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Face2Face: On Campus – Community in Conversation Video

Face2Face | A Conversation within an Abrahamic Tent: A Jew, Christian, and Muslim in Dialogue (video)

Too rarely do Jewish, Christian, and Muslim believers sit with one another under a temporary canopy for conversation—those who, in spite of great present diversity, share faith roots within an ancient Abrahamic tent.

This Face2Face panel brings together committed practitioners of distinct faiths into dialogue with followers from other religious traditions.

Participants

  • Moderator – Dr. Harry Huebner, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Theology at CMU
  • Jewish Tradition – Dr. Ruth Ashrafi, Judaic Studies Advisor at Gray’s Academy
  • Christian Tradition – Dr. Karl Koop, Professor of History and Theology at CMU
  • Muslim Tradition – Shahina Siddiqui, founder and Executive Director of the Islamic Social Services Association

Questions Framing this Conversation

Heart and Contribution: 

What lies at the core of your faith heritage? What kind of a person is generated by the best of your faith tradition? What gift or contribution does your faith tradition bring to its adherents and to our society?

Challenges and Strains:

By virtue of living in a secular, individualized culture, all faith traditions face challenges and strains. Within that broader context, does your faith tradition face particular challenges? Does your tradition encounter unique growing edges, perplexities or trials to which you believe attention should be given in order to strengthen its collective identity and contribution?

Possibilities for Ways Forward:

What does your religious tradition value most in the other two faith traditions? Understanding present divergence and diversity among Jews, Muslims and Christians, how might believers from these traditions together model life-giving ways forward? What possibilities can we imagine for working together for peace and justice in the world?

[ NEWS RELEASE ]

[youtube]https://youtu.be/QqJD81cU5PY[/youtube]

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Video

2017 Scientist in Residence Presentations (Videos)

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe

Named to TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list for 2014, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist who studies climate change, one of the most pressing issues facing humanity today. But Hayhoe may be best-known to many people because of how she’s bridging the broad, deep gap between scientists and some Christians—work she does in part because she’s a Christian herself.

Together with her husband Andrew Farley, a professor of applied linguistics, pastor of Church without Religion, and best-selling author, Hayhoe wrote A Climate for Change: Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions, a book that untangles the complex science and tackles many long-held misconceptions about global warming. Her work as a climate change evangelist has been featured on the Emmy award-winning documentary series “Years of Living Dangerously” and “The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers.”

Hayhoe is a professor at Texas Tech University, and the director of its Climate Science Center. She has a BSc in Physics from the University of Toronto and an MS and PhD in Atmospheric Science from the University of Illinois. Hayhoe is currently serving as lead author for the upcoming Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessment and producing her new PBS Digital Studios short series, Global Weirding: Climate, Politics and Religion (see the Global Weirding Facebook page for more on the series).

January 30 | Student Forum
Science in a Post-Truth World: A Climate Scientist’s Perspective​

In public discourse today, opinions often overwhelm facts. Both science and faith, however, are based on immutable truths. The reality of God doesn’t depend on whether we believe in Him or not—and if we step off a cliff, we’re going down, regardless of our opinion on gravity.

How can we be “salt and light” in a world that rejects the existence of unchanging truth? Join Dr. Hayhoe as she shares from her experiences from the field of climate science.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSTDIvn63ZU[/youtube]

January 31 | Chapel
Listening to God’s Creation: A Faith Story

When we listen to God’s creation, what is it telling us?

Join Dr. Hayhoe as she shares what we know about our planet today, and reflects on a Christian response to the responsibility we’ve been given to care for it.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBU5FvWMH0c[/youtube]

February 1 | Public Lecture
Talking Climate: Why Facts are Not Enough

Is climate really changing? Are humans responsible, or is this just a natural cycle like we’ve seen before? And even if it is warming, who cares—wouldn’t we all prefer a little less snow?

Join Dr. Hayhoe as she discusses the compelling science behind a changing climate, describes the innovative solutions that are already being implemented today, and explores the importance of connecting our hearts to our heads when it comes to caring about the impacts of a changing climate on this planet and the people who live on it.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/GR-DVKgRaHk?t=4m44s[/youtube]

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Face2Face: On Campus – Community in Conversation Uncategorized Video

Face2Face | Why Beauty Matters: Radical Amazement, Spirituality, and the Ecological Crisis (video)

Nature has the power to draw us into her beauty, to inspire feelings of wonder and awe, to connect with our spirit. Sadly, our approach in this technological age is too often the opposite, seeing nature as a tool to be used, a resource to be consumed. In a time of ecological crisis what we may need, more than anything else, is a change of posture.

The phrase “radical amazement” comes from the Jewish rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, whose work represents one strand of Jewish environmentalism. He has argued that the root of the environmental crisis lies in the way that we have changed our posture toward the natural world—from awe, wonder, and amazement to detachment, control, and manipulation.

Mathematician Dr. Tim Rogalsky, biologist Dr. Rachel Krause, and engineer Randy Herrmann take us on a fascinating ‘guided tour’ into the wonder of nature. See with new eyes and stand in awe of the hidden beauty of flora, fauna, and land.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiaaP5Zq7Pw[/youtube]

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Video

J.J. Thiessen Lecture Series – The Silence of Abraham, The Passion of Job: Explorations in the Theology of Lament with Dr. J. Richard Middleton (video)

Dr. J. Richard MiddletonThe 2016 J.J. Thiessen lectures with Dr. J. Richard Middleton explored what sort of prayer is appropriate in situations of difficulty and suffering. In contrast to simply bearing suffering in silence (which is the default spirituality of many), the Bible suggests that God desires vigorous dialogue partners, who will wrestle with God, baring their heart and soul, as they seek redress. The lectures begin with lament prayer in the Psalms, then addresses the counter-example of Abraham’s silence in Genesis 22, and concludes with the book of Job as a possible response to Abraham’s silence.

Lecture 1: “Voices from the Ragged Edge” (October 25, 2016 | 11:00 AM)
In the face of violence, pain, and suffering, the lament or protest psalms offer us theologically significant models of prayer. They open space for a rich and meaningful relationship with God that isn’t resigned simply to ascribing the suffering to God’s will.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSqrBOOZQhs[/youtube]

Lecture 2: “Abraham’s Ominous Silence in Genesis 22: How the Patriarch of Israel Lost Both His Voice and His Son” (October 25, 2016 | 7:30 PM)

Arguing for the justice of God’s actions, Abraham protested vigorously over the fate of Sodom (Genesis 18). Yet a few chapters later (Genesis 22), in response to God’s instructions to sacrifice his son, he is reduced to silence. What are we to make of that transformation?

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr0owqIk4vg[/youtube]

Lecture 3: “How Job Found His Voice: Learning the Wisdom of Lament from a Gentile Patriarch” (October 26, 2016 | 11:00 AM)

Job’s passionate lament in response to the death of his family and his own suffering offers a possible alternative to Abraham’s silence. Indeed, while God’s first speech from the whirlwind corrects Job’s understanding of God’s justice, the second speech nevertheless affirms Job’s lament as right and proper.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRkiXmmOKNw[/youtube]

About Dr. J. Richard Middleton

Dr. J. Richard Middleton (PhD Free University of Amsterdam) is Professor of Biblical Worldview and Exegesis at Northeastern Seminary (Rochester, NY). He is adjunct professor of Old Testament at the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology (Kingston, Jamaica) and is past president of the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association (2011-2014). He holds a BTh from Jamaica Theological Seminary and an MA in Philosophy from the University of Guelph (Canada).

Middleton is the author of A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology (Baker Academic, 2014) and The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 (Brazos, 2005). He co-authored (with Brian Walsh) The Transforming Vision: Shaping a Christian World View (IVP, 1984) and Truth is Stranger than It Used to Be: Biblical Faith in a Postmodern Age (IVP, 1995), and has co-edited (with Garnett Roper) A Kairos Moment for Caribbean Theology: Ecumenical Voices in Dialogue (Pickwick, 2013).

Middleton has published articles on creation theology in the Old Testament, the problem of suffering, and the dynamics of human and divine power in biblical narratives. His books have been published in Korean, French, Indonesian, Spanish, and Portuguese.

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Video

2016 CMU Distinguished Alumni Story | Brad Leitch (video)

Brad Leitch (portrait)Brad Leitch (nee Langendoen, CMU ’13) is an award-winning filmmaker and peacebuilder who approaches difficult topics with empathy, compassion, deep listening, and boundless energy. He is the executive producer and founder of Rebel Sky Media, a film and video production company in Winnipeg, MB. His directorial work has explored topics of peace and justice in Canada, Iraqi-Kurdistan, Israel, Palestine, and the United Kingdom. His work is currently featured in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, and in a permanent exhibit at the Pier 21 Museum of Immigration in Halifax, NS. Leitch and his wife, Adrienne, attend Hope Mennonite Church.

The CMU Distinguished Alumni Awards celebrate alumni who, through their lives, embody CMU’s values and mission of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society. The awards are presented to alumni from CMU and its predecessor colleges: Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC) and Mennonite Brethren Bible College (MBBC)/Concord College.

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2016 CMU Distinguished Alumni Story | Ron Toews (video)

Ron Toews (portrait)Ron Toews (MBBC ’84) is the Director of Leadership Development for the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. His focus is serving pastors and churches by making tools available to leaders that are based upon their needs and ministry contexts. Toews holds a DMin from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. From 1987 to 2002, he and his wife, Dianne, pastored two churches. Afterward, he became Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies at the MBBS-ACTS seminary in Langley, B.C. After a short stint as interim principal at ACTS, he transitioned to his current role. Toews and his wife live near Abbotsford, B.C. and attend The Life Centre. They have nine grandchildren.

The CMU Distinguished Alumni Awards celebrate alumni who, through their lives, embody CMU’s values and mission of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society. The awards are presented to alumni from CMU and its predecessor colleges: Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC) and Mennonite Brethren Bible College (MBBC)/Concord College.

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2016 CMU Distinguished Alumni Story | Adrienne Wiebe (video)

AdrienneWiebeAdrienne Wiebe (MBBC 1976-78) has spent the last 30 years working in international development. Her career includes earning a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Alberta, as well as working in Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico. Wiebe has also worked with a variety of organizations in Edmonton that help refugees and Indigenous communities. She currently works for Oxfam Canada, doing evaluation and learning related to the organization’s global programs and campaigns on ending violence against women and girls around the world. Wiebe and her husband, Arturo Avila, attend Lendrum Mennonite Brethren Church in Edmonton. They have two adult children.

The CMU Distinguished Alumni Awards celebrate alumni who, through their lives, embody CMU’s values and mission of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society. The awards are presented to alumni from CMU and its predecessor colleges: Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC) and Mennonite Brethren Bible College (MBBC)/Concord College.

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Video

2016 CMU Distinguished Alumni Story | Peter Guenther (video)

Peter Guenther (portrait)Peter Guenther (CMBC ’69) worked for 39 years in corrections, serving as the head of numerous correctional institutions including director of the Saskatoon Correctional Centre, warden of the Saskatchewan Penitentiary, and executive director of the Regional Psychiatric Centre in Saskatoon. He is known as a compassionate, principled, and respected leader who worked to reduce harm, violence, and recidivism. Guenther’s volunteer work includes service on the board of Saskatoon Community Mediation and the advisory committee for Circles of Support and Accountability. He and his wife, Marilyn, live in Saskatoon and attend Nutana Park Mennonite Church. They have three adult sons.

The CMU Distinguished Alumni Awards celebrate alumni who, through their lives, embody CMU’s values and mission of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society. The awards are presented to alumni from CMU and its predecessor colleges: Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC) and Mennonite Brethren Bible College (MBBC)/Concord College.

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Face2Face: On Campus – Community in Conversation Video

Face2Face | Journey to Renewed Covenants​ (video)

The ​Manitoba Screening of ‘Reserve 107: Reconciliation on the Prairies’ with Director Brad Leitch took place on September 23, 2016 and was followed by audience conversation with film participants.

Panelists:

  • Barb and Wilmer Froese of Laird, SK
  • Ray Funk of Prince Albert, SK
  • Chief George Kingfisher, hereditary chief of the Young Chippewayan First Nation
  • Brad Leitch

Indigenous rights and title to the land remain a taboo topic for many across Canada, but in the small town of Laird, SK, an old injustice is providing new opportunities for dialogue, friendship and a fierce determination to right the wrongs of the past. In 2006, 130 years after the signing of Treaty 6, Mennonites, Lutherans, and the Young Chippewayan First Nation gathered on the sacred hill of Stoney Knoll / Opwashemoe Chakatinaw located in Laird where, with goodwill and shared goals, they signed a memorandum of understanding. ‘Reserve 107’ captures the spirit of these renewed relationships.

At the closing ceremony of Vancouver’s DOXA Documentary Film Festival the jury stated “’Reserve 107′ spoke exceptionally well to our generation. We have grown up learning about indigenous affairs and the value of righting the foundation of our friendship. Through 32 minutes we are shown two groups of people speaking at solutions and actually acting on them together, capturing the raw passion for structural change in a respectful and educated manner is one of the many reasons as to why this film has earned honourable mention for the Nigel Moore Award.”

Explore the meaning, relevance, and power Treaties signed over 100 years ago still have today. Consider more deeply, in a time of ‘truth and reconciliation’, how opportunities for renewed understanding, humility and respect might lead us to new covenants and mutual healing.

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Video

John Ralston Saul – Living with Uncertainty: The Road to Peace (video)

John Ralston Saul feature image

A public lecture with John Ralston Saul, presented by CMU’s Canadian School of Peacebuilding

John Ralston Saul PosterLiving with Uncertainty: The Road to Peace

Canada is more and more isolated from its allies because, without exception, the United States and European countries are shaping themselves towards internal divisions and external fear. They remain caught up the in old 19th Century idea of how nations function. You can see this in Europe on their handling of the refugee crisis. One of the curiosities of the continent is that every year over the last 70 years it has received large numbers of immigrants, and yet it has never been able to admit that this would require massive changes in how they imagine themselves. In many ways, this crisis is all about an immigration continent which cannot admit that reality, and so, has no immigration policy. Only by embracing concepts of uncertainty can they find ways to live together, both within their countries and with their neighbours.

John Ralston Saul is an award winning essayist and novelist whose contributions have had a growing impact on political and economic thought in many countries. Declared a “prophet” by TIME magazine, he is included in the prestigious Utne Reader’s list of the world’s 100 leading thinkers and visionaries. His 14 works have been translated into 28 languages in 37 countries. Some of his most important works include the philosophical trilogy, Voltaire´s Bastards, The Unconscious Civilization, and The Doubter’s Companion with its conclusion, On Equilibrium. His most recent work, The Comeback (Le Grand Retour)—an examination of the remarkable return to power of Aboriginal peoples in Canada—has greatly influenced the national conversation on Indigenous issues in the country. Saul is the former President of PEN International, co-Founder and co-Chair of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship. He is a Companion of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario. — johnralstonsaul.com

Recorded June 14, 2016