Sunday, March 21 Incarnation, Passion, and Evolution
Classes taught by The Rev. Canon Christoph Keller, ThD
Sunday Mornings 10:05-10:45 Free and open to the public. No registration required. Childcare provided. St. Margaret's Episcopal Church 20900 Chenal Parkway 501-821-1311 http://www.itssm.org
About the Institute
The Institute began in 2004.
The first offering was a lecture series titled The Mysteries of Christ,
and the second, Darwin in Christian Perspective. Both series were
advertised to the broader community and well attended with an average of 50 for
each class.
The Institute also sponsored a study of a video series on Islam, and a seminar
led by Dr. Donnal Walter, a research scientist active in the congregation of
St. Margaret's, who has a strong interest in theology.
Our hope is that the Institute will be a weighty theological presence in Little
Rock, and a resource for the intellectual and spiritual vitality of the
Episcopal Church in Arkansas, the Mid-South, and throughout the United States
of America.
We see this "theological presence" as deeply classical, with a little
bit of cutting edge. By "classical" we mean that we intend to draw on
the great learning of the church's long tradition for a spiritual wisdom and
intellectual acuity that often transcends the modern liberal-fundamentalist
theological divide. The average Christian can learn a lot from Augustine,
Aquinas, the Caroline Divines, and Barth.
The "cutting edge" will have especially to do with the teaching we
can do in theology and science, drawing upon resources such as the Center for
Theology and the Natural Sciences in Berkeley, and the writings of
philosophical theologians such as Nancey Murphy, John Polkinghorne, and Keith
Ward.
In connection with the House of Prayer (also located on the campus of St.
Margaret's Church), another point of emphasis will be the Christian spiritual
tradition including studies of such mystical theologians as the author of the Cloud
of Unknowning, Julian of Norwich, John of the Cross, and Teresa of Avila.
The Institute will offer evening lecture series, day-time programs for mothers
and retirees, weekend conferences, retreats, and seminars.
It will generate and distribute audio-visual, print, and web-productions.
It will emphasize good communications and marketing techniques to draw
participation from an audience much broader than that typically seen in church
adult education offerings.
Strong emphasis will be given to developing programs that appeal to the
scientific and academic community.
