Dr. Joshua Harris elected as Senate Chair and ICS Chancellor

Joshua Harris is Associate Professor of Philosophy at The King’s University in Edmonton, Alberta, and has served on the ICS Senate since 2023. Joshua’s research concerns questions in metaphysics, the philosophy of science, and the philosophy of religion. Currently he is working on a project on alternatives to ‘naturalism’ as guiding principles for scientific explanation. Dr. Harris is a native Californian and a grateful alumnus of several post-secondary Christian institutions, including California Baptist University (BA), Trinity Western University (MA), and ICS (the combined ICS/VU Amsterdam PhD).

Prayer Letter: April 2025

Monday, April 7 - Friday, April 11: As we approach the end of the term, ICS students are wrapping up their coursework. Please pray that they may finish strong, with clarity and confidence in their learning. This is also a season of discernment for many prospective students. MA and PhD applicants are making decisions about where to continue their studies. We ask for your prayers that those who are seeking a community of deep, faithful inquiry will find their way to ICS. We also say goodbye to Brenna Wehrle, our Recruitment Coordinator and Assistant Registrar, as she moves on to pursue further studies in Film. We give thanks for her work and pray for her continued growth and joy in this next chapter. Please also pray for the hiring of her successor—someone with the gifts needed to carry this important work forward. The deadline for applications is April 9. View the job posting. Monday, April 14 - Friday, April 18: As Holy Week unfolds, we invite you to join us in prayer that students, faculty, and staff may find space to reflect on the death and resurrection of Christ—and how this mystery speaks into our present moment with a message of love, hope, and renewal. This week, ICS's program review committees are also meeting. Please pray for our program directors—Dr. Neal DeRoo (MA-PhD), Héctor Acero Ferrer (MWS), and Dr. Edith van der Boom (MA-EL)—as they seek wisdom and discernment in their work. May they be guided as they shape programs that form Christian leaders ready to embody the Gospel in a complex world. Monday, April 21- Friday, April 25: Please pray for Héctor Acero Ferrer and Dr. Ron Kuipers of the CPRSE as they ramp up preparations for this summer's Our Whole Society conference. This biennial event brings together voices from across Canada to reflect on the role of hope in responding to the challenges of our time—challenges like climate change, political polarization, and social division. The conference will take place June 15–17, 2025, at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. Highlights include a keynote by international law expert Payam Akhavan, reflections on climate hope by researcher and author Elin Kelsey, and a presentation by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Lloyd Axworthy. Music by the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra will open the conference on June 15. Please pray that this event fosters meaningful dialogue, shared vision, and lasting partnerships for the good of our communities. Much of the conference is available online. Follow this link to sign up and for more information. Monday, April 28 - Friday, May 2: Looking ahead, we invite you to join us on Saturday, May 3 at 7PM for a special online event: Free to Be Faithful. This will be a personal and timely conversation between Nick Wolterstorff and Kristin Du Mez on the state of the Reformed tradition and the broader North American church—where we've been, where we are now, and where we might go from here. Whether you find yourself in a place of deep connection, questioning, or transition, this event is an opportunity to reflect together on the role of faith in shaping a more just and hopeful future. RSVP and learn more at: events.icscanada.edu/freetobefaithful   May this month bring renewed perspective, meaningful conversations, and enduring hope. Thank you for keeping ICS in your prayers!

Prayer Letter: March 2025

Monday, March 3 - Friday, March 7: On February 18, ICS announced its decision to discontinue its denominationally-related status within the Christian Reformed Church in North America. This decision was made in response to the adoption and enforcement of the Human Sexuality Report (2021), and it reflects our ongoing commitment to creating safe spaces where past and present CRCNA parishioners can engage in conversations that truly matter. We are deeply grateful for the words of support we have received from so many. Thank you for your prayers and for standing with us during this time. As part of our commitment to fostering meaningful dialogue, ICS will offer a new course in Fall 2025: Gender, Sexuality, and the Bible, led by Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat. This course will explore the use of the Bible in contemporary debates on gender and sexuality, inviting students into thoughtful and informed conversations. We encourage those who are interested to join us in this important exploration. More information is available at letter.icscanada.edu/keesmaat. Monday, March 10 - Friday, March 14: We're excited to announce that ICS is hosting a four-day intensive workshop for Christian educators at London Christian High from August 11 to 14, 2025. Led by Dr. Edith van der Boom, Cultivating Christ-Centered Education will explore how faith shapes classroom practices and student formation. Please pray the teachers who attend this event will find themselves and their teaching practice reinvigorated as they prepare to head into a new school year. The deadline for applying to the MA-EL is fast approaching (April 1). We pray that those seeking to deepen their leadership skills and enrich their teaching will find their way to this program. This summer, ICS is offering three courses in educational leadership: What's Christian About Christian Education? (Dr. Neal DeRoo) – This course explores how Christian education engages with cultural influences and offers a distinctive vision for learning. Students will reflect on how their faith shapes both their teaching and school environments. Called to Teach: Formation and Learning (Dr. Edith van der Boom) – Designed for K-12 educators, this course examines teaching as a calling, exploring how faith and spiritual formation influence pedagogy and student engagement. Lead From Where You Are (Dr. Gideon Strauss) – This course challenges traditional notions of leadership, equipping educators to lead effectively in their schools and communities, regardless of their formal position. We ask for your prayers that these courses will provide meaningful learning experiences and that those who would benefit most will be guided to them. Monday, March 17 - Friday, March 21: As families and teachers take time for travel and rest, we pray for safe journeys and moments of renewal. May teachers returning from this break find a sense of clarity and creativity in their work, and may this time offer respite for those who need it most. On Saturday, March 22, we invite you to join us (either in-person or online) for the Winter 2025 Scripture, Faith, and Scholarship Symposium at First Christian Reformed Church in Toronto. This free event, Finding Blessing in the Process: A Conversation about Faith, Deconstruction, and Blessed Are the Undone, will feature guest speakers Angela Reitsma Bick and Peter Schuurman, co-authors of Blessed Are the Undone: Testimonies of the Quiet Deconstruction of Faith in Canada. Please pray that this event will provide a productive space for us to wrestle with the questions that our contemporary world poses to people of faith. Likewise, please pray that the fellowship of this event will edify all those who join. To RSVP, please visit sfs.icscanada.edu. Monday, March 24 - Friday, March 28: As the month draws to a close, we invite you to join us for Philosophy Pub Night on Friday, March 28, at The Saint Luke's Mission in Hamilton (454 John Street South). This evening will feature ICS PhD candidate Julia DeBoer, who will give a short presentation, entitled "How to (Actually) Do Things With Words: Sense and Expression Reconsidered." After her presentation, we will walk around the corner to the pub for discussion. Please pray that through this event, ICS folk can spark important conversations and share the spirit of reformational philosophy with folks, both familiar and unfamiliar. To RSVP, email ics-communications@icscanada.edu. May this month be filled with moments of renewal as we strive to flourish together. Thank you for keeping ICS in your prayers! View as Webpage

Prayer Letter: February 2025

Monday, February 3 - Friday, February 7:

This month, Trinity Christian College will host a full-month showing of the Cal and Ines Seerveld Art Collection, donated to the college by Dr. Cal Seerveld, a founding member of ICS. This remarkable collection includes over 60 artworks, featuring pieces by Krijger, works from young Patmos artists, and valuable art inherited from Ines' family, including works from her grandfather, Max Huber. ICS Junior Member Peter Enneson (M.Phil) has been instrumental in advancing this bequest and providing background research on the various artworks.

We give thanks for this generous gift, which will enrich Trinity’s community and all those who engage with these pieces. Please pray that this exhibition will serve as a source of inspiration and reflection, and that many will come to appreciate the beauty and depth of this collection.

Monday, February 10 - Friday, February 14:

On February 13, ICS will host a virtual open house for our MA (Phil) in Educational Leadership (MA-EL) program. This program is designed for Christian educators and administrators seeking to reinvigorate their teaching and leadership.

Please join us in praying that those who would most benefit from this program will find their way to this opportunity and that financial and logistical barriers will not stand in the way of their participation. May this open house be a time of meaningful connection and discernment for prospective students.

Monday, February 17 - Friday, February 21:

ICS enters Reading Week starting February 17. This is an important time of rest and reflection for both students and faculty. We ask for your prayers that this break will be restorative, allowing all in our community to return to their studies and teaching with renewed energy and passion.

From February 21 to 23, ICS faculty members Dr. Neal DeRoo and Dr. Gideon Strauss will attend the Jubilee Conference, with Dr. DeRoo delivering a lecture titled "How Philosophy Can Change the World." We pray that ICS’s presence at this conference will help equip the next generation of leaders and thinkers.

Please pray for Dr. DeRoo as he presents his lecture, that his words may be challenging and compelling. Pray for ICS faculty as they engage with students and participants, fostering meaningful conversations about faith and philosophy. Pray for the conference attendees, that they may encounter new ideas and leave encouraged in their vocations.

Monday, February 24 - Friday, February 28:

Applications for the ART in Orvieto program are due by February 28, which provides an opportunity for artists and scholars to explore the intersection between their art and their faith.

Please pray that this opportunity finds those who would thrive in it, especially in our difficult financial times. May this initiative continue to be a place where deep learning and creative expression come together in ways that honor God and inspire all who attend.

May this month be filled with moments of renewal as we seek wisdom together. Thank you for keeping ICS in your prayers!

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Prayer Letter: January 2025

As we step into the new year, we at ICS are grateful for your continued prayers and support for our mission to pursue wisdom in the classroom, in our community, and in the world. Please join us in prayer.

Monday, January 6 - Friday, January 10:

The winter term is upon us! We ask for your prayers for our faculty, students, and staff as they return from the holiday break and step back into their academic routines. Pray that they may return rested and rejuvenated, with renewed energy and inspiration for the tasks ahead.

This week marks the first day of winter classes at ICS. We are excited to welcome both new and returning students into our learning community. We ask that you keep these students in your prayers, that they may experience deep and meaningful engagement with the course materials and with each other. We also pray for our Senior Members as they teach and mentor students, guiding them in their intellectual and spiritual journeys.

We are also entering a crucial time in our promotional efforts for winter courses. Please pray for those working to share ICS’s offerings widely and for those considering joining us, that they may find a home for their questions and pursuits within our academic community. The courses being offered this term reflect the rich and diverse intellectual heritage of ICS. Here are a few highlights:

• Material Spirituality: Rethinking Religion with Dr. Neal DeRoo — This course challenges students to think about religion not as a separate sphere of life but as something deeply embedded in the material and historical contexts of human experience. Drawing on insights from phenomenology, secularism studies, and Continental philosophy, students will explore how religious traditions both shape and are shaped by the world around us.

• Rhetoric as Philosophy from Isocrates to the Age of Abelard and Heloise with Dr. Bob Sweetman — In this course, students will delve into the rich tradition of ancient and medieval rhetoric, examining how figures like Cicero, Augustine, and Heloise used rhetorical practices to engage philosophical questions. Students will consider how rhetoric might offer a model for philosophical discourse that is grounded in lived experience and practical wisdom.

• Meaning, Being, Knowing: The Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Implications of a Christian Ontology with Dr. Nik Ansell — This course invites students to explore a distinctive Christian understanding of ontology through the work of Herman Dooyeweerd and Hendrik Hart. By shifting the focus from abstract concepts of “being” to the idea that creation embodies meaning, this course challenges students to think about how we know ourselves, God, and the world.

• God in Flesh and Blood: Revolutions in Christology with Dr. Nik Ansell — This course explores key Christological questions, focusing on the portrayal of Jesus in the New Testament and how it connects to themes in the Hebrew Bible. Engaging with contemporary scholarship, students will consider the significance of Jesus’ humanity and divinity and the revolutionary implications of Christology for theology today.

We pray that these courses will be places of deep learning, thoughtful questioning, and mutual encouragement as students and instructors work together to pursue wisdom in faith.

On Sunday, January 12, ICS Senior Member Dr. Gideon Strauss will be preaching at ClearView Church in Oakville on the theme of justice. Please pray for Gideon as he prepares his message, that his words may reflect God’s heart for justice and inspire those who hear him to act justly in their daily lives. Pray also for the congregation at ClearView Church, that they may be encouraged and challenged in their faith as they reflect on what it means to seek justice in their communities.

Monday, January 13 - Friday, January 17:

This week, on January 15, the ICS Board of Trustees will meet to make important decisions regarding the stewardship of our institution’s resources and mission. Please pray for wisdom and discernment for the board members as they deliberate on these matters.

We are pleased to welcome four new members to the board:

• Stephanie Arel
• Eva Joosse
• Bronwyn Martin
• Patricia Webb

Please pray for these new board members as they step into their roles, that they may bring fresh perspectives and energy to their work on behalf of ICS. We are deeply grateful for their willingness to serve and for the unique gifts they bring to our community.

At the same time, we say goodbye to two outgoing board members, Ian DeWaard and Scott Macklin, who have faithfully served ICS during their terms. Please join us in offering prayers of thanksgiving for their contributions and for God’s continued blessing on their lives and vocations.

Monday, January 20 - Friday, January 24:

The ICS Senate will meet this week to discuss key academic policies and programs. The Senate plays an essential role in ensuring the academic integrity and vision of our institution. Please pray for clarity of thought and discernment for the senators as they consider the future direction of our academic offerings.

We ask especially for prayers for our Academic Dean, Dr. Gideon Strauss, as he leads these discussions, and for the external senators who bring valuable insights from other academic institutions and communities. May their conversations be fruitful and guided by a shared commitment to ICS’s mission of integrating faith and learning.

Monday, January 27 - Friday, January 31:

As the month draws to a close, many of our students are working hard to complete their outstanding coursework from the fall term. January 31 is the deadline for submitting final papers and projects. Please pray for our students during this time, that they may find inspiration as they complete their assignments. Pray also for their mental health and well-being, that they may find balance and peace amid the demands of academic work.

This week also marks the beginning of our program review process for ICS’s three main academic programs:

• MA in Educational Leadership (MA-EL)
• Lifelong Learning (Master of Worldview Studies, MWS)
• MA and PhD in Philosophy

These reviews are crucial in ensuring that our programs remain rigorous, relevant, and responsive to the needs of our students and the broader community. Please pray for those involved in this process, that they may approach the task with wisdom, humility, and a deep sense of purpose. We pray that the outcomes of these reviews will strengthen ICS’s academic offerings and help us better serve our students in their journeys of learning and faith.

As we begin this new year, we are deeply grateful for your prayers and support. May God continue to bless our work at ICS and guide us in the pursuit of wisdom, justice, and community.

Donating to ICS ICS has been proudly donor-funded since we first opened our doors in 1967. Our supporters make the education, events, and publications we offer possible. So please consider giving in support of this work! Please contact Vidya if you need help donating at 416-979-2331 x223 or email her at vwilliams@icscanada.edu.

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Prayer Letter: November 2024

As we enter November, we find ourselves at a meaningful time for reflection and preparation. With the term in full swing, our students are considering the themes they’ve engaged with so far, discerning how these ideas might inspire their final papers and projects. We ask you to join us in prayer that these moments of reflection would bring about creativity and insight as students look forward to sharing their work with others.

Monday, November 4 - Friday, November 8

This week marks the launch of regrowth, a series of monthly reflections by President Ron Kuipers, now available at medium.com/regrowth. In regrowth, Ron searches for healing and renewal in all things. One of the neat things about Medium is that users that have a free account (you can still read the articles without one) can publicly highlight their favourite passages and comment on them, allowing productive discussion and community-building. We hope that regrowth allows the ICS community to celebrate the insights that Ron has offered to us over the years and spark important conversations among ICS folk and beyond. You can sign up for free and follow regrowth here.

Additionally, on November 4, we will gather for our Fall Scripture of Faith and Scholarship symposium (zoom link). Entitled “What is ‘Christian’ about Christian Education? Formation and Learning,” Dr. Edith van der Boom, will present a vision of Christian education as concerning the whole person. According to van der Boom, Christian education necessarily emphasizes the importance of love, knowledge, and embodied learning spaces. These spaces nurture a deep connection with Christ, personal growth, and formation. Please join us in praying that Edith’s presentation offers educators of all stripes an opportunity to come together and discuss practices that enrich their shared learning journeys.

On November 5, from 6-9PM, Dr. Jim Olthuis will open The Radical Theopoetics of John D. Caputo to guests (RSVP). We hope this unique event will inspire reflection on the intersections between theology, philosophy, and poetry, and the work of John Caputo. Please pray for Jim and all who attend.

Monday, November 11 - Friday, November 15

This week we begin distributing the Advent Appeal, ICS’s annual financial appeal. We invite you to pray with us that our community of supporters will come together generously, enabling our students and faculty to continue the meaningful work of spreading the good news of God’s renewal. It’s a time of great need, and we are profoundly grateful for the faithful support that allows us to carry out our mission.

Also, we begin ramping up our promotional efforts for courses in our upcoming winter term. These include:

• Material Spirituality: Rethinking Religion (with Dr. Neal DeRoo) - Explore how religion shapes our experience of the world, rather than being just one type of experience among others. Using insights from religious studies, phenomenology, secularism, and Continental philosophy, examine how religion is influenced by historical and material contexts while also shaping them. 
• Rhetoric as Philosophy from Isocrates to the Age of Abelard and Heloise (with Dr. Bob Sweetman) - Explore the ancient and medieval study of rhetoric, focusing on its claim to be a philosophical discourse, via texts by Isocrates, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, Abelard, and Heloise. In the process, consider whether historical philosophies should be viewed as speculative sciences, arts of living, or something else entirely.
• God in Flesh and Blood: Revolutions in Christology (with Dr. Nik Ansell) - Examine Christology from the perspective of biblical theology, focusing on how the New Testament relates to themes from the Hebrew Bible. While traditional theologians often explore systematic questions about Christ’s nature and atonement, this course will emphasize how Old Testament concepts like exile and return inform our understanding of Jesus’ birth and crucifixion. Explore questions such as: How do early followers’ worship of Jesus before the Resurrection shape our view of his humanity and divinity? What implications arise from Mary’s encounter with Gabriel? How does Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary connect to figures like Jael and Judith? Guiding this exploration of contemporary Christological issues will be works by James Dunn, Jane Schaberg, and NT Wright.

On November 13, from 6-8PM, Dr. Nik Ansell welcomes guests into Biblical Foundations (RSVP). Please pray that students and visitors alike will find new perspectives and encouragement as they explore how, after so many years, Scripture still speaks anew.

Finally, we invite you to join us in prayer for those attending the Board meeting on November 15. May God grant them wisdom and discernment as they make important decisions for ICS.

Monday, November 18 - Friday, November 22

This week, we relaunch Ground Motive, a dialogue forum that features opinions from the larger ICS community. It concerns the crossroads of philosophy, religion, and social ethics (medium.com/ground-motive). We pray that Ground Motive will foster vital conversations on topics that matter deeply to our community and beyond.

On November 21 at 7PM, prospective students are invited to join us for an information night on Art in Orvieto, our summer program with Dr. Rebekah Smick in Orvieto, Italy (RSVP). This three-week residency invites participants to explore the intersection of art, religion, and theology. Please pray that prospective students find the inspiration and direction they need as they consider this transformative opportunity.

On November 19, from 2-5PM, Dr. Neal DeRoo welcomes guests into Religion, Life, and Society (RSVP). Consider attending to get a taste of our Newest Senior Member’s take on the Reformational tradition. Please keep him and those attending in your prayers as they dive into questions of reformational philosophy in the context of today’s social landscape.

Monday, November 25 - Friday, November 29

As we enter the last week of November, we invite you to pray with us for our American friends celebrating Thanksgiving. Many of our new cohort of students come from the United States, and we pray that this holiday offers a time of fellowship, gratitude, and respite as they head into the final weeks of their semester.

We also look forward to sharing the fall issue of Perspective, which will be available in a new digital format at medium.com/perspective-ics. This issue, titled Building Up in Love, introduces our new students and invites readers to reflect and discuss what it means to “Build Up in Love” in today’s world. We pray that this message spreads widely, encouraging all who read it.

On November 28, from 2-5PM, Dr. Ron Kuipers welcomes guests into his class Philosophy at the Limit: Richard Kearney (RSVP). This session will explore the boundaries of philosophical inquiry, asking us to consider how our understanding shifts at the edge of intellectual knowledge. Please consider attending and pray for Ron, along with all those participating.

As we close the month and look towards the start of Advent on December 1, we pray for new life and direction in our world and hearts. May this season of anticipation bring renewed hope, guiding each of us to deeper purpose and commitment.

Thank you for your prayers and ongoing support. It is through your faithfulness that we’re to continue our work with strength and hope.

Prayer Letter: October 2024

Monday, September 30 - Friday, October 4:

As the month of October begins, we are reminded of the ongoing natural disasters affecting communities around the world. Most recently, Hurricane Helene has left devastation in its wake, and we humbly ask for your prayers for all those impacted by this tragedy. Please pray for the families displaced, those who have lost loved ones, and the many whose livelihoods have been disrupted. May they find peace and hope in the midst of their suffering, and may relief efforts swiftly bring the help that is so desperately needed.

At ICS, October marks the start of conference season, a time when our faculty, students, and staff are deeply engaged in academic events across the globe. These conferences are not just professional obligations but opportunities to connect, reflect, and collaborate with others in the field. We ask for your prayers for all involved in these conferences — for those presenting papers, those attending, and those working behind the scenes to make these events possible.

Specifically, we ask for your prayers for the New Leaf Conference, taking place on October 4th and 5th in Waterloo. This year’s theme, "Blessed are the Undone: Leading in the Era of Quiet Deconstruction," is inspired by Angela Reitsma and Peter Schuurman’s new book, Blessed are the Undone: Testimonies of the Quiet Deconstruction of Faith in Canada. As Christian communities across Canada are grappling with the complexities of deconstruction and the re-evaluation of faith, this conference comes at a pivotal moment. Neal DeRoo will be leading a workshop entitled "As the Kids Say: Viewing Deconstruction Through the Eyes of Christian University Students," which will explore how younger generations are engaging with faith, doubt, and belief. We ask that you pray for Neal and all the participants, that this conference will lead to healing conversations, new insights, and a renewed sense of purpose for leaders in the church.

Monday, October 7 - Friday, October 11:

As we move into the second week of October, please continue to pray for the many faculty and staff who will be attending the Kuyers Conference at Calvin University from October 10th to 12th. This conference is an important gathering for those committed to the integration of faith and learning, particularly in the context of higher education. The theme of this year’s conference is "Integrated Education in a Reductionist Age."

We ask for specific prayers for Edith van der Boom, who will be presenting her paper, "What is 'Christian' about Christian Education?: Formation and Learning." We also ask for prayers for Traver Carlson, who will be presenting his paper, "Cultivating Human Creativity: Artificial Intelligence and the Incarnation." Finally, Gideon Strauss and Kevin Otter (MA-EL) will present a paper entitled, "The Narrative Integration of Reflective Practice."

During this week, please also pray for the Friends of ICS (FICS) gathering, which will take place on October 12 in Grand Rapids. This gathering is an important time for reconnecting with friends and supporters of ICS, and for sharing the lively conversations currently gripping the Institute. Please pray for Ron Kuipers, Traver Carlson, and Kevin Otter as they speak at this event, that their words will be a source of encouragement and inspiration for all who attend.

Additionally, we ask for prayers for those contributing to Perspective, as their drafts are due this week. Pray that God will guide each contributor as they seek to engage with the questions that matter most. May their words reveal pathways to the truth, beauty, and love that are integral to God’s creation.

Monday, October 14 - Friday, October 18:

This week, we ask for your prayers as we hire a new Research Assistant to co-host the next season of Critical Faith. We ask for your prayers for those involved in the hiring process, that they may have wisdom, discernment, and fairness in their decisions. We also pray that the right candidate will be chosen, someone who brings both passion and insight to the work of engaging with these important conversations.

Additionally, pray that Jesus's message of healing and renewal breaks through to listeners of CBC Ideas on October 16 at 8PM EST, which will feature former ICS Senator and Christian commentator, Kristin Kobes Du Mez. This episode is an edited version of the lecture that Du Mez gave at the "Beyond Culture Wars" conference, which ICS hosted in conjunction with Martin Luther University College and Vision Ministries in April. Entitled "Jesus and John Wayne," du Mez details the relationship between American masculinity and evangelical Christianity, tracing its development and its effects on contemporary evangelical culture.

Monday, October 21 - Friday, October 25:

As the month comes to a close, we ask for prayers for those traveling to Chicago for the 18th Annual gathering of The Society for Ricoeur Studies (October 24-27). This year’s theme is "Imagination and Metaphor: Paul Ricoeur at Chicago, 50th Anniversary," and we are excited to have several ICS-affiliated scholars presenting at this prestigious event. Ron Kuipers is giving a paper entitled, "The Subversive Force of the Imaginary: Christianity as Radical Possibility in the Thought of Paul Ricoeur." Likewise, Héctor Acero Ferrer is giving a paper entitled, "Imagining Futures beyond Violence: Historical Memory and Social Imagination in Post-Conflict Colombia." Other ICS and ICS-adjacent participants include Andrew Tebbutt (sessional instructor), Theoren Tolsma (MA 2022), and Stephanie Arel (Board of Trustees as of January 2025).

At the same time, please pray for those attending the Edvance Annual Gathering at Redeemer University on October 24. The theme of this year’s conference is "Pursuing Joy," and we pray that the teachers and administrators who attend will leave with a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper commitment to the joyful work of education.

Likewise, pray for Board of Trustees Chair, Dan Bereens, as he attends the Christian Educators Association Convention on October 24 and 25, centered on the theme "Faithful."

Monday, October 28 - Friday, November 1:

Finally, as ICS enters its reading week starting on October 28, we ask for your prayers for our students and faculty. This is a time for rest and reflection, and we pray that all will find the rejuvenation they need to continue their work with energy and passion.

Moreover, pray for Neal DeRoo as he spends this time in Pittsburgh at the exploratory workshop for the Society for the Phenomenology of Religious Experience. The theme for this workshop is, "Experience and Non-Objects: Towards a Phenomenology of Indiscernibility."

Thank you for your continued prayers and support as we navigate this busy season. We are grateful for the ways that your prayers sustain and encourage us in our work.

Prayer Letter: September 2024

Monday, September 2 - Friday, September 6:

September marks the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year, and a continuation of distributive learning at ICS. This year, Senior Members will continue to offer virtual seminars, sessions, and guided readings to our Junior Members residing both in Toronto and elsewhere in the world. Our Junior Members are all at various stages of their programs, and as well as starting up classes once again, are also starting or continuing to work on their respective research and projects. Please pray for all our instructors and students, both new and returning, as they begin this new academic year at ICS.

We are looking forward to welcoming a number of new Junior Members this fall in our different programs! 

• Four new MA students: Clinton Stockwell, Tyler May-Gruthusen, Chris Christiansen, and Alayna Erickson.

• Four new MA-EL program students: Amanda Breimer, Keeler Kauffeldt, Danyse Nywening, and Brooklyn Sinclair.

• And one PhD student: Benjamin Strachan.

Please pray along with us that these JMs will have a successful start to their studies at ICS!

Monday, September 9 - Friday, September 13:

This is the first week of classes at ICS! Please especially pray for each Senior Member as they continue to find creative ways to teach course material virtually, dive deep into important and complex topics, and provide experiences that enhance a sense of community in their classrooms. Pray also for the students participating in each class that, despite the differences in time and place, it will be an inspiring and interactive learning experience for all! These are the courses to keep in your prayers this week and throughout the semester:

• Biblical Foundations: Narrative, Wisdom, and the Art of Interpretation with Dr. Nik Ansell (Wednesdays, 6:00-9:00pm ET). This course will explore the Bible as the ongoing story of and for God and all God’s creatures, paying special attention to the way in which humanity’s attempt to find its way is interwoven with the story of the Divine presence and with the wisdom and promise of creation-new creation. In asking whether and how the biblical story may find its future in our ongoing narratives, we will attempt to identify which hermeneutical methods and sensitivities might help us discern its significance for present day life, including the academic enterprise.

• Cultivating Learning Communities of Belonging with Dr. Edith van der Boom (Blended Online Synchronous/Asynchronous). This is a course for instructional leaders and administrators considering school and classroom cultures. Course content will include attention to social and cultural contexts, racial justice, Indigenous perspectives, human sexuality, restorative practices, and how these topics impact and form school and classroom cultures. 

• Facing the Darkness: The (Human) Nature of Evil with Dr. Nik Ansell (Tuesdays, 10:00am-1:00pm ET). This interdisciplinary theology seminar shall probe the origin and nature of evil by engaging key biblical, philosophical, psychological, and anthropological resources. Central to the class discussions will be a sapiential (wisdom-oriented) re-reading of the Fall narrative of Genesis 3–4, set against the backdrop of the good, yet largely wild, creation of Genesis 1–2. In addition to surveying a variety of contemporary theodicies read up against the challenge offered by both “protest atheism” and the biblical lament literature (especially the book of Job), students shall also pay special attention to the correlation between victim and agent in the ongoing dynamics to “original sin” and to the concomitant role of fear in the construction of culture. 

• Philosophy at the Limit: Richard Kearney with Dr. Ronald A. Kuipers (Thursdays, 2:00-5:00pm ET). This course is a study of Kearney’s trilogy Philosophy at the Limit as well as his book Anatheism, focusing on his exploration of that “frontier zone where narratives flourish and abound.” Participants will examine Kearney’s attempt to sketch a narrative eschatology that draws on the work of Heidegger, Levinas, Derrida, and Ricoeur.

• Religion, Life, and Society: Reformational Philosophy with Dr. Neal DeRoo (Tuesdays, 2:00-5:00pm ET). The course tests the relevance of this tradition for recent developments in Western philosophy. Special attention is given to critiques of foundationalism, metaphysics, and modernity within reformational philosophy and in other schools of thought.

• The Aesthetics of Compassion with Dr. Rebekah Smick (Thursdays, 10:00am-1:00pm ET). Looking to such writers as Plato, Aristotle, Seneca, Augustine, Dante, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, Friedrich Nietzsche and Simone Weil, this course will investigate the place of compassion in Western philosophy and theology and the roles that art and imagination have played in the stimulation of compassionate response. 

• The Craft of Reflective Practice with Dr. Gideon Strauss (Blended Online Synchronous/Asynchronous). In this course we will learn how to do critical reflective practice, primarily by telling stories about our everyday professional lives. We will zoom in on the story of an ordinary day at work, and then zoom out to the story of our career to date, zoom out further to the story of our work community, and zoom out even further to the overarching story of God’s world. In the process we will learn qualitative research skills, receive an introduction to phenomenology (the philosophical study of lived experience), develop our own approach to praxis (that is, the craft of morally-oriented, theoretically-informed, and theory-generating critically reflective practice), and, most significantly, come to terms with who we are in what we do.

• The Radical Theopoetics of John D. Caputo with Dr. James Olthuis (Tuesdays, 6:00-9:00pm ET). This seminar will explore John D. Caputo’s Theopoetics, a "weak theology" of narratives, prayers and praise in response to the call of God in contrast to a "strong" theology of predicative claims about the existence and nature of God. 

Please continue to pray for our Senior Members, Junior Members, and students in these courses during this term. Pray that they might experience a close, communal learning environment as much as possible via Zoom and across various time zones.

Monday, September 16 - Friday, September 20:

We share the sad news that ICS Board Trustee and Former Board Chair Marci Frederick passed away on August 25, after a battle with cancer that spread aggressively to her brain in June. Marci was an ICS alum (M.Phil.F. 1992) and ICS Director of Library and Information Services (1992-98), and was a great friend to ICS throughout the years. Marci was a person of fierce intelligence and abiding faith, a keen advocate for social justice, and an engaging interpreter and preacher of the Word. We ask you to join us in prayer as we mourn her passing and celebrate her life and herculean contribution to our community. A memorial service for Marci has been planned at Immanuel Mennonite Church, and will be livestreamed on Tuesday, September 17th at 6:00pm EDT. (Follow this link for the memorial service livestream: https://www.facebook.com/events/s/memorial-service-for-marci-fre/1016575846616517/)

We would appreciate prayers for the Leadership Team as it continues to work out the ICS strategic plan, which is geared to enhancing our academic programming and increasing our tuition revenue and institutional longevity. We pray also for the ICS Academic Council as it resumes the work of academic governance during this month. The council will focus on ICS's academic policies with regard to the assessment of student work during this term. Pray for clarity and wisdom in our thinking as we develop, and continue to implement, ways that will enable us to keep pursuing our goal of offering truly distinct educational opportunities to the students who come our way.

Please pray for those involved in preparing and contributing to our upcoming fall issue of Perspective as authors, editors, organizers, designers, and printers. This issue will highlight some of the voices and stories of our incoming Junior Members (among others) and should offer an exciting glimpse into their work. We ask our Lord to grant all contributors creativity and insight as we aim to send this issue to our supporters in the coming months.

Monday, September 23 - Friday, September 27:

We ask for your prayers for Director of Finance Harley Dekker as he prepares for the auditors and the preparation of the year-end statements this month. This is always a very detailed and lengthy process, so please pray for strength and clarity of mind for Harley as he seeks to complete this task as quickly as possible in the midst of the many other aspects of administration in which he is involved.

During the month of September, the CPRSE team will be planning its annual cycle of research projects, publications, and public outreach events. This year, many of our events and publications will focus on questions surrounding the notion of tradition, particularly as our institution seeks to carry forward the rich tradition of inquiry and scholarship that animates the work and lives of our Senior and Junior Members. Please pray that the CPRSE’s work will be fruitful and responsible, and that the programming offered can serve as a space for transformative reflection for our community and beyond.

We pray for the families and households, friends and faith communities of the members of our ICS scholarly community. We are grateful for their company and encouragement, aware of their sacrifices, and prayerful for their flourishing. As summer shifts into fall, we pray for the adjustments in our schedules and in our priorities to go well, and for our hearts to beat along with the seasonal rhythms of our lives. For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3, NRSV).

Héctor Acero Ferrer Appointed Director of Lifelong Learning

ICS is delighted to announce the appointment of Héctor Acero Ferrer to the position of interim Director of Lifelong Learning on a term-limited contract basis starting on August 1, 2024.  Héctor has been the Associate Director of the Centre for Philosophy, Religion, and Social Ethics (CPRSE) at ICS since the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year and co-editor of ICS's Perspective magazine since September 2016, and he continues in those positions. Since 2022, Héctor has also been the Interim Program Coordinator of the BA in Christian Studies & Global Citizenship of Martin Luther University College at Wilfrid Laurier University. In that capacity he has not only chaired the BA Program Committee and taught extensively in the program, but has also facilitated the review of the BA in Christian Studies & Global Citizenship and  the creation of a new BA degree program. Héctor has been the Graduate Student Director of the Society for Ricoeur Studies since October 2021 and the Chair of the Young Adult Committee of the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) since May 2021. He also served as the President of the Board of Directors of Shalem Mental Health Network from 2016 to 2021.

Héctor completed a Master of Divinity degree at Regis College in the Toronto School of Theology at the University of Toronto during 2010-2013 with a thesis titled, “Ministry as Theological Therapy: A Reinterpretation of ‘The Pastoral’ through Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Language-Games” and a Master of Arts in Philosophy at the Institute for Christian Studies during 2013-2016 with a thesis titled, “Liberating Tradition: An Exploration of Liberation Theology through the Lens of Paul Ricoeur’s Hermeneutics.” At present Héctor is working on a doctorate in philosophy in the joint PhD program of the Institute for Christian Studies and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, with a dissertation on the topic, "Imagining Liberation Amidst Violence: Liberation Theology, Social Imagination, and the Voices of Conflict Survivors in Colombia’s Ecclesial Base Communities." 

In addition to many published papers, reports, and a book chapter, Héctor was one of the editors of both Gestures of Grace: Essays in Honour of Robert Sweetman (2023) and Seeking Stillness or The Sound of Wings: Scholarly and Artistic Comment on Art, Truth, and Society in Honour of Lambert Zuidervaart (2021). His two most recent conference papers were presented in 2023: in June, at the Sixième édition des ateliers d’été du Fonds Ricœur: Soi-même comme un autre in Paris, with the title, “Our-self as Another? Understanding the Development of Narrative Identity in Ecclesial Base Communities through the Lens of Paul Ricoeur (Part I),” and in October, at the 17th Annual Society for Ricoeur Studies Conference in Toronto, with the title, “Our-self as Another? Understanding the Development of Narrative Identity in Ecclesial Base Communities through the Lens of Paul Ricoeur (Part II).” Héctor was also instrumental in designing and presenting the recent ICS conference Beyond Culture Wars.

In his new role as ICS Director of Lifelong Learning Héctor will be tasked primarily with conducting a comprehensive review of the institution’s current public outreach initiatives and a survey of potential areas of growth in the field of continuing education, with the goal of developing a cohesive lifelong learning program in collaboration with the administration and faculty. We are grateful for Héctor's service in this new role and welcome his insights and expertise in developing this initiative at ICS.

Neal DeRoo Appointed Interim Director of MA-PhD Program

The Institute for Christian Studies is pleased to announce the appointment of Neal DeRoo to the position of Interim Director of the MA-PhD Program for a twelve-month period as of July 1, 2024. Dr. DeRoo has been a Senior Member and Professor of Philosophy at ICS since the beginning of the 2023-2024 academic year. Before coming to ICS, Dr. DeRoo served the Christian community in a variety of ways, including as Canada Research Chair in Phenomenology and Philosophy of Religion at The King's University in Edmonton, as Director of the Andreas Center for Reformed Scholarship and Service at Dordt College, and on various boards, including the Editorial Board of Christian Scholar's Review and the Board of Trustees of the ICS (2014-2016). He was also instrumental in designing the recent ICS conference Beyond the Culture Wars.

In addition to his work in Christian scholarship, Dr. DeRoo is also well known in academic philosophical circles, where his work reinterpreting spirituality as a foundational element of how we experience the world has made important contributions to topics as varied as racialization and genderization to how we worship God. He is the author or editor of eight books (with a ninth forthcoming), and has been invited to give lectures and lead seminars throughout North America and Europe.

These extensive connections throughout both Christian scholarship and academic philosophy will serve him well in his new role, as the Director of the MA-PhD Program will be tasked primarily with coordinating a comprehensive review of ICS's MA-PhD program during the 2024-2025 academic year, helping shape that program and its role at the ICS for the next 10 years. A secondary responsibility will be to work with ICS's Recruitment Coordinator in the recruitment of students into this program.

We are grateful for Dr. DeRoo's service in this role and welcome his insights and expertise in shaping ICS academic programming.

Prayer Letter: Summer 2024

Monday, June 3 - Friday, June 7:

On Sunday, June 2nd, Arvilla Sipma, beloved wife of Senior Member Emeritus Jim Olthuis, passed away after a battle with ongoing illness. Arvilla was a dear member of the ICS family, and a gracious host to many events, formal and informal, at her and Jim's home in Toronto. Please pray with us for Arvilla’s family—and especially Jim—that they might feel God’s comfort as they mourn her deeply-felt loss. 

On Friday, June 7th, PhD candidate Meg Giordano will defend her dissertation in the joint ICS-Vrije Universiteit PhD program on site in Amsterdam. The title of Meg’s project is “In Pursuit of Human Flourishing: A Study in Personal Violence and Its Remedy, as Informed by Thomas Aquinas with Help from Aristotle and Proclus.” Please pray for safe travels and peace of mind as Meg prepares for her defense, and for her co-promoters Prof. Dr. Marije Martijn (VU) and Dr. Robert Sweetman (ICS) and the other members of the defense committee as they prepare to discuss her research.

In early May, Dr. J. Richard Middleton retired from Roberts Wesleyan University. You can read a reflection from his close longtime colleague Brian Walsh here. Please also join us in prayers of gratitude for Richard’s career and many contributions to Reformational scholarship, both in writing and in teaching, and to the lives of believers around the world.

Monday, June 10 - Friday, June 14:

After a joyous Convocation on May 24th, we lift up each of our 2024 graduates in prayer as they close this chapter of their respective journeys and look to the next. This year we celebrated the hard work and successful project completion of Steven Jaspers-Fayer (MWS), Julia Henderson (MA), and Richard Peters (MA-EL). We give thanks for the time each of these Junior Members spent in study with us and the many ways each of them contributed to the ICS community, and we wish them well in the next stage of their professional and personal lives. Congratulations!

We also wish to extend prayers of gratitude to each of the members of our Board of Trustees and Senate for the deliberative work each body participated in during their respective annual meetings in late May. We are particularly grateful to Board Chair Dan Beerens for his leadership of the Board’s discussions of budgets and other matters of financial planning, and to Senate Chair Pamela Beattie for her leadership of the Senate in discussions of academic oversight and planning. 

On May 23rd, the daughter of Pamela Beattie, Cecilia, was admitted to the ER where doctors discovered brain tumors and spinal fluid buildup. Last week, Cecilia underwent a successful surgery to determine the extent of the problem, but she will now be embarking on a long journey of chemo and radiation to shrink the tumors and stop the progression of the cancer. We ask that you keep Cecilia and the Beattie family in your prayers during this difficult time, and we pray for swift healing for Cecilia.

Monday, June 17 - Friday, June 21:

Please pray this week for the students and instructor of the final of our online Spring-Summer 2024 courses as they prepare for their time of study together. On June 17th, Dean Dettloff’s online course God of Solidarity: Liberation Theology as Social Movement begins. This course attends to the development of liberation theology amid the wave of 20th-century liberation movements that swept across the globe, with an eye toward the future and legacy of liberation theology in the 21st century. While liberation theology is often studied for its doctrinal content, it is also irreducibly social, historical, and political, emerging from and accountable to people’s movements. There’s still time to apply, so email academic-registrar@icscanada.edu if you’d like to join! Please also pray with us for fruitful discussions among participants as this course gets underway.

June 16-18th, Senior Member Neal DeRoo will be participating in the Society for Existential and Phenomenological Theory and Culture (EPTC) conference as part of Congress 2024 at McGill University in Montreal. This is a major national gathering of academics within the humanities and social sciences, so please pray with us for many learning and networking opportunities for Neal as he discusses topics of shared interest together with other colleagues in the field.

Monday, June 24 - Friday, June 28:

We continue to accept late applications to start an ICS program of study throughout the summer. We pray for those applicants whose materials we’ve already received, that they might be granted wisdom and clarity as they arrange any other necessary details to start their studies in the fall. And we pray for any would-be applicants still in the process of deciding or finding their way to ICS, that they might be able to see what ICS has to offer them in their studies and their journeys.

June 30th also marks the end of our fiscal year. We’ve been so grateful for the financial support we’ve received from each of our donors over this past year. Your giving is absolutely vital to the work that we do and the blessings that we have to offer the students that walk through our doors. Thank you for your generosity! We also thank God for the dedicated work of our Advancement and Finance teams in seeking out and stewarding these gifts and keeping ICS running day to day.

July

On July 1st, ICS alumnus and Professor of Philosophy at Calvin University Dr. James K. A. Smith begins a 5-year appointment as a Distinguished Associate of ICS, following a unanimous vote by the ICS Senate in favour of the appointment. You can read more about the appointment here. Please also pray with us for blessings on Jamie’s continued teaching, research, and writing. 

As the summer continues, we ask for prayers for all the ICS staff, Senior Members, and Junior Members—that everyone might find chances to relax and enjoy God’s creation during these weeks, catch up on planning and other projects, and really dig into reading, writing, and other research projects. We are grateful for the gifts and insights that each member of our community brings, and we pray that this seasonal change of pace may be a blessing to everyone.

August

Please also pray this month for three of our MA-EL summer courses: Called to Teach with Edith van der Boom, Lead From Where You Are with Gideon Strauss, and What’s Christian About Christian Education? with Neal DeRoo. Each of these courses have their final three sessions on August 6-8th. Pray for continued creative energy for Edith, Gideon, and Neal as they lead the courses, and for all the participants that they might find joy and inspiration in their learning experiences together.

Fall 2024 courses are now listed on the ICS website. We have an exciting array of topics being covered by our Senior Members this semester, and all of these courses are available for online participation. More details will be made available over the summer, but you can check the full course list out now to see if anything catches your eye at www.icscanada.edu/fall-courses. Please share information about these courses widely within your communities! And please pray for our Senior Members as they start preparing over the summer for the start of their courses in the fall:

• Biblical Foundations and Facing the Darkness, taught by Nik Ansell
• The Aesthetics of Compassion, taught by Rebekah Smick
• Religion, Life, and Society: Reformational Philosophy, taught by Neal DeRoo
• The Craft of Reflective Practice, taught by Gideon Strauss
• Philosophy at the Limit: Richard Kearney, taught by Ronald A. Kuipers
• Cultivating Learning Communities of Belonging, taught by Edith van der Boom