Easter Greetings from ICS!

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.

Mark 16:1-6

As you celebrate Easter, may God bless you with peace and happiness!

ICS Welcomes New Director of Advancement

ICS is pleased and privileged to announce that Patricia (Pat) Webb, M.B.A. has accepted the position of Director of Advancement. We give heartfelt thanks to our Lord for this wonderful provision. “Hallelujah!” has been on the lips of us all!

Pat has a wealth of experience in Christian institutions of higher education, having worked for many years at McMaster Divinity College in this role, and serving previously at Tyndale University College and Seminary here in Toronto and Canadian Bible College and Seminary in Saskatchewan. Pat is enthusiastic about ICS’s commitment to integral Christian scholarship. She is excited to take up the role of advancement and develop relationships with our current and future supporting community. Her extensive experience in enrolment management is an added bonus as she contributes to the leadership team’s strategic planning for the growth of the MWS program. Please pray for Pat as she takes up this position on April 13. We have no doubt she will be a valuable member of our team. “Praise God”, indeed.

Joonyong Um Presents Paper to CELT Conference

On March 25 Junior Member Joonyong Um presented a paper titled "How can learning English help EFL students love strangers?" to the CELT (Christians in English Language Teaching) Conference 2015 at Knox Prestyterian Church, Toronto, hosted by the Christian English Language Educators Association. Joonyong’s paper was a curriculum proposal showing how an EFL course can be oriented towards the value of loving neighbours (yet strangers).

Shannon Hoff Giving Talks in India

On April 14, Senior Member Shannon Hoff will travel to India for a couple of weeks. She will give talks at Dibrugarh University in Dibrugarh and at North-Eastern Hill University in Shillong, and will visit the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and the Indian Institute of Advanced Study in Shimla.

Rebekah Smick in England

Senior Member Rebekah Smick will be responding on 11 April to two papers being presented at the annual meeting of the Association of Art Historians convening at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England in a session titled "Thinking Images."

Prayer Letter: April 2015

Wednesday, April 1: Congratulations to Junior Member Caleb Ratzlaff and his wife Jenica, on the birth of their son, Ezra Caleb last month. We thank God for this wonderful new life!

Thursday, April 2: Today we pray for blessings for the Friends of ICS Board and all those who are doing advancement work in the US.

Friday, April 3: As we look forward to Easter this weekend, we remember that the triumph of Jesus Christ 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.

Monday, April 6: This is the final week of the semester! We offer prayers of thanks for another semester of learning. We also ask God's blessings on Junior Members as they balance their course work with their families and jobs.

Tuesday, April 7: 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, April 8: The Academic Council meets today. We ask God to guide them in their discussions and decisions.

Thursday, April 9: 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.

Friday, April 10: On this last day of classes we offer prayers of thanks for a fruitful semester and for energy and enthusiasm for students as they complete papers and assignments.

Saturday April 11: We offer prayers of praise for the talents of Rebekah Smick, who will be responding to two papers in England today.

Monday, April 13: Today Patricia Webb starts her new position as the ICS Director of Advancement. Please pray for blessings on Patricia and her work.

Tuesday, April 14: Today Shannon Hoff will be traveling to India. We pray for safe travel.

Wednesday, April 15: Today we pray for the general well-being of the ICS.

Thursday, April 16: We pray for blessings for Jeff Hocking as he continues in his role of ICS Registrar.

Friday, April 17: 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.

Saturday, April 18:  This weekend President Blomberg is meeting with supporters in Chicago and Grand Rapids. He will also participate in the Friends of ICS Board Meeting on the 20th. We pray these gatherings will be a rich time of interaction between Doug and members of our American community, who are vital to our mission. 

Monday, April 20: There is a FICS Board meeting this afternoon. We ask for God’s wisdom to guide this meeting.

Tuesday, April 21: We pray for blessings for Senior Member Doug Blomberg as he continues in his role as ICS President.

Wednesday, April 22: We ask God to bless Senior Member Ron Kuipers, Director, and Allyson Carr, Associate Director of our Centre for Philosophy, Religion and Social Ethics as they continue their work.

Thursday, April 23: Today we pray for those who are struggling with illnesses. We ask God for strength, patience and for good results from treatment.

Friday, April 24: Our Librarian Isabella Guthrie-McNaughton is attending the Ontario College and University Library Association (OCULA) meeting today. We pray for blessings and a fruitful session for all who are attending.

Monday, April 27: The Finance Committee meets this evening. We ask God for guidance and wisdom for this important committee.

Tuesday, April 28: Work continues to prepare the next edition of Perspective. We ask God's blessing and guidance for all those involved.

Wednesday, April 29: We pray for stamina and wisdom for everyone who is preparing for the upcoming Senate and Board meetings next month.

Thursday, April 30: 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.

March 18: Public Lecture by Gideon Strauss

"A much more dangerous adversary"? Beginning to do phenomenology in the face of Dooyeweerd's disapproval

Dr. Gideon Strauss (formerly of Fuller Seminary and the Center for Public Justice)
Wednesday March 18 at 1:45, ICS classroom

"I frankly admit," writes Herman Dooyeweerd in his New Critique of Theoretical Thought, "that modern phenomenology is a much more dangerous adversary of a Christian philosophy than classical Humanistic idealism or naturalism." In this paper I will offer a beginner's arguments for doing phenomenology despite working as a scholar in a tradition constitutively shaped by Dooyeweerd. I will give an account of my encounter with phenomenological methods of research in the study of leadership and organizations (in particular in the extra-academic context of business consultancy) and in the professions (in particular as exemplified by the interpretative phenomenological analysis movement in the health professions and by the influence of Max Van Manen in professional education in North America), my burgeoning intuition with regard to the potential value of phenomenological methods ("doing phenomenology") as a means of demonstrating the value of philosophy in particular and the humanities in general to life outside the academy, and my reasons for appropriating the term "phenomenologist" for my own practice of scholarship despite Dooyeweerd's dire warning.

On Tuesday Dr. Strauss will also be leading a seminar at ICS titled "How Ursula K. Le Guin stole my identity: Trying to make sense of a childhood conversion from apartheid ideology"

Rebekah Smick at Association of Art Historians Annual Meeting

On April 11 senior member Rebekah Smick will be responding to two papers being presented in a session titled "Thinking Images" at the annual meeting of the Association of Art Historians convening at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England.

Caleb Ratzlaff Welcomes His Son!

Congratulations to Junior Member Caleb Ratzlaff and his wife Jenica, on the birth of their son, Ezra Caleb, on March 3. Caleb, Jenica and older brother Leland are thrilled!