Thursday 28 February 2013

Shannon Hoff in India

Senior Member Shannon Hoff is travelling to India to give a talk called "Transgression and Suffering" at a conference at the Indian Institute for Technology in Mumbai on March 8. On March 11 she will be co-leading a workshop on Hegel at the Indian Institute for Technology in Delhi.

Social Justice and Artistic Truth

Senior Member Lambert Zuidervaart is the featured speaker at Kalamazoo College in West Michigan on February 28 and March 1. Lambert’s two public lectures are on social justice and artistic truth, and they are based on his books Art in Public and Artistic Truth. The lectures are part of a year-long series of speeches and artistic performances on “Art, Social Justice, and Critical Theory.” The series will culminate in a conference about these themes on May 16-18. Lambert’s lectures are sponsored by the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership at Kalamazoo College. These free lectiures are open to the public.

Tom and Dawn Wolthuis in Chicago

Our Presidents, Tom and Dawn Wolthuis, are on their way to the US this month for the first time since arriving in Canada. They will be attending a workshop with the Association for Reformed Colleges and Universities in Chicago.

Joe Kirby Published Online

Junior Member Joe Kirby has had a paper published online. The paper is called "Meditations on Life, Death, and Technology in the Style of a Japanese Poet".
The paper can be found at http://icscanada.academia.edu/JosephKirby
and at http://www.philosophyartconference.org/uploads/4/7/9/5/4795298/still_life_conference_proceedings_journal.pdf

March 27: “The Good Society”

On March 27th ICS's Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics (CPRSE) will be hosting a public lecture by Deborah Bowen, Professor of English at Redeemer University College. The presentation, titled “The Good Society: Why Bother with the Humanities in a Time of Crisis?” is part of a series of lectures sponsored annually by the Association of Reformed Colleges and Universities (ARCU). It will take place at 7:30 pm in the Soward Reading Room at Wycliffe College, 5 Hoskin Ave, Toronto. There will be time for discussion afterward, and this will be a great opportunity to engage with an important topic—the “Good Society”. We hope to see you there!

April 5: Richard Rorty Book Launch

Toronto area readers, mark your calendars to attend a book launch on April 5. CPRSE will officially launch Director Ron Kuipers’ latest book, Richard Rorty, with Professor Tom Reynolds of Emmanuel College providing a reflection on the book. This event, which is hosted by Crux Books, will take place from 7-9pm in Leonard Hall at Wycliffe College, 5 Hoskin Avenue (off Tower Road) on the University of Toronto Campus.


Prayers: March 2013


Friday, March 1: Dr. John Hulst passed away last month. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Monday, March 4: Our Presidents Tom and Dawn Wolthuis are going to Chicago for a workshop with the ARCU. We offer prayers for safe, trouble-free travel and fruitful sessions.

Tuesday, March 5: Work continues to prepare the next edition of Perspective. We ask God's blessing and guidance for all those involved.

Wednesday, March 6: We offer prayers of thanks to the many people who have presented ICS with gifts of prayer, money, and expressions of appreciation. It is wonderful to be blessed with so much support and interest.

Thursday, March 7: Senior Member Shannon Hoff will be presenting a paper in Mumbai, India tomorrow. We pray for safe travel for Shannon and for blessings on all who attend the conference.

Friday, March 8: The Alumni Association is meeting today. We pray for unity, that we learn how to share what the ICS means to each of us. We pray for listening ears, and a shared spirit between us.

Monday, March 11: We ask for blessings for Senior Member Shannon Hoff as she co-leads a workshop in Delhi, India today.

Tuesday, March 12: With the winter weather here bringing colds and flu, please continue to pray for the health of staff, faculty and students at ICS.

Wednesday, March 13: The Leadership Team meets today. We offer prayers for God’s guidance for this important committee.

Thursday, March 14: We offer prayers of praise and thanks for the talents of Senior Member Ron Kuipers, whose new book, Richard Rorty, will be published this month.

Friday, March 15: Today we ask for God’s help for those who are struggling with cancer and other illnesses. We pray for strength, patience and for good results from treatment.

Monday, March 18: We offer prayers of gratitude for the talents of Junior Member Joe Kirby, who has had an article published online.

Tuesday, March 19: We ask God's help and guidance for all those who are doing advancement work for ICS both in Canada and in the US. Please pray that support for the vision and mission of ICS continues to grow.

Wednesday, March 20: The Academic Council meets this afternoon. We pray that God's guidance and wisdom be in all the discussions and planning.

Thursday, March 21: We ask for blessings on Senior Member Ron Kuipers as he continues his work as director of our Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics.

Prayers: March 2013

Friday, March 1:  Dr. John Hulst passed away last month. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Monday, March 4:  Our Presidents Tom and Dawn Wolthuis are going to Chicago for a workshop with the ARCU. We offer prayers for safe, trouble-free travel and fruitful sessions.

Tuesday, March 5:  Work continues to prepare the next edition of Perspective. We ask God's blessing and guidance for all those involved.

Wednesday, March 6:  We offer prayers of thanks to the many people who have presented ICS with gifts of prayer, money, and expressions of appreciation. It is wonderful to be blessed with so much support and interest.

Thursday, March 7:  Senior Member Shannon Hoff will be presenting a paper in Mumbai, India tomorrow. We pray for safe travel for Shannon and for blessings on all who attend the conference.

Friday, March 8:  The Alumni Association is meeting today. We pray for unity, that we learn how to share what the ICS means to each of us. We pray for listening ears, and a shared spirit between us.

Monday, March 11:  We ask for blessings for Senior Member Shannon Hoff as she co-leads a workshop in Delhi, India today.

Tuesday, March 12:  With the winter weather here bringing colds and flu, please continue to pray for the health of staff, faculty and students at ICS.

Wednesday, March 13:  The Leadership Team meets today. We offer prayers for God’s guidance for this important committee.

Thursday, March 14:  We offer prayers of praise and thanks for the talents of Senior Member Ron Kuipers, whose new book, Richard Rorty, will be published this month.

Friday, March 15:  Today we ask for God’s help for those who are struggling with cancer and other illnesses. We pray for strength, patience and for good results from treatment.

Monday, March 18:  We offer prayers of gratitude for the talents of Junior Member Joe Kirby, who has had an article published online.

Tuesday, March 19:  We ask God's help and guidance for all those who are doing advancement work for ICS both in Canada and in the US. Please pray that support for the vision and mission of ICS continues to grow.

Wednesday, March 20:  The Academic Council meets this afternoon. We pray that God's guidance and wisdom be in all the discussions and planning.

Thursday, March 21:  We ask for blessings on Senior Member Ron Kuipers as he continues his work as director of our Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics.

Friday, March 22:  We pray for blessings and energy for ICS Presidents, Tom and Dawn Wolthuis, as they manage their many responsibilities.

Monday, March 25:  Our librarian, Isabella Guthrie-McNaughton, is at the TST librarians meeting today. We pray for safe travel and for blessings on all those attending.

Tuesday, March 26:  As this semester continues, we ask God's guidance and wisdom on all our Junior Members who are working hard in their courses and for a sense of balance as they deal with families and jobs as well.

Wednesday, March 27:  The Leadership Team meets today. We ask God to guide their discussions and decisions.
There will be an Interfaculty Colloquium this afternoon. We pray for God's blessing on all participants, and for good and positive insights that will further important academic work.
The ARCU Lecture “The Good Society” is tonight. We ask for blessings on everyone who attends.

Thursday, March 28:  There are only a few weeks left of our spring semester! Give thanks for the insightful, talented, and hard working ICS faculty and staff, and pray for the energy and enthusiasm to sustain them in the midst of their heavy workloads.

Friday, March 29:  As we look ahead to Easter Sunday, we remember that the triumph of Jesus over death gives us hope even in difficult times. We pray that everyone has safe travel and the gifts of peace and joy as they spend the Easter weekend with family and friends.
We pray for blessings and energy for ICS Presidents, Tom and Dawn Wolthuis, as they manage their many responsibilities.
Monday, March 25: Our librarian, Isabella Guthrie-McNaughton, is at the TST librarians meeting today. We pray for safe travel and for blessings on all those attending.

Tuesday, March 26:   As this semester continues, we ask God's guidance and wisdom on all our Junior Members who are working hard in their courses and for a sense of balance as they deal with families and jobs as well.

Wednesday, March 27:  The Leadership Team meets today. We ask God to guide their discussions and decisions.
There will be an Interfaculty Colloquium this afternoon. We pray for God's blessing on all participants, and for good and positive insights that will further important academic work.
The ARCU Lecture “The Good Society” is tonight. We ask for blessings on everyone who attends.

Thursday, March 28: There are only a few weeks left of our spring semester! Give thanks for the insightful, talented, and hard working ICS faculty and staff, and pray for the energy and enthusiasm to sustain them in the midst of their heavy workloads.

Friday, March 29: As we look ahead to Easter Sunday, we remember that the triumph of Jesus over death gives us hope even in difficult times. We pray that everyone has safe travel and the gifts of peace and joy as they spend the Easter weekend with family and friends.

Friday 15 February 2013

In Memory of John Hulst

Dr. John B. Hulst: Visionary Servant Leader

Dr. John B. Hulst began teaching theology at Dordt College in 1968. I was one of his first students. I remember his quiet dignity and his impressive command of the material as he lectured to hundreds of first-year students in the old gymnasium at Dordt.

From teaching Dr. Hulst quickly moved into other roles at Dordt, serving as campus pastor and then dean of students before becoming Dordt’s second president in 1982, a position he held until his retirement in 1996. Because I was active in student government, I had many occasions to test and learn from Dr. Hulst’s wisdom about how institutions work. In 1971, as board chair of the fledgling National Association for Christian Political Action, he hired me to be NACPA’s temporary executive director. I first met Harold and Ruth Recker at the NACPA conference John and I organized that summer. Little did I realize that in six years the Reckers would be my parents-in-law! NACPA itself became the Center for Public Justice in Washington DC, the American counterpart to Canada’s Citizens for Public Justice.

Deeply committed to a Kuyperian vision of life and society, John Hulst had an unstoppable passion for higher education in the Reformed tradition. Perhaps it is no accident that the nearly all of the first graduates from ICS’s master’s program—Brad Breems, Harry Fernhout, John Hull, Don Sinnema, and I—had studied at Dordt when John worked closely with students there. Moreover, all of us went on to faculty and administrative positions at Calvin College, The King’s University College, Trinity Christian College, and ICS.

John was just as active in retirement as he had been during his highly successful presidency at Dordt College. He was a leading figure in the formation of the International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education (IAPCHE), together with John Vander Stelt, who taught philosophy and theology at Dordt for many years. He also was a strong promoter of what has become the Association of Reformed Colleges and Universities (ARCU). And for several years, during Harry Fernhout’s tenure as ICS’s president, John served as the dynamic chair of ICS’s board of trustees. In that role he helped ICS achieve financial stability after a troubled time, and he tirelessly promoted our work through his many networks and contacts in the United States.

What I remember most vividly, however, and with greatest appreciation, is John’s genuine interest and care for the young people he served over the years. Blessed with a deep bass voice and a lively intelligence, he would always seek me out at meetings to ask about my life and to offer words of appreciation and encouragement. Even though he had served thousands of undergraduates over the years, he always let me know I had his personal blessing.

John Hulst died on February 8, 2013, at the age of 83. We have lost a visionary servant leader. Asking God to sustain his loved ones, we give heartfelt thanks for his life and work.

Lambert Zuidervaart

Mar. 27 Lecture: “The Good Society”

On March 27th, the ICS's CPRSE will be hosting a public lecture by Deborah Bowen, Professor of English at Redeemer University College. The presentation, titled “The Good Society: Why Bother with the Humanities in a Time of Crisis?” is part of a series of lectures sponsored annually by ARCU (the Association of Reformed Colleges and Universities). It will take place at 7:30 in the Soward Reading Room at Wycliffe College, 5 Hoskin Ave, Toronto. There will be time for discussion afterward, and this will be a great opportunity to engage with an important topic—the “Good Society”. We hope to see you there!

23 Facts

By the Numbers: Facts About ICS in 2012-2013
  • 20 courses offered
  • 47 students in degree programs
  • 37 additional students in courses, primarily from the Toronto School of Theology
  • 10 faculty presentations at church and community conferences
  • 6 student sessions at church and community conference
  • 7 articles in popular or professional venues
  • 4 scholarly articles from faculty
  • 2 books from faculty
  • 3 completed book manuscripts
  • 2 completed book proposals
  • 16 papers at scholarly conferences
  • 2 articles published in magazines
  • 4 forewords
  • 4 refereed documents
  • 2 successful Junior Member (student) grant applications
  • 2 Junior Member scholarly papers published
  • 9 Junior Members graduated (2012 Convocation)
  • 2 honorary doctorates
  • 2 major events, along with collaboration in many others
  • 4 inter-faculty colloquia with participants including University of Toronto
  • 1 blog, Ground Motive, with many articles and discussions
  • 29 educational and informative videos on our Youtube channel
  • 168 issues of our newsletter Perspective (back to 1967) available online

Thursday 14 February 2013

Andrew Van’t Land in Ottawa

Junior Member Andrew Van’t Land will be presenting a paper on Saturday, February 16 in Ottawa at Dominican University College's Student Association's 12th Annual Student Conference. The title of his paper is "Plato's Pedagogical Paradox: Rhetoric, Dialectic and Education in Gorgias and Phaedrus."

Tuesday 5 February 2013

Prayers: February 2013

Friday, February 1: Our librarian, Isabella Guthrie-McNaughton, is attending the Ontario Library Association conference in Toronto today. Please pray for safe travel and fruitful sessions.

Monday, February 4: We thank God for all the applicants to our programs. We pray that the successful applicants will be able to join us in our mission.

Tuesday, February 5: We pray for God’s blessing for the alumni association. We ask for strength and that God will make it an instrument of his will.

Wednesday, February 6: The Academic Council meets today. We ask God to guide them in their discussions and decisions.

Thursday, February 7: We ask God to bless our Presidents, the Rev. Dr. Thomas Wolthuis and Ms. Dawn Wolthuis. We pray for energy and wisdom for them as they manage their many responsibilities.

Friday, February 8: Many of our Junior Members are working on their their Masters and PhD thesis projects. We pray for our Junior Members and ask that they will have time, concentration, and wisdom.

Monday, February 11: We offer prayers of gratitude for the generous spirit that is always shown by you, our many supporters who have presented ICS with gifts of prayer, money, and expressions of appreciation. We are constantly blessed with your interest and support.

Tuesday, February 12: Work continues to prepare the upcoming edition of Perspective. We ask God's blessing and guidance for all those involved.

Wednesday, February 13: There is a Leadership Team meeting today. We ask God to guide them in their discussions and decisions.
The Interfaculty Colloquium will be held this afternoon. We pray for God's blessing on all participants, and for good and positive insights that will further important academic work.

Thursday, February 14: We ask God's blessing on all Senior Members as they gather today for a faculty meeting. We pray for guidance and wisdom.
Junior Member Joe Kirby is presenting a paper in Montreal today. We pray for God’s blessing on Joe and on all the conference participants.

Friday, February 15: With the winter season bringing colds and flu, please continue to pray for the health of all faculty, students and staff at ICS.

Monday, February 18: Today is Family Day in Ontario. We pray that everyone has a happy and peaceful day with their loved ones.

Tuesday, February 19: This is Reading Week! Please pray that our Senior and Junior Members will be able to use this break from classes to catch up, get ahead, or use the week for whatever they may need to help them in their studies. May God bless each of us with what we need during this week.

Wednesday, February 20: We continue to pray for stamina and wisdom for Senior Member Doug Blomberg as he continues in his role as Academic Dean.

Thursday, February 21: As Reading Week continues, please pray that it will be a fruitful week for the academic body at ICS as many Senior and Junior Members have projects they are working on beyond normal class work. Whether these are publications, papers for conferences, or other scholarly activities, pray that this week will afford extra time to make progress in these areas.

Friday, February 22: We ask for blessings on Senior Member Ron Kuipers as he continues his work as Director of our Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics.

Monday, February 25: As the classes resume, we ask for God's guidance and wisdom for all our Junior Members who are working hard in their academics and for a sense of balance as they deal with families and jobs as well.

Tuesday, February 26: Today we pray for those who are struggling with illnesses. We ask God for strength, patience and for good results from treatment.

Wednesday, February 27: The Leadership Team meets today. We ask God's wisdom and guidance for this meeting, and we offer prayers of gratitude for the experience and expertise they bless ICS with.

Thursday, February 28: We ask God's help and guidance for all those who are doing advancement work for ICS both in Canada and in the US. Please pray that support for the vision and mission of ICS continues to grow.

Joe Kirby in Montreal

Junior Member Joe Kirby’s paper "Cosmogenetic Labour in the Crisis of the Anthropocene" will be included in the 18th Annual Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference (AGIC), to be held Thursday February 14, 2013, at Concordia University in Montreal.