Lord and Savior for All? Jesus Christ and Religious Diversity”. The essay covers questions of pluralism and offers a thoughtful take on the exclusivity of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Netland interacts substantially with the views of prominent pluralists, including that of his doctoral supervisor, Dr. John Hick, professor emeritus of Claremont Graduate School.

In the end, Netland concludes that

“Part of what drives the agenda for religious pluralism in the West today is the widespread perception that any form of “religious exclusivism” undermines harmonious religious coexistence. Only ideological pluralism, it is said, can provide the framework for peaceful religious diversity. Monotheistic religions—especially Christianity—are regarded as contributing to the problem of religious tensions, not part of the solution. The church must take these perceptions seriously and show a skeptical world that Christians can be strongly committed to Jesus Christ while also working to promote peaceful relations among religions. Christians must take the lead and demonstrate through concrete actions that we do accept in appropriate ways the ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity in the West. But at the same time, we cannot abandon our commitment to Jesus Christ as the one Lord and Savior for all peoples. So even as we accept Buddhists and Muslims as fellow human beings created in God’s image, we must also urge them to be reconciled to God by acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.”

The free essay, representing the culmination of many hours of work, is readable, insightful, and calculated to strengthen the faith of Christian students who seek to meet the important intellectual challenges of the day, including religious pluralism, with the authoritative truth of the Word of God. The Center hopes that it will benefit readers and that it will go far and wide as a resource to strengthen faith and reassure conviction.

The Center has a busy and exciting year ahead. In the brief span before the calendar kicks off, we thought that we would give you a quick list of upcoming events.  Our attractive booklet will soon be out and will feature more information on the Center’s upcoming schedule.  Email Owen Strachan, the Managing Director, at ostracha@tiu.edu to receive our multi-page booklet, replete with photos, bios, and event information.

Fall 2008 Semester

Wednesday, October 1, 2008: Scripture & Ministry Lecture w/Dr. Phil Ryken (Chapel, 3pm)

Thursday, October 9, 2008: Trinity Debate featuring Dr. Bruce Ware and Dr. Wayne Grudem versus Dr. Thomas McCall and Dr. Keith Yandell (Chapel, 7pm)

Wednesday, October 29, 2008: Scripture & Ministry Lecture w/Dr. David Wells (Chapel, 3pm)

Tuesday, November 18, 2008: Timothy Series Message by Rev. K. Edward Copeland (Chapel 11am, lunch to follow)

Thursday, November 20, 2008: Timothy Series Message by Rev. K. Edward Copeland
(Chapel 11am, lunch to follow

Spring 2009 Semester

Wednesday, January 21, 2009: Scripture & Ministry Lecture w/Dr. Thomas Oden (Chapel, 3pm)

Tuesday, February 3, 2009: Timothy Series Message by Dr. Tom Nelson (Chapel 11am, lunch to follow)

Thursday, February 5, 2009: Timothy Series Message by Dr. Tom Nelson
(Chapel 11am, lunch to follow)

Wednesday, March 18, 2009: Scripture & Ministry Lecture w/Dr. Esther Meek (Chapel, 3pm)

Tuesday, March 24, 2009: Timothy Series Message by Dr. Greg Waybright
(Chapel 11am, lunch to follow)

Thursday, March 26, 2009: Timothy Series Message by Dr. Greg Waybright
(Chapel 11am, lunch to follow)

April 23, 2009: Event To Be Announced

Summer 2009: Faculty Initiatives–Catalyst Conference, Short-Term Missions Conference

Please mark these events and join us whenever possible. All of our semester events are free and open to the public, and we would love to see you this coming year as we seek to advance Christ’s kingdom through our work.

This announcement relates to the campus community of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School:

The Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding of TEDS is seeking to fill its intern position. This position will involve diverse responsibilities and the chance to work in a stimulating environment that bridges the gap between the church and the academy. The ideal candidate will possess an excellent academic record, an assertive, hardworking nature, strong Christian character, theological maturity, and a personal connection with the mission of the Center. The intern, paid on a part-time basis, will report directly to the Managing Director and will furnish its holder with excellent experience for future ministry in a variety of settings. If interested, please send a resume and a cover letter explaining interest in and qualifications for the position to Owen Strachan, Managing Director of the Center, at ostracha@tiu.edu. Deadline: Wednesday, September 17^th, 2008.

The Henry Center is pleased to announce the release of two important articles that cover apologetic topics relative to religious and intellectual challenges of the current day.

“I Believe in Nature: An Exploration of Naturalism and the Biblical Worldview” by Kirsten Birkett is now available.  Birkett teaches pastoral counseling, apologetics, and church history at Oak Hill Theological College in London.
Here’s a teaser: “One of the most common beliefs currently expounded in public literature is naturalism. Naturalism is a belief that only natural laws and forces work in the world. The supernatural (anything beyond the natural world, whether spiritual, magical or otherwise) does not exist. The physical universe is all that exists. Moreover, the only way to explain anything within the universe is in terms of entirely natural events and forces within the universe.”

“A Christian Perspective on Islam” has also just been published by scholar Chawkat Moucarry.  Moucarry has served as Director of Inter-Faith Relations for World Vision International since 2006. Born in Syria, he earned a doctorate in Islamic Studies at the Sorbonne.

Here’s a section: “Islam claims that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam itself are three God-given religions. All prophets (including Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad) preached essentially the same message: God is one, and everyone must obey and worship him because on the day of judgment people will be sent to paradise or to hell according to whether or not they believed in their Creator and complied with his laws. This theological inclusiveness is only apparent since Islam is believed to be the only saving religion (3:19, 85).2 It comes at an exceedingly high price for the Christian faith. Indeed, Islam denies the reliability of the Christian Scripture, which contradicts the Qur’an on at least three key issues: God’s holy Trinity, the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, and God’s saving grace supremely demonstrated in the death and resurrection of Christ. The first four sections of this essay examine and respond to Islamic criticisms of the Christian faith.”

Please read, distribute and publicize these essays.  The Center publishes them for free in the hopes that they will provide today’s students and thoughtful Christians with the resources for meaningful intellectual engagement with people of all beliefs and backgrounds.

Read more at the Center’s CCI page.