Christmas Greetings from ICS!

The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:  to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"   Luke 2:10–14

May you be blessed with peace, hope, love
and joy this Christmas and always.

With best wishes from
the Institute for Christian Studies.

Spirituality, Religion, and the Call to Love

On November 14 Lambert Zuidervaart presented his paper On Being a Reformational Philosopher: Spirituality, Religion, and the Call to Love in a lecture to the ICS seminar series "Scripture, Faith, and Scholarship". We are pleased to present both the lecture and excerpts of the question and answer session of this insightful, thorough, inspiring and personal examination of the relationships between religion, spirituality, scripture, and Christian thought and practice. Click here to watch the videos and read the paper.

Shawn Stovell's Appointment at Knox College

Shawn Stovell, Associate Academic Dean and Registrar, has accepted appointment as Registrar and Manager of Academic Services at Knox College, University of Toronto. We heartily congratulate Shawn as he accepts the call to a new challenge. He will, however, be sorely missed at ICS.

Shawn's appointment was effective Monday November 17 on a part-time basis to enable a period of transition for ICS, and will become full-time as of December 20. We are particularly grateful to Shawn for arranging this time of transition. We are all deeply thankful for Shawn's sterling service these past several years, as he stepped up to steadily increasing responsibilities at ICS.

Jeff Hocking, Student Services and Financial Aid Officer, has agreed to accept appointment as Interim Registrar, for a period of three months. We are grateful indeed that Jeff is willing to increase his time and responsibilities for this purpose. We are confident that he is well prepared for this role. We are also grateful that Shawn has been able to work part-time with Jeff in this transition.

Please join us in praying for Jeff and Shawn as they take up their new responsibilities.

Prayer Letter: January 2015

Thursday, January 1: At the beginning of 2015, we look ahead to another year and ask God's blessing on all our learning and teaching that will happen here at ICS.

Friday, January 2: For all the Senior Members who are busy with the final preparation for their winter classes, we pray for guidance and stamina.

Monday, January 5: The first week of classes of the winter semester begins today! Today is the first day for “Albert the Great, Meister Eckhart and Women’s Spirituality” with Senior Member Bob Sweetman. We ask for God's blessing on all the course participants.

Tuesday, January 6: Today is the first day of two courses: “Faithful Thinking and World Orientation: Augustine, Aquinas, Dooyeweerd, Olthuis” with Senior Member Bob Sweetman and “Reconsidering Kant’s Aesthetics” with Senior Member Rebekah Smick. We ask God to bless all the course participants.

Wednesday, January 7: Two new courses begin today: “Aristotle’s Political Philosophy at the Crossroads of Ethics and History” with Senior Member Bob Sweetman and “The Radical Theopolitics of John D Caputo” with Senior Member Emeritus Jim Olthuis. We offer prayers for God's blessing on all the course participants.

Thursday, January 8: There are two courses beginning today: “Grace as an Aesthetic Concept” with Senior Member Rebekah Smick and “To the Unknown God: Paul and Some Philosophers” with Senior Member Ron Kuipers. We pray for God's blessing on all the course participants.

Friday, January 9: Senior Member Nik Ansell's course begins today: “Birthpangs of a New Creation: Judgement unto Salvation in the Book of Revelation”. We pray for God's blessing on all the participants.
The Educational Policy Committee meets today. We pray for God’s wisdom to guide this meeting.

Monday, January 12: Two distance courses begin this week: “Leadership: Vision and Mission” with Dr Clinton Stockwell and “Liberating Theologies: Talking about God in the Context of Social (In)Justice” with Jeff Hocking. We pray for God's blessing on all the course participants.

Tuesday, January 13: There is an ICS Community Meeting this morning. We pray for blessings on all the participants.

Wednesday, January 14: The Academic Council meets this afternoon. We pray for God's wisdom to guide the discussions and decisions at this meeting.

Thursday, January 15: We offer prayers of thanks for the many people who have presented ICS with gifts of prayer, money, and expressions of appreciation, particularly through December and the busy Christmas season. We are deeply grateful to be blessed with so much support and interest.

Friday, January 16: Today we pray for blessings for the Friends of ICS Board and all those who are doing advancement work in the US.

Monday, January 19: For any of us who are ill or who have family or friends who are ill, we pray for peace, strength, hope and healing.

Tuesday, January 20: We continue to pray for blessings and energy for ICS President Doug Blomberg, as he manages his many responsibilities and provides ICS with his leadership.

Wednesday, January 21: There is a Board Meeting this evening. We pray for God’s wisdom to guide this meeting.

Thursday, January 22: We ask God's help and guidance for all those who are doing advancement work for ICS. Please pray that support for the vision and mission of ICS continues to grow.

Friday, January 23: We are blessed by the administrative work at the ICS. We offer thanks to God for the work they are given. We thank God for administrative excellence during hard times.

Monday, January 26: Today we pray for the general well-being of the ICS. We ask for blessings and energy for ICS faculty and staff as they work together to manage their many responsibilities.

Tuesday, January 27: Today we pray for blessings on Shawn Stovell, who is now working at Knox College, and for Jeff Hocking, as he begins his work as Interim Registrar here at ICS.

Wednesday, January 28: We ask God to bless Senior Member Ron Kuipers and Dr Allyson Carr as they continue their work with our Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics.

Thursday, January 29: We ask God to bless those who are teaching, as they balance reporting, paperwork and course work with managing their families.

Friday, January 30: With the winter weather here bringing colds and flu, please pray for the health of staff, faculty and students at ICS.

Annual General Meeting: Thursday December 4

All ICS members are invited to attend our Annual General Meeting on Thursday, December 4 at 7:00 pm in Suite 103 at ICS, 229 College Street, Toronto. Materials have been distributed.

Changing to Stay the Same: CPRSE Publishes Volume of Bob Sweetman’s Channel 229 Reflections

Just in time for Advent: The ICS Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics is pleased to announce the publication of Changing to Stay the Same: Reflections on Faithfulness and the Witness of the Institute for Christian Studies, by Senior Member Bob Sweetman. The book collects fifty-two of Bob’s reflection pieces that were written over the course of several years for this very e-newsletter. Organized according to the seasons of the church calendar, the collection is intended as a devotional companion through the year, and is dedicated with gratitude to our support community.

Click here to purchase this book online or inquire about other purchasing options.

Coming Soon (with the Generous Help of the Reid Trust): Lambert Zuidervaart’s Essay Collection on the Legacy of Reformational Philosophy

Senior Member Lambert Zuidervaart has been awarded a $4,000 grant from the Priscilla and Stanford Reid Trust to subsidize the publication of a forthcoming collection of essays in and about reformational philosophy. The book’s working title is Religion, Life, and Society: Essays in Reformational Philosophy, Volume 1, and will be published by McGill-Queen's University Press.

Godfrey Nkongolo Welcomes His Daughter!

Congratulations to Junior Member Godfrey Nkongolo and his wife Jessica, on the birth of their daughter, Rebeka, on November 30. What a wonderful early Christmas gift!

Prayer Letter: December 2014

Monday, December 1: We offer congratulations and prayers of thanks and praise for the talents and hard work of Junior Member Carolyn Mackie, who successfully defended her MA thesis last month.

Tuesday, December 2: We ask God's help and guidance for all those who are doing advancement work for ICS. Please pray that support for the vision and mission of ICS continues to grow.

Wednesday, December 3: The Professional Status Committee and the Educational Policy Committee meet today. We pray for God’s wisdom to guide these meetings.

Thursday, December 4: Today is our President’s Reception and the launch of Bob Sweetman’s new book. We ask God for blessings on all attending this event.
Following the reception ICS will hold its Annual General Meeting, where members will elect new Board members and conduct the annual required business for ICS. We are extremely grateful for our committed and hard working Board members. Please pray for wisdom and guidance at this meeting.

Friday, December 5: We offer prayers of thanks for all the hard work done by the outgoing Board members. We ask God for wisdom and energy for the incoming Board members.

Monday, December 8: There is a Board Meeting this evening. We welcome our new and returning Board members and ask God's grace and blessings on them as they continue to work in helping ICS fulfill its mission. We pray for God’s wisdom to guide this meeting.

Tuesday, December 9: The fall semester ends this week, but there is still a lot of academic work to be done! Please pray for blessings and stamina for our Junior Members as they finish their course work and for our Senior Members as they mark and prepare for the upcoming semester.

Wednesday, December 10: Today is the last Academic Council meeting of the 2014 calendar year. We ask that God's guidance and wisdom be in all the discussions and planning.

Thursday, December 11: Tomorrow is the final day of classes for this semester. We can look back with gratitude and offer prayers of thanks for another semester of opportunities to learn.

Friday, December 12: This is a day of celebration: the last day of classes and our Community Christmas party! We thank God for a fruitful semester and look forward to an evening of celebration, reflection, and fun. Remember the ICS community as Junior Members, Senior Members, and staff gather to celebrate.

Monday, December 15: As the season of Advent continues, we pray for God's grace and blessings as we prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Tuesday, December 16: We offer prayers of gratitude for the very generous spirit of you, our supporters, throughout the Christmas giving season. It is truly a blessing to have the interest and support of so many people.

Wednesday, December 17: Many members of the ICS community will be traveling far and wide. Please pray for their safe travel and for a blessed and rejuvenating time spent with friends and family.

Thursday, December 18: As we begin the final preparations for our Christmas celebrations with family and friends, we thank God for all he has provided for us.

Friday, December 19: We pray for blessings for the Friends of ICS Board and all those who are doing advancement work in the US.

Monday, December 22: With the winter weather bringing colds and flu, please pray for the health of staff, faculty and students at ICS.

Tuesday, December 23: We offer prayers of joy for Junior Member Godfrey Nkongolo, his wife Jessica and the birth of their beautiful daughter, Rebeka on November 30. We thank God for this wonderful new life!

Wednesday, December 24: As Christmas draws closer, we remember people who are suffering around the world in areas of conflict and war. We need to hear the angels' call for "Peace on Earth" and so we offer prayers that peace and joy can be realized throughout the world.

Thursday, December 25: Today we joyously celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We offer prayers of thanks to God for this wonderful gift and we pray that everyone has a peaceful and happy day with loved ones.

Friday, December 26: Today we pray for the general well-being of the ICS. We ask for blessings and energy for ICS faculty and staff as they work together to manage their many responsibilities.

Monday, December 29: We pray for stamina and enthusiasm for our Senior Members who are preparing to start their new courses in January.

Tuesday, December 30: 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.

Wednesday, December 31: As the year 2014 draws to a close we give thanks for another fruitful year of work at ICS and for all our supporters and friends who made that work possible through their prayers and financial gifts. We pray for God's blessings upon all the teaching and learning that will happen in the next year.

Meeting of Leaders of Christian Colleges and Universities around the World

International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education – Asia-Oceania Region

Conference of Presidents/Principals and Senior Leaders of Christian Colleges and Universities around the World, 1-4 November 2014.

by Doug Blomberg, President of ICS

The rate of growth of Christian institutions of higher education in the majority world is indeed amazing. But so is it also to recognise that there are many such institutions in India, Africa and elsewhere in the region that have a history reaching into the nineteenth century. The purpose of this conference in Melaka, Malaysia was to foster collaboration within countries and internationally. It was organised under the leadership of Regional Director Dr. J. Dinakarlal from India in collaboration with Dr. Mwende Ntarangwi, Executive Director of IAPCHE (of which former ICS President Dr. Harry Fernhout is Chair). As might be expected, the majority of participants were from Asia, but there was a sprinkling of delegates from other regions as well. Though there were formal plenary presentations, these were personal and practical in character. Much of the time was spent in small group interaction, as people got to know each other and their various ministries. My hope is that relationships fostered in this gathering might strengthen existing partnerships and grow into many more. Let us pray that ICS will figure significantly among these.

Lambert Zuidervaart Interview in Urban Times

An interview with Lambert Zuidervaart has appeared in the British online journal Urban Times. The interviewer, Thejas Jagannath, asks Lambert why he wrote his book Art in Public (Cambridge University Press, 2011) and what he thinks about commercialism, collaboration, and politics in the arts. To read the interview, go to https://urbantimes.co/2014/10/interview-with-lambert-zuidervaart-on-his-book-art-in-public/.

En Route to the Confessions

ICS alumnus Daniel Napier has recently published a book titled En Route to the Confessions: The Roots and Development of Augustine’s Philosophical Anthropology. For more information, visit http://www.peeters-leuven.be/boekoverz.asp?nr=9255.

Prayer Letter: October 2014

Monday, November 3: ICS President Doug Blomberg is attending the International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education (IAPCHE) institutional leaders' meeting in Kuala Lumpur. We pray for blessings on everyone who is attending this meeting.

Tuesday, November 4: Today we pray for the ICS Board recruitment process, that committed and able candidates for Board vacancies will be offered to the ICS membership for approval.

Wednesday, November 5: 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.

Thursday, November 6: We ask God's help and guidance for all those who are doing advancement work for ICS. Please pray that support for the vision and mission of ICS continues to grow.

Friday, November 7: We ask God to bless Junior Member Carolyn Mackie as she defends her MA thesis today.

Sunday, November 9: ICS President Doug Blomberg is flying home to Toronto today. We pray for safe travel.

Monday, November 10: We offer prayers of gratitude and give thanks to 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, November 11: Today we observe Remembrance Day in Canada. We are reminded of the wars that continue to rage and the soldiers and civilians who continue to suffer around the world. We pray for peace.
The Professional Status Committee meets today. We pray for God’s blessings on this meeting.

Wednesday, November 12: Doug Blomberg will be a guest at the Niagara Classis meeting this morning. Please pray for fruitful interaction with these representatives of our supporting community.
The Academic Council and Leadership Team meet today. We ask for God’s wisdom to guide these meetings.

Thursday, November 13: We ask God to bless those who are teaching, as they balance reporting, paperwork and course work with managing their families.

Friday, November 14: We pray for blessings for the Friends of ICS Board and all those who are doing advancement work in the US.

Monday, November 17: We continue to pray for blessings and energy for ICS President Doug Blomberg as he manages his many responsibilities and provides ICS with his leadership.

Tuesday, November 18: Today we pray for the general well-being of the ICS. We ask for blessings and energy for ICS faculty and staff as they work together to manage their many responsibilities.

Wednesday, November 19: Lord, we are blessed by the administrative work at the ICS. Thank you for the work they are given. Thank you for administrative excellence during hard times.

Thursday, November 20: We ask for God's blessing on Ed Hayley, Director of Finance and his team, who are planning the Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday, December 4. We pray for energy and enthusiasm for all who are involved.

Friday, November 21: Today we pray for the work of Senior Members. Bless their ongoing tasks, both administrative and academic. Give them the relief they need when things pile up.

Monday, November 24: We ask God to bless and guide Senior Member Ron Kuipers and Allyson Carr as they continue their work with our Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics.

Tuesday, November 25: As the fall semester draws to a close, we ask God for energy and wisdom for 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. We pray too that student jobs will be found where they are needed.

Wednesday, November 26: 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.

Thursday, November 27: Today Doug Blomberg will participate in the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada President’s Day. This will be followed tomorrow by the meeting of Christian Higher Education Canada. Board co-chair, Aileen Van Ginkel, will also be present in another capacity. We thank the Lord for the opportunity for these gatherings and pray that God will guide these times of fellowship.
Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Pray for safe travel for those who are going to join their families and friends for this holiday. On this day, let us reflect on God's grace and give thanks for family and friends.

Friday, November 28: The season of Advent begins on Sunday. We pray for God's blessings as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ.

"Junior Member Issue" of Perspective Available Now

Envelopes for the September issue of Perspective are being addressed at this moment. Those of you who receive Perspective by mail can expect to see your copy soon. People who prefer to read it online, or to print it out themselves, can get it right now at perspective.icscanada.edu/48-2

This issue of Perspective is called the "Junior Member Issue" because a group of ICS students stepped forward to help us create the largest and perhaps most engaging issue in recent times. This issue includes four original essays by junior members, and junior members organised and performed editorial duties for much of the rest of the issue, including a feature article by Lambert Zuidervaart. Also in this issue are an article by ICS past president Harry Fernhout welcoming Doug Blomberg to the role of president, and an interview with ICS alumni and professor of philosophy at Dordt, Neal De Roo.

We avoided calling this issue "special" because that term can imply an additional issue outside of the usual series, not merely an exception to the norm. "Special" may in fact be an accurate description in the latter sense, but the kind of work reflected within this issue's pages, the attention paid to topics that matter, is a regular part of the lives of ICS junior and senior members. In a sense, this issue simply brings what is normal at ICS to the fore. We are well pleased with the results and we hope that you will be too!

Update: CETA Fall Conference Sat. Oct. 18

Toward an Evangelical Feminism. On Saturday, 18th October, the ICS's Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics, along with Wycliffe College, will co-host this year's Fall conference of the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association (CETA). The topic this year is Evangelical feminism, and the keynote will be given by Dr. Marion Ann Taylor. For more details, or to register for the conference online, click here. We hope to see you there!

NOTE: To those who have already registered, be advised that the schedule has been revised to account for last-minute cancellations. Links to the revised schedule and abstracts can be found on the page for this conference.

Justice and Faith Research Project Reports Now Available

The interim results of the Justice and Faith project are now available! The CPRSE, in partnership with the Christian Reformed Church and the Centre for Community Based Research, have finished the first of two years of this project examining justice in the context of a life of faith. You can find out more about the project, as well as download copies of the representative survey results and a summary of the findings from the interviews we conducted, either at the Centre's own site devoted to the project: www.icscanada.edu/cprse/justice-and-faith, or at the CRC's page: www.crcna.org/CanadianMinistries/justice-and-faith-project. We are planning upcoming community connection events, and will let you know as soon as details become available.

Doug Blomberg in Kuala Lumpur

At the end of the month ICS President Doug Blomberg flies to Kuala Lumpur to attend the International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education for the next three days. This meeting of Presidents and other institutional leaders is designed to foster collaboration between Christian universities and colleges. Former ICS President, Harry Fernhout, is currently chair of IAPCHE and will also be participating.

Lambert Zuidervaart to Publish a New Book

Lambert Zuidervaart, Senior Member in Philosophy, has learned that McGill-Queen’s University Press plans to publish a book with the working title Religion, Life, and Society: Essays in Reformational Philosophy, Volume 1. The book contains 15 of Lambert’s essays and papers in and about reformational philosophy, with a focus on questions about faith, knowledge, and social critique. It will appear in late 2015 or early 2016. Lambert is currently putting together a second volume of his reformational reflections, with an emphasis on the arts, culture, and education

Shannon Hoff in Vancouver

As the President of the Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy, Shannon Hoff has been planning the annual congress for several months. On Wednesday, October 1st, she will travel to Vancouver for the congress, which will take place from October 2-4.

CPRSE Co-Hosting Canadian Evangelical Theological Association Conference

Toward an Evangelical Feminism. On Saturday, 18th October, the ICS's Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics, along with Wycliffe College, will co-host this year's Fall conference of the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association (CETA). The topic this year is Evangelical feminism, and the keynote will be given by Dr. Marion Ann Taylor. For more details, or to register for the conference online, click here. We hope to see you there!

Prayer Letter: October 2014

Wednesday, October 1: The Professional Status Committee meets today to consider a sabbatical proposal and adjunct appointments, among other items. Faculty will also meet for lunch and a time of fellowship. We pray for God’s blessings on these meetings.
As the second month of the fall semester begins, we ask God's guidance and wisdom for 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. We pray too that student jobs will be found where they are needed.

Thursday, October 2: Senior Member Shannon Hoff will be in Vancouver for the annual congress of the Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy. We pray for safe travel and blessings for all who are attending.

Friday, October 3: Today, President Doug Blomberg will be undergoing minor surgery, which will require a week’s convalescence. Please pray that the Lord will bring healing through the surgeon’s hands and that Doug’s recovery will be comfortable and complete.

Monday, October 6: The Leadership Team meets today. We pray for God's wisdom to guide their discussions and decisions.
The Educational Policy Committee meets to review course proposals for the 2015-16 academic year, and other matters. Courses are obviously key to ICS’s mission, and we pray for discernment in this process.

Tuesday, October 7: Senior Member Bob Sweetman will represent ICS at Classis Toronto in Alliston, Ontario. We ask for fruitful interaction with those gathered.

Wednesday, October 8: The Friends of ICS Board meets today by conference call. FICS is the advancement arm of ICS in the United States. Please pray also for Matt Heynen and (ICS alum) Drew Van’t Land who are contracted as consultants to FICS.

Thursday, October 9: We ask God's help and guidance for all those who are doing advancement work for ICS. Please pray that support for the vision and mission of ICS continues to grow.

Friday, October 10: 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, October 13: Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. As we celebrate and give thanks for the bounty of the harvest, may we reflect on the grace of God and the rewards of our labour. We are grateful that ICS is sustained by both God's grace and the dedicated work of its support community, administrative staff, and Senior and Junior Members.

Tuesday, October 14: As the Thanksgiving weekend ends, we offer prayers of gratitude for the many people who have given ICS gifts of prayers, money, concern and appreciation. It is truly a blessing to have the interest and support of so many people.
The Board meets this evening.

Wednesday, October 15: The Academic Council meets today. We pray for God’s wisdom to guide this meeting.

Thursday, October 16: ICS President Doug Blomberg will be meeting with the President and other senior officers of Nyack College in New York to explore avenues of collaboration.

Friday, October 17: Dr. Richard Middleton, ICS alumnus and Professor of Biblical Worldview and Exegesis at Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, will this morning lead the first of our Scripture, Faith and Scholarship Seminars for 2014-2015.
Presidents and senior academic officers of the Association for Reformed Colleges and Universities will meet today and tomorrow at Providence Christian College, Pasadena CA. On Saturday afternoon, they will participate in the inauguration of Dr. James Belcher as the third President of PCC.

Saturday, October 18: Today ICS's Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics, along with Wycliffe College, will co-host this year's Fall conference of the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association (CETA). We pray for blessings on all who are attending.
ICS President Doug Blomberg hopes to meet with ICS supporters in California today and tomorrow. We pray for blessings and safe travel.

Monday, October 20: Reading Week begins today! 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.

Tuesday, October 21: 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, focus and wisdom.

Wednesday, October 22: 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.

Thursday, October 23: Today we pray for the work of Senior Members. Bless their ongoing tasks, both administrative and academic. Give them the relief they need when things pile up.

Friday, October 24: We ask for God's blessing on those who are planning the Annual General Meeting to be held in early December. We pray for energy and enthusiasm for all who are involved. Also, please pray for the ICS Board recruitment process, that committed and able candidates for Board vacancies will be offered to the ICS membership for approval this fall.

Monday, October 27: Please pray for the Institute and the continued mission of ICS. To be even more specific, we ask that you pray with us that we have good responses to our donor appeals in the remaining months of 2014.

Tuesday, October 28: We pray for blessings for the Friends of ICS Board and all those who are doing advancement work in the US.

Wednesday, October 29: We are now fully into our new academic year! Give thanks for the insightful, talented, and hard working ICS faculty and staff, and pray for energy and enthusiasm to sustain with their workloads.

Thursday, October 30: Today we pray for the general well-being of the ICS. We ask for blessings and energy for ICS faculty and staff as they work together to manage their many responsibilities.

Friday, October 31: Doug Blomberg flies to Kuala Lumpur today to attend the IAPCHE for the next three days. We pray for safe travel and fruitful sessions.

Dr. Doug Blomberg appointed President of the Institute for Christian Studies

Henriette Thompson and Aileen Van Ginkel, Chair and Co-chair of the Board of Trustees of the Institute for Christian Studies, are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Doug Blomberg, Senior Member in Philosophy of Education at ICS, to the position of President, effective July 15, 2014.

Dr. Blomberg first began teaching at ICS in 1997 and is currently its Academic Dean. He has also held the role of interim President since January 2014. “Doug Blomberg is an experienced administrator and respected academic with a long history of commitment to the Institute for Christian Studies,” said Ms. Van Ginkel. “ICS will benefit greatly from Doug’s intimate knowledge of the institution and the continuity he brings to the president’s role,” according to Ms. Thompson.

A native of Australia, Dr. Blomberg spent a year at ICS as a student in 1975-76. He completed his PhD studies at the University of Sydney in 1978 and an EdD at Monash University in 2004. In 1990 he was elected a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators for his “contribution to the theory and practice of Christian schooling”. From 1979, he served as Principal of the Institute (later, the National Institute) for Christian Education, the teacher education arm of the Christian School movement in Australia.

Dr. Blomberg immigrated to Canada with his wife, Heather, in 2003 to accept the position of Senior Member at ICS. He became full Professor in 2009 and Academic Dean in 2011, a role he will continue to hold. Dr. Blomberg has published many articles and spoken at numerous conferences on the topics of education, philosophy, and religion, among others. He is editor and co-author of A Vision with a Task: Christian Schooling for Responsive Discipleship (Baker, 1993). More recently, he authored Wisdom and Curriculum: Christian Schooling After Postmodernity, published by Dordt College Press in 2007.

“I am honoured and humbled to accept the presidency of ICS,” says Dr. Blomberg. “My commitment to the reformational vision and mission of ICS naturally precedes the year I spent here as a student in the mid-seventies. We remain committed to this vision, and with the support and prayers of the community, I am confident the mission can continue to be fulfilled.”

A Christian graduate school in the Reformed tradition founded in 1967, the Toronto-based Institute for Christian Studies is an interdisciplinary graduate school where Reformational philosophy meets contemporary scholarship and society, and where the gospel’s message of renewal shapes the pursuit of wisdom. ICS is an affiliate of the Toronto School of Theology, Canada’s largest ecumenical centre for graduate theological education.

For further information please contact:

Henriette Thompson, Chair
ICS Board of Trustees
henriette.thompson@gmail.com
(647) 701-7812

Aileen Van Ginkel, Co-chair
ICS Board of Trustees
aileen.vanginkel@gmail.com
(416) 985-1034

Joe Kirby in British Columbia

Junior Member Joe Kirby will be presenting a paper into the Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy's 2014 Conference at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia from Oct. 2-4. The title is "Being and Time in Solitary Confinement Awaiting".

The New Fall Semester Begins at ICS!

This month marks the beginning of the new fall semester at ICS! There are six courses starting next week:

Biblical Foundations with Dr Nik Ansell
Nature, Supernature & Miracle in the Thought of Thomas Aquinas with Dr Bob Sweetman
Theories of Truth with Dr Lambert Zuidervaart
Religion, Life and Society: Reformational Philosophy with Dr Lambert Zuidervaart
God/Sex/Word/Flesh: Gender, Theology, and the Body with Dr Nik Ansell
Religion, Critical Theory and Habermas with Dr Ron Kuipers

Two distance courses are offered this semester:
Christianity and the Ecological Crisis with Chris Allers
Ways of Learning with Elaine Brouwer

For all course descriptions and timetables, please visit courses.icscanada.edu.

Prayer Letter: September 2014

Monday, September 1:  We pray for guidance and energy for all those participating in the Registration and Orientation Week and the annual ICS community fall retreat later this week. We thank God for all of our Junior Members and ask God to bless them as they begin another year of studies at ICS.

Tuesday, September 2:  This is Registration Day for our returning Junior Members. We pray for safe travel for all new and returning Junior Members who are coming to study at ICS this fall. As the students arrive, we ask God to help with energy and flexibility for their back-to-school transition.

Wednesday, September 3: Today is ICS's Community Fall Retreat. This event has traditionally served as a wonderful start to another year of our life together at ICS and we pray that this year will be no exception.

Thursday, September 4:  Today is Registration Day for our seven new Junior Members. We offer prayers of thanks for the addition of these new Junior Members to the ICS community this fall. Please continue to remember them in your prayers as they make the final preparations and transitions this summer in order to begin their program studies here next week.

Friday, September 5:  Today we offer prayers of thanks. Harry Knibbe, father of Junior Member Stefan Knibbe recently had surgery and has made a great recovery.

Monday, September 8:  The first week of classes begins today! The first course of the new academic year starts today: "Biblical Foundations" with Senior Member Nik Ansell. We ask for God's blessing on all the course participants.

Tuesday, September 9:  Today is the first class of the new course “Nature, Supernature and Miracle in the Thought of Thomas Aquinas” with Senior Member Bob Sweetman, and “Theories of Truth” with Senior Member Lambert Zuidervaart. We offer prayers for God's blessing on all the course participants.

Wednesday, September 10:  Today is the first day of the new course “Religion, Life and Society: Reformational Philosophy” with Senior Member Lambert Zuidervaart. We pray for God's blessing on all the course participants.
Today the new Junior Members will be visiting the Toronto School of Theology and the University of Toronto Library. We pray for an informative experience for all the participants.

Thursday, September 11:  Today are the first classes of the new courses “God/Sex/Word/Flesh: Gender Theology and the Body” with Senior Member Nik Ansell and “Religion, Critical Theory and Habermas” with Senior Member Ron Kuipers. We offer prayers for God's blessing on all the course participants.

Friday, September 12:  Please pray for the ICS Board recruitment process, that committed and able candidates for Board vacancies will be offered to the ICS membership for approval this fall.

Monday, September 15:  Two distance education courses begin this week: “Christianity and the Ecological Crisis” with Chris Allers and “Ways of Learning” with Elaine Brouwer. We pray to God to bless all the course participants.

Tuesday, September 16:  As this academic year begins, we thank God for Christian education in our world, and thank God for the ICS's unique position in that sphere.

Wednesday, September 17:  Today is the first Academic Council meeting of the 2014-2015 academic year, and there is a Board meeting this evening. We pray for God's wisdom to guide the discussions and decisions at these meetings.

Thursday, September 18:  We offer prayers of thanks for the many people who have presented ICS with gifts of prayer, money, and expressions of appreciation, especially throughout these quiet summer months. We truly value our relationship with you, as we are constantly blessed with your interest and support.

Friday, September 19:  We pray for blessings for the Friends of ICS Board and all those who are doing advancement work in the US.

Monday, September 22:   Today we offer prayers for wisdom and stamina for those who are currently planning the annual meeting of the Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy which will take place in October. Senior Member Shannon Hoff and Junior Member Daniel Rudisill are both involved in planning for this event.

Tuesday, September 23:  We ask God's help and guidance for all those who are doing advancement work for ICS. Please pray that support for the vision and mission of ICS continues to grow.

Wednesday, September 24:  Today is the first Faculty meeting of the 2014-2015 academic year. We pray for God's wisdom to guide this meeting.

Thursday, September 25:  Today we pray for God's help for those who are struggling with illnesses. We ask God for strength, patience and for good results from treatment.

Friday, September 26:  We pray for energy and enthusiasm for those who are involved in planning the upcoming issue of Perspective.

Monday, September 29:  We offer prayers of praise for the talent of Junior Member Joe Kirby who will be presenting a paper at Simon Fraser University next weekend.

Tuesday, September 30:  Today we pray for the general well-being of the ICS. We ask for blessings and energy for ICS faculty and staff as they work together to manage their many responsibilities.

ICS in Italy: Art in Orvieto

ART (Art, Religion, and Theology) in Orvieto is a summer studies program which will offer an ecumenical exploration of the history of Christian understandings of the arts in conjunction with the opportunity to participate in arts workshops geared to practicing artists. This program will be centered in Orvieto, Italy—a historically fertile ground for aesthetic imagination—and hosted in cooperation with the Studio for Art, Faith and History, a satellite campus of Gordon College (Wenham, Massachusetts).

The program is designed as a four week residency serving writers, artists and graduate students and those interested in the intersection of art, religion, and theology.

The program will take place between June 29 and July 24, 2015. Space is limited, and the final application deadline is November 30, 2014. For further details about the program and the application process, please contact Jeffrey Hocking at jeffreyh@icscanada.edu or 416-979-2331, ext. 240.

Dr. Rebekah Smick, Senior Member in Arts and Culture at ICS, will serve as the coordinator for this program and lead instructor for its academic components. In addition to the one credit course led by Dr. Smick, workshops will be lead by carpenter and writer John Terpstra and artist Paul Roorda. Further details about the course and workshops can be found here.

Over $100,000 raised! Thank you!

We at the Institute for Christian Studies—Faculty, Students, and Staff—are humbled and so very grateful for your generous response to our matching gift campaign. We wish to express our sincere thanks to you and to all who continue to believe in the importance of ICS and support its mission. We appreciate every donation at every level that has contributed to the success of this unique campaign. Your gift and personal commitment directly and positively impacts our Junior Members, our ability to hold community events, and our commitment to cutting edge scholarship and research. As we celebrate this success, we give thanks for the blessing of our community of committed supporters.

We also owe a debt of gratitude to the two donors (who wish to remain anonymous) who encouraged our fundraising efforts with their offer to match all new or increased givings received during the campaign. Like you, these donors cherish ICS’s standing as the only graduate school in North America that offers a PhD program rooted in reformational Christian scholarship. Like you, they strongly believe that scholars and practitioners in North America and beyond should have the opportunity to study at ICS.

The results of this campaign can only be described as incredible! The two generous donors presented us with a fundraising challenge and you, our long time and new supporters, rose up and met that challenge with amazing success—over $100,000 raised! We couldn’t be happier about the enthusiasm and the encouragement this success contributes to the work of our Junior and Senior Members.

We know that ICS is rooted in a sense of togetherness, and the phenomenal success of this fundraising campaign demonstrates our community coming together to proudly say that the mission of ICS must go on! What this means is that together we will continue to:

• Educate the next generation of scholars and leaders to bring God’s renewal and hope to our world

• Offer public outreach through events like the recently concluded conference, Are We There Yet? Economic Justice and the Common Good

• Conduct thought-provoking research projects like Justice & Faith: Individual Spirituality and Social Responsibility in the Christian Reformed Church in Canada, a study that is taking us right into the pews of CRC churches across Canada.

Events and projects such as these address critical issues in our society, encourages the sharing of ideas, and serves to orchestrate change in our world that welcomes our Lord’s shalom.

We are sincerely grateful for you and each of our donors, and express our utmost appreciation for your support of the important, ongoing work at ICS.

With gratitude,
The on-campus ICS Community

Lambert Zuidervaart on Editorial Board

Lambert Zuidervaart, Senior Member in Philosophy, ICS alumnus James K. A. Smith, and ICS Chancellor John Kok have been appointed to the Editorial Board of Philosophia Reformata, the international journal for reformational philosophy established by Herman Dooyeweerd and Dirk Vollenhoven in 1935. The journal publishes articles from a broad spectrum of philosophy in relation to Christianity, under the direction of its new editor-in-chief, Professor Gerrit Glas. Information about the new editorial team and editorial board is posted on the journal’s website at http://www.philosophia-reformata.org/content/editors.

John Hiemstra and Henriette Thompson in Alberta

Dr. John Hiemstra, professor of Political Studies at The King's University College, Edmonton, and alumnus of ICS, and Henriette Thompson, Board chair of ICS, will co-facilitate an immersion session, "Faith in the Oil/Tar Sands Developments: Excavating for Deeper Narratives" in Edmonton and Fort McMurray, Alberta, August 15 - 21.

For more information:  http://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/Portals/0/April%202014/JusticeCampBrochureMarch2014.pdf

New Videos

Three videos arising from two events in 2014 are now available. Enjoy!

March 2014 Art Talks! Lecture
The Byzantine Icon is Alive and Well: The Practice and Reflections of a Working Iconographer

• Iconographer Lynette Hull interviewed by Rebekah Smick

May 2014 Edmonton Conference
Are We There Yet? Economic Justice and the Common Good

• Keynote Address by Dr. Bob Goudzwaard

• Keynote Address by the Honourable Diane Ablonczy

Prayer letter: August 2014

Friday, August 1:  Summer is here and many people are planning vacations. Many members of the ICS community will be traveling in the summer months to spend time with family and friends. We continue to pray for safe travel and that the time spent with loved ones be rich and refreshing.

Monday, August 4:  Today is our Civic Holiday in Canada. We pray that it will be an enjoyable time for rest and relaxation with loved ones.

Tuesday, August 5:  We offer prayers of gratitude for the results of our matching gift campaign. We are truly blessed to have your partnership of continued faith and commitment to our work.

Wednesday, August 6:   We pray for blessings for the Friends of ICS Board and all those who are doing advancement work in the US.

Thursday, August 7:  We continue to pray for blessings and energy for Senior Member Doug Blomberg, as he manages his many responsibilities.

Friday, August 8:  Today we pray for energy and wisdom for our Junior Members who are trying to finish their theses by the end of the month.

Monday, August 11:  We continue to pray for safe and pleasant journeys and we pray for rest and renewal for the Senior Members and Administrative Staff who are enjoying vacations this month.

Tuesday, August 12:  There is a Finance and Fundraising Committee meeting scheduled today. We pray for God’s wisdom to guide this meeting.

Wednesday, August 13:  We celebrate the addition of seven new Junior Members to the ICS community this fall, and we remember them in our prayers as they make the necessary preparations and transitions over the summer in order to begin their studies in September.

Thursday, August 14:  Today we pray for God’s help for those who are struggling with illnesses. We ask God for strength, patience and good results from treatment.

Friday, August 15:  Today we offer prayers of praise for the talents of Senior Member Lambert Zuidervaart who has been appointed to the Editorial Board of Philosophia Reformata.

Monday, August 18:   We ask God's help and guidance for all those who are doing advancement work for ICS. Please pray that support for the vision and mission of ICS continues to grow.

Tuesday, August 19:  Summer is a time for crops to grow healthy and strong to harvest for the leaner months. We pray for farmers, that their crops will flourish, and for those who are hungry, that they may have what they need.

Wednesday, August 20:  We ask God to bless and guide Senior Member Ron Kuipers and Allyson Carr as they continue their work with our Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics.

Thursday, August 21:  We ask for energy as we prepare for the seven new Junior Members who will be joining us in September.

Friday, August 22:  Today we pray for God to bless and guide our Junior Members who are finishing their MA theses, or working towards important stages of our programs like comprehensive exams, thesis defenses, etc. We ask for God’s blessing and guidance on their research and writing.

Monday, August 25:   Senior Members often spend much of the summer developing course curriculum and giving attention to research projects. We are extremely grateful for the work of our Senior Members and ask for God's blessing on them.

Tuesday, August 26:   We pray for success in the selection process for new Board members.

Wednesday, August 27:  The CPRSE’s Justice and Faith project, in partnership with the Christian Reformed Church and the Centre for Community Based Research, continues its work over the Summer. We pray for wisdom for all partners as they head into the second year of the project.

Thursday, August 28:  We pray for safe travel for all new and returning Junior Members who are coming to study at ICS this fall.

Friday, August 29:  We pray for guidance and energy for all those participating in the preparations for Registration and Orientation Week and the annual ICS community fall retreat next week.

Toward an Evangelical Feminism: Scripture, Theology, Gender

The Institute for Christian Studies and Wycliffe College are co-sponsors of this year's Canadian Evangelical Theological Association (CETA) Fall Conference. The conference will take place on Saturday October 18, 2014 at Wycliffe College in Toronto. Marion Ann Taylor, Professor of Old Testament at Wycliffe College, will be the keynote speaker. Conference papers will be eligible for the Jack and Phyllis Middleton Memorial Award for Excellence in Bible & Theology.

See the Call for Papers here. (due August 15)

Earlybird registration is available online now!  Visit the event page for full information and updates.

Nik Ansell in Vienna

Senior Member Nik Ansell is in Austria this month. Last week he presented a paper titled "Too Good to Be True? The Female Pronoun for God in Numbers 11:15” at the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) International Meeting in Vienna.

Doug Blomberg in England

Later this month, Acting President Doug Blomberg will be participating in the International Seminar on Religious Education and Values, in York, UK. He will present a paper titled "Willing Acceptance of Others".

Lambert Zuidervaart Publishes Adorno Bibliography

Senior Member Lambert Zuidervaart has published an extensive annotated bibliography on Theodor Adorno, a prominent German social philosopher and cultural critic and a leading member of the Frankfurt School. This commissioned bibliography is available online at www.oxfordbibliographies.com. It is part of the Oxford Bibliographies in Philosophy edited by Duncan Pritchard and published by Oxford University Press.

The link to this item in our IR is: hdl.handle.net/10756/322233

Jeff Hocking Publishes “Liberating Language”

A revised edition of a paper Student Services Officer Jeff Hocking gave at the AAR/SBL meeting in 2011 has been published in the inaugural edition of the theopoetics journal: Theopoetics: A Journal of Theological Imagination, Literature, Embodiment, and Aesthetics Vol. 1, No. 1 (2014). The title of the article is: "Liberating Language: Rubem Alves, Theopoetics, and the Democratization of God-Talk."

The full text is available online with a free registration for the journal: journal.theopoetics.net/index.php/test/article/view/31

Daniel Rudisill Presenting “Loving Wisdom” in Hamilton

Junior Member Daniel Rudisill will be giving a lecture titled "Loving Wisdom: Philosophy as Philosophia" at the American Scientific Affiliation’s annual meeting at McMaster University in Hamilton, which will be held July 25-28.

Prayer Letter: July 2014

Tuesday, July 1: Today we celebrate Canada Day. Let us thank God for the many blessings we receive due to our good fortune in living Canada. Also, while we are grateful for our lives here, we also pray for those people living in countries plagued by poverty and war.

Wednesday, July 2: We offer prayers of thanks for our most valued partners—our supporters our. ICS mission is sustained by your prayers and generosity, personal notes and emails of appreciation and encouragement. We are truly blessed to have your partnership of continued faith and commitment to our work.

Thursday, July 3: We offer prayers of thanks for the successful Economic Justice conference held in Edmonton in May.

Friday, July 4: To all our members of the ICS community in the United States, we pray for blessings as you celebrate Independence Day.

Monday, July 7: As our annual Phone-a-thon ends, we offer prayers of thanks for the diligent work of the volunteers, and the wonderful support of the ICS community. We are truly blessed!

Tuesday, July 8: Today we pray for God to bless and guide our students who are finishing their MA thesis, or working towards important stages of our programs like comprehensive exams, thesis defenses, etc.

Wednesday, July 9: We ask God's help and guidance for all those who are doing advancement work for ICS. Please pray that support for the vision and mission of ICS continues to grow.

Thursday, July 10: Summer is here and many people are planning vacations. Many members of the ICS community will be traveling in the summer months to spend time with family and friends. We pray for safe travel and that the time spent with loved ones will be rich and refreshing.

Friday, July 11: Today we ask for God's help for those who are struggling with illnesses. We pray to God for strength, patience and for good results from treatment.

Monday, July 14: Today we offer prayers of praise for the talents of Senior Member Lambert Zuidervaart who has published a bibliography on Theodor Adorno.

Tuesday, July 15: We pray for stamina and wisdom for Senior Member Doug Blomberg as he continues in his roles as Acting President and Academic Dean.

Wednesday, July 16: We pray for safe and pleasant journeys and we pray for rest and renewal for the Senior Members and Administrative Staff who are enjoying vacations this month.

Thursday, July 17: Summer is a time for crops to grow healthy and strong to harvest for the leaner months. We pray for farmers, that their crops will flourish, and for those who are hungry, that they may have what they need.

Friday, July 18: The CPRSE’s Justice and Faith project, in partnership with the Christian Reformed Church and the Centre for Community Based Research, continues its work over the summer. We pray for wisdom for all partners as they head into the second year of the project.

Monday, July 21: Today the Co-Chairs of the Board of Trustees (Henriette Thompson and Aileen Van Ginkel) will meet with the Leadership Team (Doug Blomberg, Ed Hayley and Ron Kuipers) to follow up on decisions about ICS's strategic direction and plan for the coming academic year. Please pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance in this discussion.

Tuesday, July 22: Today we offer prayers of praise for the talents of Student Services Officer Jeff Hocking who has published a paper in the journal Theopoetics.

Wednesday, July 23: We ask for energy as we prepare for the seven new Junior Members who will be arriving in September.

Thursday, July 24: We pray for blessings for the Friends of ICS Board and all those who are doing advancement work in the US.

Friday, July 25: We ask God to bless and guide Senior Member Ron Kuipers and Allyson Carr as they continue their work with our Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics.

Monday, July 28: ICS Acting President Doug Blomberg will be attending the International Seminar on Religious Education and Values in England this week. We pray for safe travel and blessings on Doug and all who attend this event.

Tuesday, July 29: Junior Member Dan Rudisill will be giving a lecture in Hamilton. We pray for blessings on all who attend this meeting.

Wednesday, July 30: Senior Members often spend much of the summer developing course curriculum and giving attention to research projects. We are extremely grateful for the work of our Senior Members and ask for God's blessing on them.

Thursday, July 31: We celebrate the addition of seven new Junior Members to the ICS community this fall, and we remember them in our prayers as they make the necessary preparations and transitions over the summer in order to begin their studies in September.

Religion, Secularity and Education

Acting President Doug Blomberg has published a chapter entitled "Religion, Secularity, and Education: On not Taking Things for Granted" in Foundations of Education: A Christian Vision. The book is edited by Matthew Etherington of Trinity Western University, and includes chapters by the late Harro Van Brummelen, Nicholas Wolterstorff, and other friends of ICS. 

Thank You Phone-A-Thon Participants!

We are wrapping up our annual Phone-a-thon. A BIG THANK YOU to our student volunteers who were making the calls and to all our supporters for taking the time to speak with them.

Many of you have shared your ICS stories with our callers—stories that encourage us as we look to a positive future. Our students also enjoyed sharing their ICS stories—stories that have given you a first-hand glimpse of how your gift is helping ICS through its programs to bring renewal and hope to our world.

If for some reason we missed connecting with you by phone, you still have time to send in your gift. Your gift is vital to our work. You can donate online at www.icscanada.edu/support, call us at 416-979-2331 ext 223 (Vidya Williams) or ext 221 (Kathy Lynch) to make a credit card donation or mail your cheque to Institute for Christian Studies, 100-229 College St., Toronto ON M5T 1R4.

If you live in the United States, you can donate through Friends of ICS (FICS) at 1937 Lockmere Drive, Kentwood MI 49505 or online at http://fics.icscanada.edu/

Thank you for your partnership!

Bob Goudzwaard's Convocation Address Now Available

For those of you who couldn't attend convocation, or those who just want to see it again, Bob Goudzwaard's address to the 2014 ICS annual convocation, "ICS–In Christ’s Service: In the Past and In the Future", is now available on the ICS Youtube channel.

Donation Doubling Opportunity Still Open

This is just a reminder that the opportunity to have your donation to ICS doubled remains open until June 30.

Donate Online Now

For further information please contact Vidya Williams by email at donate@icscanada.edu or by phone at 1-888-326-5347 ext 223. Thank you!

Educating the Will — Doug Blomberg presents paper to Christian teacher educators at RUC

ICS Acting President Doug Blomberg attended the International Community of Christian Teacher Educators Conference which was held at Redeemer University College on May 28-31. He presented a paper titled "Educating the Will" on Thursday morning.

Shannon Hoff to Lecture in Grand Rapids

On June 12 Senior Member Shannon Hoff will be giving a lecture in a seminar hosted by Simon Critchley and Creston Davis at the Global Center for Advanced Studies in Grand Rapids, called "Tragedy's Philosophy." Shannon will be discussing how the tragic character of human life is illuminated in different ways by Hegel, Sophocles' Antigone, and Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Jim Olthuis Breaks Leg

Senior Member Emeritus Jim Olthuis broke his leg in a hockey fall last month. After some surgery, he is recuperating.

Joonyong Um Lecture

Junior Member Joonyong Um will be lecturing in the Christian Parenting Seminar at the Korean Mil Al Church, 405 Gordon Baker Rd, Toronto, on May 31. The lecture is titled "A biblical perspective on public school education: How can Christian parents guide their children to wisdom?" and is hosted by Korean Diaspora Christian Education Institute (KODIA).

Dianne Bergsma to Defend her Thesis in Amsterdam

Junior Member Dianne Bergsma will be travelling to Amsterdam with her family at the end of the month to defend her PhD thesis at the Vrije Universiteit. She will be accompanied by her husband and six of her children. She is a student of Jim Olthuis, and her thesis is titled “Revisiting Bathsheba and David: A Recuperative Reading with Julia Kristeva”.

Meditation on Psalm 46

ICS lives the kind of fragile life that just calls out for shelter and refuge. So when thinking of that life and of ICS’s immediate past and future Psalm 46 seems as good a way as any to anchor our thinking. In a year in which there has been a great deal of turmoil in the Board as it struggled to oversee ICS wisely, among the staff as they struggled to do ever more with ever less “man hours”, among the Senior Members struggling to put on a viable curriculum in the face of sabbaticals and faculty reductions, among the Junior Members working to come into their own as scholars and as persons, among ICS’s loyal constituency trying to understand what is happening in a place they continue to hope and pray for, it is not inappropriate albeit rather dramatic to think metaphorically about earth that heaves, about mountains hurled into the sea, waters seething in tumult. For the tiny peak that is ICS is quaking before the majesty of challenges it faces, struggling to see them as providential not fated, as it has quaked so many times over its forty plus years.

But of course, like so many of the Psalms, just when you nod your head and say yes this hoary old poetry can work to name our world, even across the ages, it makes us uncomfortable for the God it looks to seems . . .well . . . a little overwhelming. This is not a God that calms the seas, at least not here in Ps. 46. Rather, this God surges like the sea. He thunders. He puts life in tumult and hurls down whole kingdoms. Indeed, the Psalmist invites us to come and see what the Lord has done and then names the divine deed as “the devastation he has brought upon earth.” Yes this is a picture often painted in the text of the Old Testament, JHWH the apparently puny patron of hardscrabble hill warriors, before whom the mighty tremble, JHWH the subversive One who overturns the powerful Order of Marduk (Assyria) and Amon-Ra (Egypt).

I admit that there is a kind of bracing comfort to be had in all this mixing-it-up and duking-it-out. Conventional expectations we are told can be counted on to be overturned. And we at ICS certainly feel the need for such overturnings for the conventional expectations are still what they have always been—that we will fail of our promise; that the widow’s jar will empty at last. So I guess there is an obvious comfort to be had in the scene of the conventionally conceived hill god of a no account bunch of semi-nomads turning out to be an indomitable defender of their ramshackle little hill town, a hill god who turns up decisively to help that town at the break of day, that is, the time tested moment of a besieger’s attack.

There have been times in ICS’s history when we have been vulnerable in that way; when we have felt ourselves under attack by those more powerful than us. So there have been times when the scene painted by the poet of Psalm 46 seemed perfectly apt. In the Scriptures, empires we have with us always, and empires exist to be resisted. But our present vulnerabilities as a community seem not to be the result of external threat. Rather they seem interior in origin. Is the warrior god more powerful than Marduk or Ares or Mars, the warrior god “who shakes the earth with the weight of his bucklered passing,” really whom we need at this moment; don’t we really need to meditate other faces of the God of Scripture?

I don’t have a knockdown answer to my rhetorical question (sorry, couldn’t resist). But this text did surprise me and with surprise comes a sense of newness and the promise of newness is something this internally vulnerable institution needs in a big way, wouldn’t you agree?

You see, the thundering war god of the Psalm brought me up short when we are actually presented with the devastation he has brought upon the earth. “From end to end of the earth,” the Psalmist says, “he stamps out war.” And so that you can imagine the scene more vividly the Psalmist provides you sounds and sights to enable you to imagine the resultant oxymoron—a violent Peace. We are invited to hear the break of the bow and the snapping of spears. We are invited to witness the burning of wooden shields in a conflagration. In the topsy-turvydom of divine logic, violence, its overheated vistas, its sudden sharp reports do not just bring about their opposite, they are their opposites. Weakness is Strength; servanthood is sovereignty the list is long and varied. Divine clattering about on earth a full participant in the tawdry drama of human sorrow is divine transcendence. The Psalmist imagines God speaking, getting in the last word: “Learn that I am God high over the nations, high above the earth.” Of course the converse is also true; divine transcendence is God’s down-to-earth involvement. For it is this transcendent Lord, in his being “high over the nations and above the earth,” “who is with us” and “who is our high stronghold.” A Vollenhovianly inflected thinker with a pedantic sense of humour might even speculate that the Psalmist was playing with a contradictory monist’s way of putting things.

What I take from this is simple and can be expressed via the wisdom of Winnie-the-Pooh. Early on in A House on Pooh Corner, A.A. Milne has Pooh-Bear exclaim, “You never can tell about bees.” The Psalmist here adds that “You never can tell about God,” either. It sounds more profound in Latin, says the medievalist. In Winnie-ille-Pooh our ursine hero says: De apibus semper dubitandum est. Kierkegaard winks from the grave, for he had himself played with the notion that de omnibus dubitandum est (One ought to doubt everything). In the word picture of the psalmist something similar can be said of God: De deo semper dubitandum est. You see, the other word for this being unsure, of knowing you never can tell, is faith. Yes, you never can tell about God. And to me that means when one’s circumstances seem dire, or the way forward seems hazy and unclear, when there seems to be no helping us through this one anymore—why then we should try to remember—“The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob our high stronghold.” The thing is, neither I nor anyone here knows how the future is going to go, just that there will be challenges—academic for some, financial for most, administrative for others, interrelational for all. Oh there are a world of vulnerabilities, one for each precious goodness to be found in God’s world. The way forward is unclear but in the spirit of this Psalm we can say that this mystification is life’s clarity; it seems crystalline does it not—you never can tell what God will do. Let’s be still and see, shall we? Which is just to say: Let’s act in faith and watch in wonder what our Lord will do.

Bob Sweetman

Prayer Letter: June 2014

Monday, June 2: Senior Member Bob Sweetman’s mother passed away last week. Please keep Bob and his family in your prayers.

Tuesday, June 3: Michael Carr, father of CPRSE Associate Director Allyson Carr, has had a massive stroke and is hospitalized. Please keep Michael, Allyson, and their family in your prayers.

Wednesday, June 4: The annual Senate and Board meetings were held last month. We are grateful for all the work these people do for ICS, and for the talents and experience they bring us.

Thursday, June 5: Senior Member Emeritus Jim Olthuis broke his leg last month in a hockey accident. We pray for a full recovery.

Friday, June 6: We offer prayers of celebration for the successful completion of the academic programs of seven Junior Members, each of whom were recognized and honoured last month at ICS's Convocation ceremony.

Monday, June 9: The grades for spring semester courses are due this week. We give thanks for completed work and offer prayers for energy for our Senior Members as they enter what is often a busy time of grading.

Tuesday, June 10: We offer prayers of gratitude for the generous spirit that is always shown by you, our many supporters, who have encouraged ICS with gifts of prayer, money, and expressions of appreciation. We are constantly blessed with your interest and support.

Wednesday, June 11: Today we pray for blessings for the Friends of ICS Board and all those who are doing advancement work in the US.

Thursday, June 12: Today Senior Member Shannon Hoff will be giving a lecture at the Global Center for Advanced Studies in Grand Rapids. We ask for safe travel and for blessings on everyone attending this event.

Friday, June 13: We celebrate Father's Day on Sunday! We ask for God's blessing on all fathers, that they may spend a wonderful day with their loved ones.

Monday, June 16: We ask God's help and guidance for all those who are doing advancement work for ICS. Please pray that support for the vision and mission of ICS continues to grow.

Tuesday, June 17: As we wind up our annual Phone-a-thon, we offer prayers of thanks for the diligent work of the volunteers, and the wonderful support of the ICS community. We are truly blessed!

Wednesday, June 18: We pray for blessings for Senior Member Doug Blomberg as he continues in his roles as Acting President and Academic Dean.

Thursday, June 19: 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.

Friday, June 20: Summer is arriving and many people are planning vacations. Many members of the ICS community will be traveling in the summer months to spend time with family and friends. We pray for safe and pleasant journeys.

Monday, June 23: Senior Members often spend much of the summer developing course curriculum and giving attention to research projects. We are extremely grateful for the work of our Senior Members and ask for God's blessing on them.

Tuesday, June 24: 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.

Wednesday, June 25: Today we pray for the general well-being of the ICS. We ask for blessings and energy for ICS faculty and staff as they work together to manage their many responsibilities.

Thursday, June 26: The summer months are often a time when Junior Members give sustained attention to their Masters and Ph.D. thesis projects. We pray for our Junior Members and ask for God's blessing on their research and writing.

Friday, June 27: We offer prayers of gratitude for the wonderful work done by Senior Member Ron Kuipers as Director of our Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics.

Monday, June 30: Junior Member Diane Bergsma will be defending her PhD thesis today at the VU in Amsterdam. Please pray for safe travel for Diane, who will be accompanied by her husband and six of their children, and for a successful defense.

An amazing opportunity to double your gifts to ICS!

Two of our generous supporters have offered to match any new gift (including any increase over last year’s giving) dollar-for dollar, if made before June 30, 2014. The impact of your new gift (or increased giving amount) will thus be doubled, going even farther to support our work of training scholars and leaders to bring renewal and hope to our world. And if your company matches your contribution, the multiplier can be even greater.

This offer is open to all Canadian donors.

Please consider giving a gift today! Donate online at www.icscanada.edu/support
For further information please contact Vidya Williams by email donate@icscanada.edu or by phone 1-888-326-5347 ext 223. Thank you!

Perspective Now Available

The April 2014 issue of Perspective is now available for both reading online and printing.  Inside you will find answers to burning questions such as "Are We There Yet?", "Whose Reformed Tradition?", "Which Kuyper?" and "Who is Robert Sweetman?".

As always, Perspective is available at perspective.icscanada.edu

ICS Convocation

The ICS community gathered this past Saturday afternoon in St. Joseph Chapel at Regis College to install the Chancellor, Dr. John Kok. An Honorary Doctorate was conferred upon Bob Goudzwaard who presented Convocation address “ICS--In Christ’s Service: In the Past and In the Future”.Video of Bob's address will be made available soon.

We also gathered to recognize and celebrate the academic achievements of seven of our Junior Members. Degrees were conferred upon Eric Hanna (MA), Bryan Richard (MA), Andrew Van’t Land (MA), Tina Covert (MWS), Sarah Hyland (MWS), George Deibert (MWS) and Michael Shipma (MWS).

It was a wonderful afternoon of celebration!

Joe Kirby Wins Award

Junior Member Joe Kirby won the Graduate Student Paper Award for his essay "The Ordeal of Solitude: Solitary Confinement in Prisons and Monasteries” at the Eastern International Region of the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting.

Richard Middleton Presenting Papers in St Catharines

Richard Middleton, Professor of Biblical Worldview and Exegesis at Northeastern Seminary in Rochester NY, will present two papers at the Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences at Brock University in St. Catharines, ON. Richard is a 2005 graduate of the joint doctoral program of ICS and the Free University of Amsterdam.

On May 24 Richard will present a paper on Genesis 22, titled “Unbinding the Aqedah (Genesis 22) from the Straightjacket of Tradition: How Abraham Lost His Son,” at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies.

On the following day (May 25), Richard will give his Exaugural Address as President of the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association (CETA) at the Association’s annual meeting. Richard has been president of CETA from 2011-2014 and his paper is titled “The Canadian Evangelical Theological Association—A Vision for the Future.”