L’Abri Rochester

Finding Sabbath Rest in a World That Never Stops - Mary Frances Giles - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally

Finding Sabbath Rest in a World That Never Stops - Mary Frances Giles - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally
 
Mary Frances Giles holds an MA in Theology from Regent College and a MS in Speech and Language Pathology form Boston University. Mary works with L'Abri Fellowship Southborough.

The Changing Relationship of Young People to Work - Mardi Keyes - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally

The Changing Relationship of Young People to Work - Mardi Keyes - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally
 
Mardi graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in Biblical History in 1968. Shortly after graduation, she married Dick Keyes, and in 1970, they moved to Europe to work with L’Abri. They spent six months in Switzerland, and eight and a half years in England (London and Greatham). 
Mardi has lectured on a variety of topics, including hospitality, the problem of evil, the family, children, adolescence, youth culture, the Christian mind, feminism, and other gender issues. Mardi has published a number of articles, and a booklet entitled Feminism & the Bible. She also contributed a chapter in response to Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, in the book, Women and the Future of the Family. In her lectures and writing, Mardi relates Biblical teaching to social history and contemporary culture.

The Spirit at Work: God and Vocation - Clarke Scheibe - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally

The Spirit at Work: God and Vocation - Clarke Scheibe - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally
 
Clarke Scheibe is the director of L'Abri Fellowship in Victoria, B.C. His wife Julia and he have been a part of L'Abri in Canada for 15 years and they are grateful to have two young children. He received a BLA from the University of Mississippi and a MDiv from Regent College in Vancouver.

Singing Songs the Whole World Can Hear - Steven Garber - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally

Singing Songs the Whole World Can Hear - Steven Garber - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally
 
Dr. Steven Garber served at Regent College from 2017–2020 as Professor of Marketplace Theology and Leadership and as Director of Regent’s Master of Arts in Leadership, Theology, and Society. Prior to his time at Regent, he served as Principal of The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation, and Culture in Washington, D.C.

Living Life Vocationally: What the Church Must Do - Luke Bobo - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally

Living Life Vocationally: What the Church Must Do - Luke Bobo - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally
 
Luke Bobo (MDiv, PhD) previously served as director of resource and curriculum development for Made to Flourish and works as an adjunct professor of contemporary culture and apologetics at Covenant Seminary. He is the author of Living Salty and Light-Filled Lives in the Workplace and A Layperson’s Guide to Biblical Interpretation. Luke currently serves as director of bioethics at Kansas City University.

Christian Vocation in the Sciences - Frank Stootman - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally

Christian Vocation in the Sciences - Frank Stootman - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally.
 
Frank Stootman runs L'Abri Sydney with his wife Heather. He holds a PhD in Physics. Frank was an Associate Professor at Western Sydney University (WSU). His primary scientific interests are astrophysics and computational simulation. He has lectured extensively on the relationship of Christianity (Revelation) to Science (Natural Philosophy). He has eclectic interests in philosophy, music, history, politics, the arts, and film. He is a keen amateur videographer and video editor.

Christian Vocation in the Humanities - John Hodges - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally

Christian Vocation in the Humanities - John Hodges - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally
 
John Hodges has worked for over 15 years as an orchestral conductor and taught arts and cultural apologetics for over 10 years at Crichton College. He founded and directs the Center for Western Studies, a tutorial program that teaches college-aged students a Christian worldview and the history of Western ideas.  Hodges lectures on music, aesthetics, and education, and lives in Memphis with his wife Day.

Created to Make a Difference - Dick Keyes - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally

Created to Make a Difference - Dick Keyes - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally
Dick Keyes is the director-emeritus of L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts, where he has been working with his wife and family since 1979. They now continue to be engaged in the work but on more of a part-time basis. He holds a B.A. in History from Harvard University, and an M. Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He has worked for L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland and in England, where he served also as a pastor in the International Presbyterian Church in London. He has been an adjunct professor at Gordon Conwell Seminary and Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is the author of Beyond Identity, True Heroism, Chameleon Christianity and Seeing Through Cynicism, as well as chapters in several anthologies such as No God But God, ed. Os Guinness and Finding God at Harvard, ed. Kelly Monroe, and The New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics.

King Solomon’s Mines: Who Constructed them and what do they have to do with Solomon? - Mark Chavalas - August 30th - Friday Night Lecture

Ninety years ago, the renowned biblical archaeologist Nelson Gleuck surveyed the copper mines in the southern Arabah region of the Negev. He considered them to be from the period of King Solomon, based upon the Bible’s description of Solomon’s expansive ship building and his economic empire. Some years later, archaeologists debunked Glueck’s ideas, arguing that there was no material evidence that the mines were used during the period of Israel’s United Monarchy (c. 1020-920 B.C.). New evidence, however, has forced scholars to reevaluate this evidence. This leads me to consider evidence for the reigns of David and Solomon, as scholars in the last few years have uncovered architectural and inscriptional evidence for their reigns.
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Mark Chavalas is Emeritus Professor of History, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he taught for thirty-five years. He is the author or editor of a number of works on Mesopotamia and Israel, including Mesopotamia and the Bible, and the IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. He and his wife Kimberlee live in La Crosse, WI and have six adult children and three grandchildren.

Five-Part Social Change Model: Naive Formula or Useful Framework for Christian Social Engagement? - Bob Osburn - Friday Night Lecture - August 23rd

n this lecture, Dr. Bob Osburn invites critiques of his five-part social change model that has been developed over the past decade or more. Although the model, which will be presented in detail, was featured in an article he recently wrote for Christianity Today, the model has not yet been tested, let alone systematically applied. Is the model guilty of utopianism, on the one hand, or is it too modest for the rough and tumble of a fallen world, on the other? How well are its assumptions grounded in orthodox biblical theology as well as the best of social science? What are its limitations, and what are the primary objections that can be posited against it?
 
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A Senior Fellow with Wilberforce International Institute, which he founded in 2009, Robert Osburn trains international students as redemptive change agents and writes and teaches about international development, comparative worldviews, corruption, education policy, and wealth creation. For seven years he taught courses on religion and educational policy and religion and international development at the University of Minnesota, and currently teaches courses with The New International University and Wilberforce International Institute. He has a PhD in comparative and international development education from the University of Minnesota, a ThM from Dallas Seminary, and a BA from the University of Michigan. He is the author of Taming the Beast: Can We Bridle the Culture of Corruption? (2016) and, most recently, Developing Redemptive Change Agents: Discipleship That Helps Nations Flourish Rather Than Flounder (2021). Bob and Susan have been married for 49 years, are the parents of four sons, and grandparents to 13.

Naturalism, Christianity, and Other Worldviews - Charles Taliaferro - August 16th - Friday Night Lecture

After speaking about the nature of philosophy as a method and way of life (the love of wisdom), we will address what is called 'Naturalism' (roughly the view that only nature exists and the natural sciences are our best or only ways of knowing reality). Reasons for and against strict and broad or expansive forms of naturalism will be assessed. All forms of naturalism reject the supernatural. Is "supernatural" the best term to describe the God of Christianity or the soul? Does Christian theism pose an important challenge to secular or religious forms of naturalism?
Charles Taliaferro Ph.D. MA (Brown) MTS (Harvard) MA (URI) BA (Goddard), Professor Emeritus and Overby Distinguished Professor, St. Olaf College, has taught at Notre Dame and U. Mass Boston. He is the author or co-author or editor of 40 books (3 are audio books, available on Amazon). He is currently working on a collection of essays, "Dying to See You! Light essays on life, love, and death" based on the tetramorph - the four living creatures before the throne of God in Revelations - the human, ox, lion, and eagle.

Genocide: A Brief Consideration of Concept, Convention, International Law, and Current Contexts - Kirk Allison - August 9th - Friday Night Lecture

When you hear the word "genocide" what comes to mind? Likely an event of mass killing: perhaps 'the Armenians' (WWI) or Stalin starving out Ukraine (1932-33); extermination camps under National Socialism; or Pol Pot's 'killing fields' (Cambodia, 1975-79); or Rwanda (July 1994). Now, questions arise concerning the tactics and intent in Russia's war against Ukraine, and from the October 7 Hamas attack against Israel and Israel's response in Gaza (including claims submitted to the International Criminal Court). Thus, an overview might be timely. Looking at the emergence of the concept of genocide as coined by Raphael Lemkin, what survived of it in the 1947 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. And looking also at its application, including why, given enumerated criteria, genocide is so rarely charged by the International Criminal Court, despite widespread rhetorical use of the term in many contexts? Examples before and after the term was coined will be included.
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Kirk Allison teaches in the Health Humanities Program of the College of Saint Scholastica. He directed the Program in Human Rights and Health at the University of Minnesota (2006-2016) and is a member of the International Association of Genocide Scholars.

Redemptive Placemaking: Our call to faithfully build places for Community flourishing - Sara Joy Proppe - August 2nd - Friday Night Lecture

In our broken world, how can we design and build places that demonstrate God’s redeeming work on earth? We will explore how God invites us, as co-creators, to participate in redemptive placemaking - the art of creating places that extol the dignity of being human and foster relationships for community flourishing. You will discover the ways that contributing goodness and beauty to our neighborhoods through placemaking is an act of stewardship and obedience to the biblical command to seek the welfare of the city as we await the full restoration of creation.
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Sara Joy Proppe is the Founder and Director of Proximity Project, an initiative to educate and activate churches to creatively steward their properties for the common good of the neighborhood. In her role, Sara Joy uses her professional experience in urban planning, real estate development, and placemaking to advise and serve congregations across the country. She writes and speaks on several platforms about the intersections of theology, placemaking, and design for dignity and is the co-host of The Embedded Church podcast.

Francis Schaeffer on Cultural Engagement - Dan Guinn - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment

Francis Schaeffer on Cultural Engagement - Dan Guinn - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment
Dan Guinn is the founder of Francis Schaeffer Studies, a research service providing online resources to the Francis Schaeffer and L'Abri Communities, with the goal of making Dr. Schaeffer's thought and teachings more accessible for general inquiry. Francis Schaeffer Studies was founded on January 1st, 2011.
Dan and his wife, Barbara, have three adult children. Dan has had a 15+ year career in technology, working as a programmer, web developer, analyst and technical instructor.

Swords & Plowshares: Living Christianity in a Time of war - Tim Padgett - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment

Swords & Plowshares: Living Christianity in a Time of war - Tim Padgett - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment
 
Timothy D. Padgett (PhD) is the Theologian-in-Residence with the Colson Center. His focus is on cultural engagement, living out the Christian worldview, and the way Christians argue for diverse viewpoints while sharing a common biblical foundation―particularly regarding the relationship between church and state, Christ and culture, and war and peace.

The Novelty of White Supremacy: A Modernist Conceit Disguised as an Ancient Creed - Tim Padgett - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment

The Novelty of White Supremacy: A Modernist Conceit Disguised as an Ancient Creed - Tim Padgett - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment
 
Timothy D. Padgett (PhD) is the Theologian-in-Residence with the Colson Center. His focus is on cultural engagement, living out the Christian worldview, and the way Christians argue for diverse viewpoints while sharing a common biblical foundation―particularly regarding the relationship between church and state, Christ and culture, and war and peace.

Seeking the Welfare of the City: A Biblical View of Citizenship - Doug Groothuis - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment

Seeking the Welfare of the City: A Biblical View of Citizenship - Doug Groothuis - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment
 
Doug Groothuis is a Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary. He received a PhD and a BS from the University of Oregon, and an MA in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has authored numerous books and articles on apologetics, postmodernism, philosophy, and religion. In 2011, he published Christian Apologetics.

Why Neo-Paganism is growing in the Modern West - Imogen Lowe - June 28th - Friday Night Lecture

This talk will provide an overview of the modern resurgence of Paganism, and its origins in the West's individual and corporate identity crisis. In particular, why it appears to provide solutions to a loss of self for teenagers, disconnection from the natural world, and a sense of disembodiment. We will explore this phenomenon in our lives and the lives of those close to us and what the future may bring.
Imogen Lowe originates from the Home Counties in England. Along with her husband and four children, she worked at the English L'Abri before skedaddling to Rochester where her Husband works at the L'Abri there. She enjoys creating things, from making chutney to sewing dresses to fermenting sauerkraut and kombucha, and she doesn't drink coffee. She is a fan of reading, especially fiction, and having family days out in nature.

Contemporary Challenges to Masculinity - James Lowe - June 21st - Friday Night Lecture

Many men find themselves fighting a war on two fronts. The material changes of the modern era (with its industrial, technological and now digital revolutions) have combined with the world-view shift to secularism to alienate men from work, others and even themselves. More recently, masculinity itself has been decried as ‘toxic’ and consequently a source of great evil.
Plenty of data and cultural commentary attest to a growing concern for men, but also to confusion at the array of solutions offered.
So, how did we get here, and what clear path can we chart through these stormy waters?
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James Lowe is a recent transplant from England with his wife and four children. He gained a BA in International Media and Communication Studies from the University of Nottingham before going on to work as a hospital based EMT for several years. James and his wife Imogen initially worked for the English L’Abri and joined the Rochester team in the spring of 2023. He enjoys reading, hiking and importing as much English culture as legally permitted.

What is the Gospel of Thomas? - Ian Mills - June 14th - Friday Night Lecture

The Christian Bible includes four gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But what about the others? The idea of lost, suppressed, and secretive gospels has captured the public imagination, inspiring best-selling novels and breathless documentaries. The true story of these extra-canonical gospels may be less sensational than History Channel conspiracy theories, but it is no less interesting.
 
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The best known non-canonical gospel is, perhaps, the Gospel of Thomas. Prof. Mills will tell the story of two archeological discoveries that brought this apocryphal gospel to light, the origin of this work in second century philosophical circles, and its relationship to the canonical gospels. The Gospel of Thomas is not a fifth gospel of the canonical sort but a work of a completely different genre. Finally, Mills will introduce a brand-new discovery—published in the Fall of 2023—that sheds new light on the character of the Gospel of Thomas and its use for historians of early Christianity.
Ian N Mills is Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics and Religious Studies at Hamilton College. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of several articles and book chapters on early Christian history. Mills’ first book, The Hypothesis of the Gospels: Pluriform Literary Traditions in Hellenistic Reading Culture, will be published by Fortress Press in November 2024. This book explores how early Christians used concepts from Hellenistic literary theory to understand the variety of gospel books in their own sacred scriptures.

'Some Things Seem Better Left Unsaid' - Controversial Speech and the Special Challenge of the Imprecatory Psalms - Mark Ryan - June 7th - Friday Night Lecture

'Some Things Seem Better Left Unsaid' - Controversial Speech and the Special Challenge of the Imprecatory Psalms - Mark Ryan - June 7th - Friday Night Lecture
 
Things ‘better left unsaid’ typically refers to unpleasant comments or opinions that risk angering others and creating undue trouble for the speaker. Some place the Psalms containing curses in this category. But is this correct? Should we refrain from speaking and singing these biblical psalms? If not, why not? This lecture reflects on the imprecatory language of these psalms and addresses how Christians might think about and pray these controversial psalms today.
 
Mark Ryan spent numerous years working with L’Abri Fellowship in Boston and Vancouver, ministering to people investigating the truth claims of the Bible. Currently, he serves as Sage Christianity's executive director, an adjunct professor of religion and culture at Covenant Seminary, and an associate professor of congregational theology and cultural apologetics at Calvin Seminary and the Missional Training Center. Mark has been married to Terri since 1996; they have three children and live in St.Louis.

A World Safe for Diversity: Freedom to be Faithful in a World of Exploding Diversity - Os Guinness - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment

A World Safe for Diversity: Freedom to be Faithful in a World of Exploding Diversity - Os Guinness - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment
 
Os Guinness is an author and social critic. Great-great-great grandson of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer, he was born in China in World War Two where his parents were medical missionaries. A witness to the climax of the Chinese revolution in 1949, he was expelled with many other foreigners in 1951 and returned to Europe where he was educated in England. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of London and his D.Phil in the social sciences from Oriel College, Oxford.
Os has written or edited more than thirty books, including The Call, Time for Truth, Unspeakable, A Free People’s Suicide, and The Global Public Square. His latest book, Carpe Diem Redeemed, has just been published.
Since moving to the United States in 1984, Os has been a Guest Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies, a Guest Scholar and Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum and the EastWest Institute in New York. He was the lead drafter of the Williamsburg Charter in 1988, a bicentennial celebration of the US Constitution, and later of “The Global Charter of Conscience,” which was published at the European Union Parliament in 2012. Os has spoken at many of the world’s major universities, and spoken widely to political and business conferences across the world. He lives with his wife Jenny in the Washington DC area.

The West in Search of Meaning: Oral Book Reviews - Marvin Padgett - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment

The West in Search of Meaning: Oral Book Reviews - Marvin Padgett - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment
 
Marvin Padgett is a book business professional who has served as the Editorial Director for Crossway Books in Wheaton, Illinois. He previously managed the bookstore at L'Abri in Huémoz, Switzerland in 1982. He has also served as a board member of Covenant College (1995-03), Good News Publishers (1988-98), and Great Commission Publications.

Christians, Religious Liberty and Loving our Political Adversaries - Doug Groothuis - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment

Christians, Religious Liberty and Loving our Political Adversaries - Doug Groothuis - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment
 
Doug Groothuis is a Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary. He received a PhD and a BS from the University of Oregon, and an MA in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has authored numerous books and articles on apologetics, postmodernism, philosophy, and religion. In 2011, he published Christian Apologetics.

Carpe Diem Redeemed - Os Guinness - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment

Carpe Diem Redeemed - Os Guinness - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment
 
Os Guinness is an author and social critic. Great-great-great grandson of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer, he was born in China in World War Two where his parents were medical missionaries. A witness to the climax of the Chinese revolution in 1949, he was expelled with many other foreigners in 1951 and returned to Europe where he was educated in England. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of London and his D.Phil in the social sciences from Oriel College, Oxford.
Os has written or edited more than thirty books, including The Call, Time for Truth, Unspeakable, A Free People’s Suicide, and The Global Public Square. His latest book, Carpe Diem Redeemed, has just been published.
Since moving to the United States in 1984, Os has been a Guest Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies, a Guest Scholar and Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum and the EastWest Institute in New York. He was the lead drafter of the Williamsburg Charter in 1988, a bicentennial celebration of the US Constitution, and later of “The Global Charter of Conscience,” which was published at the European Union Parliament in 2012. Os has spoken at many of the world’s major universities, and spoken widely to political and business conferences across the world. He lives with his wife Jenny in the Washington DC area.

Thy Kingdom Come: Is Social Justice the End Goal of Christianity? - Clarke Scheibe - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment

Thy Kingdom Come: Is Social Justice the End Goal of Christianity? - Clarke Scheibe - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment
 
Clarke Scheibe is the director of L'Abri Fellowship in Victoria, B.C. His wife Julia and he have been a part of L'Abri in Canada for 15 years and they are grateful to have two young children. He received a BLA from the University of Mississippi and a MDiv from Regent College in Vancouver.

Healing Political Polarization in America: Can Christians Help? - Dick Keyes - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment

Healing Political Polarization in America: Can Christians Help? - Dick Keyes - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment
 
Dick Keyes is the director-emeritus of L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts, where he has been working with his wife and family since 1979. They now continue to be engaged in the work but on more of a part-time basis. He holds a B.A. in History from Harvard University, and an M. Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He has worked for L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland and in England, where he served also as a pastor in the International Presbyterian Church in London. He has been an adjunct professor at Gordon Conwell Seminary and Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is the author of Beyond Identity, True Heroism, Chameleon Christianity and Seeing Through Cynicism, as well as chapters in several anthologies such as No God But God, ed. Os Guinness and Finding God at Harvard, ed. Kelly Monroe, and The New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics.

'I Feel Therefore I Am' - Exploring the Affective Self - Jim Paul - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment

'I Feel Therefore I Am' - Exploring the Affective Self - Jim Paul - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment
 
Jim Paul is the director of L’Abri Fellowship in Greatham, UK, where he has worked together with his wife Merran for the past 20 years. They have two adult sons. Before L’Abri he worked in London as a doctor, specialising in the care of terminally ill patients. He holds degrees in medicine and sociology, and a masters in medical ethics. Jim published the book 'What on Earth is Heaven'. He loves reading, football, walks and country pubs.

Humanism: The History of A seminal Idea - John Hodges - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment

Humanism: The History of A seminal Idea - John Hodges - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment
 
John Hodges has worked for over 15 years as an orchestral conductor and taught arts and cultural apologetics for over 10 years at Crichton College. He founded and directs the Center for Western Studies, a tutorial program that teaches college-aged students a Christian worldview and the history of Western ideas.  Hodges lectures on music, aesthetics, and education, and lives in Memphis with his wife Day.

Last Call for Liberty: How America's Genius for Freedom has become its Greatest Threat - Os Guinness -2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment

Last Call for Liberty: How America's Genius for Freedom has become its Greatest Threat - Os Guinness -2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment
 
Os Guinness is an author and social critic. Great-great-great grandson of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer, he was born in China in World War Two where his parents were medical missionaries. A witness to the climax of the Chinese revolution in 1949, he was expelled with many other foreigners in 1951 and returned to Europe where he was educated in England. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of London and his D.Phil in the social sciences from Oriel College, Oxford.
Os has written or edited more than thirty books, including The Call, Time for Truth, Unspeakable, A Free People’s Suicide, and The Global Public Square. His latest book, Carpe Diem Redeemed, has just been published.
Since moving to the United States in 1984, Os has been a Guest Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies, a Guest Scholar and Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum and the EastWest Institute in New York. He was the lead drafter of the Williamsburg Charter in 1988, a bicentennial celebration of the US Constitution, and later of “The Global Charter of Conscience,” which was published at the European Union Parliament in 2012. Os has spoken at many of the world’s major universities, and spoken widely to political and business conferences across the world. He lives with his wife Jenny in the Washington DC area.

The Difficulty with the Love of God - Clarke Scheibe - March 29th - Friday Night Lecture

The Difficulty with the Love of God - Clarke Scheibe - March 29th - Friday Night Lecture
 
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People often struggle to understand the love of God because it is not being expressed in God's people. Difficulties arise because Christians are judgmental or because Christians make Love into an ideal, not as arising from the personal, holy Creator. Paul prays that Christians may understand the breadth, length, height and depth of the Love of God in Jesus. How are we to experience this love of God, not only in joy but also in purity?
 
Clarke Scheibe is the director of Canadian L'Abri and has been involved with L'Abri since 2007. He graduated from the University of Mississippi with a B.A. in Literature, with an emphasis in creative writing and from Regent College in Vancouver, Canada with an M.Div. He has a wide variety of interests such as baking, short stories, art, biblical hermeneutics, cultural studies and early blues music. He is married to Julia; they have two children; Samuel and Sarah Beth.

Remember the Lord, your God: Reflections on Memory and Faith - Lili Reichow - March 22nd - Friday Night Lecture

Remember the Lord, your God: Reflections on Memory and Faith - Lili Reichow - March 22nd - Friday Night Lecture
 
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How often we forget who God is, what He has done, and what He has promised to those who love Him. To be able to remember the Lord seems essential to a healthy Christian life. In this talk, we will reflect on how memory and faith intersect, as we seek to grow in the knowledge of our God.
 
Lili Reichow is married to Josué and they have one son, Benjamin. She holds a degree in Communication and a Masters in Theology. They worked at the English L'Abri for seven wonderful years. In December 2022, they returned to Brazil, their home country, to start the work of Brazil L'Abri South, something they had prayed about for over ten years.

Modernity's Social Imagination: the Birth of the Social Sciences - Josué Reichow - March 16th - Friday Night Lecture

Modernity's Social Imagination: the Birth of the Social Sciences - Josué Reichow - March 16th - Friday Night Lecture
 
Slides to Follow
 
In this lecture we explore how the social sciences came to exist both as a response to the changes of the modern world as well as a powerful force in creating it. We will also reflect on how the social sciences create a new social imaginary which has become predominant, not only in academia, but in society at large. After doing so, we will examine the relationship of the social sciences to other fields of knowledge, such as philosophy and theology, and ask the question how Christians should view and interact with it.
 
Josué Reichow is currently a L'Abri worker in the newest L'Abri work - Brazilian L'Abri South - and a former worker at the English Branch. Associate Fellow for Reformational Philosophy, Cantaro Institute (Canada), Josué is author of 'Reform your mind: the philosophy of Herman Dooyeweerd' and has a degree in Social Sciences and Philosophy and a master's in Theology.

Intellectual Rountable: A Survey and Critique of Today's Countercultural Thinking - Mike Sugimoto - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

Intellectual Rountable: A Survey and Critique of Today's Countercultural Thinking - Mike Sugimoto - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
Mike Sugimoto is Professor of Asian Studies at Pepperdine University with a focus on cinema, sociology and philosophy.
 
The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" takes the general theme of 'Identity Formation'. Our current Cultural Confusion is manifested in many areas – the Sexual Revolution, Identity Politics, Social Media, etc – and in past conferences we have often looked at the moral issues involved. This year we want to look at their ideological roots and the challenge they pose to Identity Formation. In contrast to our culture’s obsession with Social Media Image and Political Identity, our formation should be grounded in the Image of God and oriented by our Identity in Christ.

The Secularization of Time - Guilherme de Carvalho - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

The Secularization of Time - Guilherme de Carvalho - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
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Guilherme de Carvalho is the Director of L'Abri Fellowship Brazil. He studied theology at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie in São Paulo, Brazil (bachelor), Faculdade Teológica Batista de São Paulo (Th.M.), Universidade Metodista de São Paulo (MSc, Science of Religion).His research interests include Christian Philosophy, epistemology of religious belief, transdisciplinary connections between theology and culture (science, arts, politics).
 
The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" takes the general theme of 'Identity Formation'. Our current Cultural Confusion is manifested in many areas – the Sexual Revolution, Identity Politics, Social Media, etc – and in past conferences we have often looked at the moral issues involved. This year we want to look at their ideological roots and the challenge they pose to Identity Formation. In contrast to our culture’s obsession with Social Media Image and Political Identity, our formation should be grounded in the Image of God and oriented by our Identity in Christ.

Getting Social Justice Right: How Do We Truly Help Our Less-Privileged Neighbors? - Bob Osburn - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

Getting Social Justice Right: How Do We Truly Help Our Less-Privileged Neighbors? - Bob Osburn - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
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Bob Osburn has a PhD in international education from the University of Minnesota (2005), where he also was an adjunct lecturer for seven years in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development. In 1978 he earned his ThM in Christian education at Dallas Theological Seminary, after earning a BA from the University of Michigan (1973). He has spent over 35 years serving in international student and academic ministry at the University of Minnesota, and successfully launched the 1998 World View for World Healing Conference that challenged international students to engage the deepest needs of their societies on the basis of a Christian worldview. He has been married to Susan for over 45 years, father of four sons, and grandfather to 11.
 
The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" takes the general theme of 'Identity Formation'. Our current Cultural Confusion is manifested in many areas – the Sexual Revolution, Identity Politics, Social Media, etc – and in past conferences we have often looked at the moral issues involved. This year we want to look at their ideological roots and the challenge they pose to Identity Formation. In contrast to our culture’s obsession with Social Media Image and Political Identity, our formation should be grounded in the Image of God and oriented by our Identity in Christ.

What is Critical Race Theory - Doug Groothuis - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

What is Critical Race Theory - Doug Groothuis - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
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Dr. Doug Groothuis holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy (University of Oregon, 1993) and is Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary where he heads the Christian Apologetics Master’s degree program. He is the author of nineteen books, beginning with the best-selling Unmasking the New Age (InterVarsity Press, 1986) and including the popular and voluminous textbook, Christian Apologetics, 2nd ed. (IVP Academic, 2022), as well as a poignant memoir, Walking Through Twilight: A Wife’s Illness—a Philosopher’s Lament (InterVarsity, 2017), an introduction to philosophy, Philosophy in Seven Sentences (InterVarsity, 2016), and a bold critique of Critical Race Theory, Fire in the Streets (Salem Books, 2022). He co-authored the introductory textbook on apologetics, The Knowledge of God in the World and in the Word (Zondervan-Academic, 2022) with Andrew Shepardson. His most recent book is World Religions in Seven Sentences (InterVarsity, 2023).
 
The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" takes the general theme of 'Identity Formation'. Our current Cultural Confusion is manifested in many areas – the Sexual Revolution, Identity Politics, Social Media, etc – and in past conferences we have often looked at the moral issues involved. This year we want to look at their ideological roots and the challenge they pose to Identity Formation. In contrast to our culture’s obsession with Social Media Image and Political Identity, our formation should be grounded in the Image of God and oriented by our Identity in Christ.

Of Athens and Jerusalem - John Hodges - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

Of Athens and Jerusalem - John Hodges - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
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John Hodges (currently the director of the Center for Western Studies) is a conductor and composer, holding degrees in Music from the University of Maryland, and Indiana University.  He served as Music Director for various symphony orchestras and church music programs in Memphis from 1983-2009.  He also held the position of Associate Professor of the Arts and Cultural Apologetics at Crichton College where he taught art and music history, philosophy of the Christian Faith, directed theater and founded and directed the Institute for the Arts and Cultural Apologetics.
 
The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" takes the general theme of 'Identity Formation'. Our current Cultural Confusion is manifested in many areas – the Sexual Revolution, Identity Politics, Social Media, etc – and in past conferences we have often looked at the moral issues involved. This year we want to look at their ideological roots and the challenge they pose to Identity Formation. In contrast to our culture’s obsession with Social Media Image and Political Identity, our formation should be grounded in the Image of God and oriented by our Identity in Christ.

A Christian Response to Human Rights Ideology - Guilherme de Carvalho - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

A Christian Response to Human Rights Ideology - Guilherme de Carvalho - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
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Guilherme de Carvalho is the Director of L'Abri Fellowship Brazil. He studied theology at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie in São Paulo, Brazil (bachelor), Faculdade Teológica Batista de São Paulo (Th.M.), Universidade Metodista de São Paulo (MSc, Science of Religion).His research interests include Christian Philosophy, epistemology of religious belief, transdisciplinary connections between theology and culture (science, arts, politics).
 
The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" takes the general theme of 'Identity Formation'. Our current Cultural Confusion is manifested in many areas – the Sexual Revolution, Identity Politics, Social Media, etc – and in past conferences we have often looked at the moral issues involved. This year we want to look at their ideological roots and the challenge they pose to Identity Formation. In contrast to our culture’s obsession with Social Media Image and Political Identity, our formation should be grounded in the Image of God and oriented by our Identity in Christ.

The Failure of Liberalism to Stop Totalitarianism - Clarke Scheibe - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

The Failure of Liberalism to Stop Totalitarianism - Clarke Scheibe - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
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Clarke Scheibe grew up in Memphis, TN. He graduated in 1998 with a Bachelors of Liberal Arts (University of Mississippi), with a Creative Writing emphasis. He moved to Canada in 2000 and graduated with a MDiv (Regent College) in 2004. His interests are in theology, philosophy, social critique, pop culture, literature, short fiction, sports, and music.
 
The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" takes the general theme of 'Identity Formation'. Our current Cultural Confusion is manifested in many areas – the Sexual Revolution, Identity Politics, Social Media, etc – and in past conferences we have often looked at the moral issues involved. This year we want to look at their ideological roots and the challenge they pose to Identity Formation. In contrast to our culture’s obsession with Social Media Image and Political Identity, our formation should be grounded in the Image of God and oriented by our Identity in Christ.

Critique of the Modern Self - Andy Patton - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

Critique of the Modern Self - Andy Patton - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
Andy Patton worked at English L'Abri for several years before taking over as director of Operations at the Rabbit Room in Nashville.
 
The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" takes the general theme of 'Identity Formation'. Our current Cultural Confusion is manifested in many areas – the Sexual Revolution, Identity Politics, Social Media, etc – and in past conferences we have often looked at the moral issues involved. This year we want to look at their ideological roots and the challenge they pose to Identity Formation. In contrast to our culture’s obsession with Social Media Image and Political Identity, our formation should be grounded in the Image of God and oriented by our Identity in Christ.

Two Human Longings, Lost and Found - Ben Keyes - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

Two Human Longings, Lost and Found - Ben Keyes - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
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Ben Keyes studied at Brown University, reading ethnomusicology. In 2002 he spent 6 months studying at the English L’Abri.
Ben studied Theology and the Arts at Regent College in Vancouver and directed a large gospel choir as part of his final thesis project. While at Regent, Ben and two of his classmates started a folk trio called Ordinary TIme which sings both original songs and arrangements of old hymns. Ordinary Time has recorded 5 albums to date.
In 2007 Ben and Nickaela began working at the Southborough L’Abri and have been there ever since. In 2016 Ben and Nickaela became co-directors of the Southborough branch. They have twin daughters and a son. Ben loves to cook, lead music at his church, give lectures, read to his children, carve wooden birds, play the banjo and tie flies.
 
The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" takes the general theme of 'Identity Formation'. Our current Cultural Confusion is manifested in many areas – the Sexual Revolution, Identity Politics, Social Media, etc – and in past conferences we have often looked at the moral issues involved. This year we want to look at their ideological roots and the challenge they pose to Identity Formation. In contrast to our culture’s obsession with Social Media Image and Political Identity, our formation should be grounded in the Image of God and oriented by our Identity in Christ.
 

Identity Found in God’s Likeness - Dick Keyes - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

Identity Found in God's Likeness - Dick Keyes - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
Dick Keyes is the director emeritus of L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts, where he has worked with his wife, Mardi, and family since 1979. He holds a B.A. in History from Harvard University and an M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Dick has worked for L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland and in England, where he served also as a pastor in the International Presbyterian Church in London for eight years. He has been an adjunct professor at Gordon Conwell Seminary and Westminster Theological Seminary. 
He is the author of Beyond Identity, Heroism, Chameleon Christianity, Seeing Through Cynicism, and several chapters in anthologies such as No God But God, ed. Os Guinness, Finding God at Harvard, ed. Kelly Monroe, and New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics from Intervarsity Press. He has lectured widely in the U.S. and also in Europe and Korea. Dick and Mardi are minority members of an African American Church, which has enriched their lives and experience of worship enormously. Dick is a member of the Ministerial Team.
 
The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" takes the general theme of 'Identity Formation'. Our current Cultural Confusion is manifested in many areas – the Sexual Revolution, Identity Politics, Social Media, etc – and in past conferences we have often looked at the moral issues involved. This year we want to look at their ideological roots and the challenge they pose to Identity Formation. In contrast to our culture’s obsession with Social Media Image and Political Identity, our formation should be grounded in the Image of God and oriented by our Identity in Christ.

Classical Formation in Western Civilization - John Hodges - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

Classical Formation in Western Civilization - John Hodges - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
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John Hodges (currently the director of the Center for Western Studies) is a conductor and composer, holding degrees in Music from the University of Maryland, and Indiana University.  He served as Music Director for various symphony orchestras and church music programs in Memphis from 1983-2009.  He also held the position of Associate Professor of the Arts and Cultural Apologetics at Crichton College where he taught art and music history, philosophy of the Christian Faith, directed theater and founded and directed the Institute for the Arts and Cultural Apologetics.
 
The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" takes the general theme of 'Identity Formation'. Our current Cultural Confusion is manifested in many areas – the Sexual Revolution, Identity Politics, Social Media, etc – and in past conferences we have often looked at the moral issues involved. This year we want to look at their ideological roots and the challenge they pose to Identity Formation. In contrast to our culture’s obsession with Social Media Image and Political Identity, our formation should be grounded in the Image of God and oriented by our Identity in Christ.

Identity, Race and Gender: What Should a Christian Think? - Doug Groothuis - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

Identity, Race and Gender: What Should a Christian Think? - Doug Groothuis - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
Click for Slides
 
Dr. Doug Groothuis holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy (University of Oregon, 1993) and is Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary where he heads the Christian Apologetics Master’s degree program. He is the author of nineteen books, beginning with the best-selling Unmasking the New Age (InterVarsity Press, 1986) and including the popular and voluminous textbook, Christian Apologetics, 2nd ed. (IVP Academic, 2022), as well as a poignant memoir, Walking Through Twilight: A Wife’s Illness—a Philosopher’s Lament (InterVarsity, 2017), an introduction to philosophy, Philosophy in Seven Sentences (InterVarsity, 2016), and a bold critique of Critical Race Theory, Fire in the Streets (Salem Books, 2022). He co-authored the introductory textbook on apologetics, The Knowledge of God in the World and in the Word (Zondervan-Academic, 2022) with Andrew Shepardson. His most recent book is World Religions in Seven Sentences (InterVarsity, 2023).
 
The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" takes the general theme of 'Identity Formation'. Our current Cultural Confusion is manifested in many areas – the Sexual Revolution, Identity Politics, Social Media, etc – and in past conferences we have often looked at the moral issues involved. This year we want to look at their ideological roots and the challenge they pose to Identity Formation. In contrast to our culture’s obsession with Social Media Image and Political Identity, our formation should be grounded in the Image of God and oriented by our Identity in Christ.
 

The Center is Not Holding: The Modern Self and a Theology of Adoptive Identity - Mike Sugimoto - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

The Center is Not Holding: The Modern Self and a Theology of Adoptive Identity - Mike Sugimoto - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
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Mike Sugimoto is Professor of Asian Studies at Pepperdine University with a focus on cinema, sociology and philosophy.
 
The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" takes the general theme of 'Identity Formation'. Our current Cultural Confusion is manifested in many areas – the Sexual Revolution, Identity Politics, Social Media, etc – and in past conferences we have often looked at the moral issues involved. This year we want to look at their ideological roots and the challenge they pose to Identity Formation. In contrast to our culture’s obsession with Social Media Image and Political Identity, our formation should be grounded in the Image of God and oriented by our Identity in Christ.

The Rise of the Affective Field - Guilherme de Carvalho - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

The Rise of the Affective Field - Guilherme de Carvalho - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
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Guilherme de Carvalho is the Director of L'Abri Fellowship Brazil. He studied theology at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie in São Paulo, Brazil (bachelor), Faculdade Teológica Batista de São Paulo (Th.M.), Universidade Metodista de São Paulo (MSc, Science of Religion).His research interests include Christian Philosophy, epistemology of religious belief, transdisciplinary connections between theology and culture (science, arts, politics).

Personal Identity and its Shrinking Foundation - Dick Keyes - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity

Personal Identity and its Shrinking Foundation - Dick Keyes - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity
 
Dick Keyes is the director emeritus of L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts, where he has worked with his wife, Mardi, and family since 1979. He holds a B.A. in History from Harvard University and an M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Dick has worked for L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland and in England, where he served also as a pastor in the International Presbyterian Church in London for eight years. He has been an adjunct professor at Gordon Conwell Seminary and Westminster Theological Seminary. 
He is the author of Beyond Identity, Heroism, Chameleon Christianity, Seeing Through Cynicism, and several chapters in anthologies such as No God But God, ed. Os Guinness, Finding God at Harvard, ed. Kelly Monroe, and New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics from Intervarsity Press. He has lectured widely in the U.S. and also in Europe and Korea. Dick and Mardi are minority members of an African American Church, which has enriched their lives and experience of worship enormously. Dick is a member of the Ministerial Team.

Plant your apple tree: An organic farmer on Christian homesteading and the case for getting your hands in the dirt - Daniel Miller - November 17th - Friday Night Lecture

"If I knew the world would end tomorrow, I would plant an apple tree today.” — Martin Luther
 
When his mother's cancer diagnosis brought Daniel Miller back from college to rural Minnesota, he had no intention of staying. But after his mom’s death, he developed a deep longing to reconnect with his ancestral farming roots in the area. After meeting his wife Hannah, the Millers bought 30 acres of farmland only five miles from where Daniel's great-great grandparents homesteaded in the mid-1800s. With lots of big ideas and pitifully limited experience, they quickly bought a milk cow, two work horses, and started having babies. Full of youthful energy and bucolic zeal, they embraced the hard work of trial-by-lots-of-error farming. Reflecting on 14 whirlwind-years of farm life, Daniel still sees Christian homesteading as a unique way to work together as a family and cultivate community. When rooted in Christ, taking care of some land can train one's eyes to see His redemptive action through nature, work, and family. With our main-stream culture very busy attempting to live digitally and detach from the natural world, Daniel sees a counter-cultural alternative in reconnecting with the ancient paths of family, land, and tight community. Come join us for a lively presentation and discussion.
 
Daniel Miller is an organic vegetable farmer and has a degree in political science from the University of Minnesota. His essays have appeared in the Minnesota Daily, Green Blade, and Critique. He and his wife Hannah live near Zumbro Falls, Minnesota, with their five children.

Mesopotamia and the Bible: A Comparison of Creation Accounts - Mark Chavalas - November 10th - Friday Night Lecture

Since the deciphering of the cuneiform scripts in the 1850’s, it has been apparent that the enormous output of texts from Mesopotamia provided an important but somewhat unclear context for understanding the Old Testament in its original environment. Texts like the Hammurabi Code and the Gilgamesh Epic caused varied reactions, ranging from a rejection of any connection to the Bible whatsoever, to the belief that all cultural traditions in the Bible were derived from Mesopotamia.
With this in mind, I will compare aspects of the so-called Babylonian Creation Epic (Enuma Elish) and other Mesopotamian creation narratives with the biblical account in Genesis, In particular, I will address the recent ideas of John Walton (The Lost World of Genesis One, 2009, and Genesis One as Ancient Cosmology, 2011), who has argued that creation in Genesis should be viewed in functional, rather than material terms. Further, he posits that the cosmos in Genesis should be viewed in temple terms (i.e., there is a close relationship between the material world and God's temple described in Genesis).
Mark W. Chavalas is Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he has taught for over thirty years. He and his wife Kimberlee are the parents of six adult children and three grandchildren. Among his publications are the co-edited, Mesopotamia and the Bible (with K.L. Younger Jr.) and the co-authored IVP Bible Background Commentary (with J. Walton and V. Matthews).