Ben Sasse: A Trinity Forum Conversation The Trinity Forum 2026-09-23 | Ben Sasse: A Trinity Forum Conversation
Suffering and the Formation of Hope The Trinity Forum 2023-09-29 | Hope and suffering seem to lay at opposite poles of human experience. We hope to avoid or escape suffering, both for ourselves and for those we love. But what if hope — rather than being mere optimism or a pleasant disposition – is a virtue that grows and develops in suffering?Curt Thompson, Trinity Forum Senior Fellow and author of The Deepest Place: Suffering and the Formation of Hope, joined us for an Online Conversation, on Friday, September 29 to explore how suffering, especially when processed in the context of community, can lead to deep hope.Thank you to our co-host, Zondervan Books, and our sponsor, the Center for Being Known, for their support of this event!
Scripture and the Public Square: The Use and Misuse of the Bible in American History The Trinity Forum 2023-09-15 | The language of the Bible has often been invoked in American political discourse through the centuries. Scripture has been quoted by suffragists and secessionists, invoked in arguments for (and against) American independence, the Civil War, and each succeeding conflict, and cited by virtually every President across parties. So how should we discern a faithful application of scripture in public life from instrumentalizing the Bible for political purposes? What can we learn from America’s history of using the Bible in politics?Kaitlyn Schiess, theologian, speaker, and author of the new book, The Ballot and The Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused In American Politics and Where We Go From Here, joined us on Friday, September 15 to help us examine America’s history of using (and misusing) biblical language in politics, and explore what we can learn from the times Scripture has been wisely applied as well as egregiously misused. With a wide-ranging discussion covering history, hermeneutics, and political theology, she helped us consider the proper use of the Bible in political discourse.Thank you to our event co-host Brazos Press!
The Shaping of the Evangelical Imagination The Trinity Forum 2023-08-14 | From high art to pop culture, we are surrounded by images, stories, and metaphors from our earliest days. How do such symbols and metaphors shape our thinking, imagination, and assumptions — both as a person and as a people? Amidst the confusion and contradictions of current times, can we disentangle what in our thinking is truly Christian from what is merely cultural?Karen Swallow Prior, Trinity Forum Senior Fellow and award-winning author of the new book, The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images & Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis, will join us on Friday, August 11 to help us consider how our imaginations have been shaped by the culture we inhabit. By reflecting on influences ranging from Charles Dickens to Johnny Cash, she’ll help us think about how the way we see the world has been subtly influenced by the stories we inhabit, and about paths forward from where we are now.The Trinity Forum held an Online Conversation with Karen on Friday, August 11 to discuss the metaphors we live by.Thank you to our sponsors, Brazos Press and Eileen and Dennis Bakke, for their support of this event.
An Altar Call: Renewal and the American Church The Trinity Forum 2023-07-21 | Amid the growing polarization, covered-up abuses, schisms, and scandals roiling evangelicalism, studies show that many American Christians – and even many pastors – are increasingly disillusioned with and exhausted by what they experience at church. Wisdom is required to confront the challenge: how can we refocus on the Good News and its transforming power, and together be amazed by grace once again?Trinity Forum Senior Fellow Russell Moore, current Christianity Today Editor in Chief, former President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention, and author of the new book, Losing Our Religion, joined us on Friday, July 21 to discuss the possibilities for repentance and renewal in the American church. In this Trinity Forum Online Conversation, convened in partnership with The After Party, he helped us think through addressing the challenges to the church without cynicism or complicity, and reviving the hope of new life.Thank you to our sponsors Scott and Cindy Anderson for their support of this event.
Human Flourishing in the Digital Age The Trinity Forum 2023-06-30 | Our digital devices promise connectivity and enlightenment in exchange for our attention. Yet attending to these devices often leaves us feeling displaced, disconnected, and dispirited. How are we being changed by these ever-present technologies?Westmont College cultural sociologist and author of Restless Devices: Recovering Personhood, Presence, and Place in the Digital Age, Felicia Wu Song, will join us on Friday, June 30, to explore the place of digital technologies in contemporary life. She’ll help us consider the surprising ways that our social media habits and technologies can disrupt our connections with each other and even with God–and how we can recover our sense of personhood and place.The Trinity Forum with the Consortium of Christian Study Centers held an Online Conversation with Felicia on Friday, June 30 to consider the ramifications of digital technology on our human development.
Hospitality to Strangers: Caring for Immigrants and Refugees The Trinity Forum 2023-06-24 | In the midst of our heated contemporary geopolitical debates over immigration and refugee policy, it is all too easy to forget that the challenges around migration are as old as human sojourning, and the Bible speaks directly to the faithful about our orientation to and care for the strangers in our midst, with story after story about caring for the sojourner and extending hospitality to strangers. How do those texts speak into our current realities - and how does our own experience inform our encounter with Scripture?Wheaton College Old Testament scholar and author of The Bible and Borders: Hearing God's Word on Immigration, Dr. M. Daniel Carroll Rodas, joined us on Friday, June 23, to explore these questions. We considered how the Biblical story helps us understand questions around refugees and migration in the modern world, and how these realities can help us more fully appreciate the depths of the Biblical text.The Trinity Forum and Restoration Immigration Legal Aid held an Online Conversation with Daniel on June 23 to discuss the biblical call to care for the sojourner.
Walking With God: Walking as a Spiritual Discipline The Trinity Forum 2023-06-09 | What does it mean to walk with God? The spiritual life is so often described as a walk, journey, or pilgrimage that it can be easy to dismiss the practice of walking as a mere metaphor. But in God Walk, author Mark Buchanan explores the way that the act of walking has profound implications for followers of the Way, and reflects on the ways in which walking can be both a spiritual practice and means of deepening our connection to the earth beneath us, our fellow travelers, and the God we worship.We held an Online Conversation with Mark on Friday, June 9 to explore what happens when we literally walk out our Christian faith.
Hope in an Age of Anxiety The Trinity Forum 2023-05-12 | We are in an anxious age. By some estimates, a third of all Americans will struggle with anxiety in their lives, and nearly 20% currently suffer from an anxiety disorder. For those suffering the mental distortions of anxiety, life can be difficult, and hope elusive. And for many Christians who have tried and failed to stop their slide into fear and worry by simply “laying down their burdens,” they may feel an added sense of spiritual failure as well.In this Online Conversation, Curtis Chang, the author of The Anxiety Opportunity: How Worry is the Doorway to Your Best Self, will join psychiatrist Curt Thompson, to discuss the challenge of anxiety as well as the invitation it presents for spiritual growth.We held an Online Conversation with Curtis and Curt, on May 12 to explore how to step through the doorway of anxiety and find peace in this chaotic world.
The Burden of Living & the Goodness of God The Trinity Forum 2023-04-14 | We don't often talk about the courage required to face ordinary life. Such common human challenges as sorrow, despair, anxiety, and mental illness may cause us to experience life more as a burden than a gift. For many, this struggle is a constant one.In his new book, On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden & Gift of Living, author and professor Alan Noble considers the challenges that face each one of us every morning. He concludes that the simple decision to engage with the world each day constitutes a declaration of the goodness of God.We held an Online Conversation with Alan on Friday, April 14 to explore the burden of everyday life in light of the faithfulness of God.
Can Beauty Save the World? The Trinity Forum 2023-04-07 | In a world preoccupied with political battles, culture wars, commercial competition, and status seeking, why should we care about beauty? What does it mean to pursue the good, true, and beautiful — and what difference would it make in real, everyday life?Poet Dana Gioia and visual artist Makoto Fujimura are uniquely equipped to consider these questions. Through their numerous books, paintings, and poems, they have considered the meaning of beauty as it relates to fallen people in a fallen world.In partnership with Montgomery Bell Academy and St. Paul Christian Academy, The Trinity Forum is celebrating 10 years of our Evening Conversation speaker series by bringing back two renowned speakers for a special 10th anniversary Evening Conversation. Artist Makoto Fujimura and poet Dana Gioia joined us on Wednesday, April 5 to consider the proper place of beauty in our lives and in the world.
Reading as a Spiritual Practice The Trinity Forum 2023-03-31 | What if we viewed reading as not just a personal hobby or a pleasurable indulgence but as a spiritual practice that deepens our faith? In her new book, Reading for the Love of God, award-winning author and Trinity Forum Senior Fellow Jessica Hooten Wilson explores how Christian thinkers—including Augustine, Julian of Norwich, Frederick Douglass, and Dorothy Sayers—approached the act of reading. She argues that the simple act of reading can help us learn to pray well, love our neighbor, be contemplative, practice humility, and disentangle ourselves from contemporary idols. The Trinity Forum held an Online Conversation with Jessica on March 31 to explore how literature can rehabilitate our imaginations and strengthen us in the pursuit of holiness.
Towards a Better Christian Politics The Trinity Forum 2023-03-24 | The relentless pull and pressure of partisan antagonisms and tribalism have fractured friendships, families, communities — and churches. In a time of conflict over what is good and confusion over what is true, what can church leaders do to cultivate a more faithful form of civic engagement? How can we learn to discern the call to love and justice amidst the clamor of political wars?We invited three incisive speakers to address this question. Curtis Chang, David French, and Russell Moore are each writers, scholars, and thinkers who have made courageous and insightful contributions towards a better Christian politics.In partnership with Redeeming Babel, The Trinity Forum held an Evening Conversation at the National Press Club on Tuesday, March 21 with Curtis, David, and Russell to explore the challenges faced by church leaders and to discuss how communities of faith can cultivate, articulate, and embody a deeply faithful pursuit of justice for the common good.
Tending The Heart Of Virtue The Trinity Forum 2023-03-24 | From our earliest years, we are steeped in story. Family members, friends, books, and movies all form and fill our imagination with narrative, possibility, and new worlds. We know intuitively that story shapes us, but how? How might we think about cultivating an imagination that enlivens the mind and fortifies one’s character? Dr. Vigen Guroian and Dr. Angel Parham are uniquely positioned to explore these questions. Dr. Guroian has addressed them in several books, including Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child's Moral Imagination - now being reissued in a special 25th anniversary edition, which we are celebrating in this Online Conversation. In her books The Black Intellectual Tradition: Reading Freedom in Classical Literature and the award-winning American Routes: Racial Palimpsests and the Transformation of Race, Dr. Parham has examined the past in order to better understand how to live well in the present and envision wisely for the future. Together, these two thinkers will help us reflect on the stories we tell - and the stories we live.
Celebrity Culture and the American Church The Trinity Forum 2023-03-10 | How can we understand the rise and fall of well known Christian leaders in recent years? Is it a result of higher standards and more scrutiny? An inevitable result of trusting fallen humans? Or are other influences at work? Katelyn Beaty, the award-winning author of Celebrities for Jesus, wrestles with such questions by exploring how modern celebrity culture is tied up with evangelicalism. She encourages Christians to pursue an ordinary faithfulness that keeps fame in its proper place. On Friday, March 10, The Trinity Forum hosted an Online Conversation with Katelyn Beaty to better understand how fame influences our churches at the national and local level and what we can do to mitigate its negative effects.
Blessings for Imperfect Days The Trinity Forum 2023-02-22 | It's easy to be caught in the trap of perfectionism, especially when those around us seem to have it all together. But we can find ourselves alone and discouraged when things don't go as we've planned, and the lives we actually have fail to resemble those we’d hoped to lead. In her recently released book The Lives We Actually Lead, New York Times best-selling author and Duke University professor Kate Bowler (along with co-author Jessica Richie) offer a collection of blessings that center gratitude and hope while acknowledging the reality of our often messy and frantic everyday lives. They show how embracing our limitations and vulnerabilities, as well as those of others, can open new possibilities for healing, hope, and community.In partnership with Duke Divinity School, the Trinity Forum held an Evening Conversation at the National Press Club on Tuesday, February 21st with Kate to explore how the blessings of truth, beauty, and meaning can be discovered amid the chaos of life.
Character, Virtue, & Leadership The Trinity Forum 2023-02-18 | The increasing conflict, chaos, and moral confusion of our time has made leadership more challenging, and the role of character increasingly questioned. What does it mean to lead wisely and well? Is successful leadership defined by “winning”? How is trust built in a cynical age? Wake Forest professor, author, and director of the The Program for Leadership and Character, Michael Lamb wrestles with such questions by exploring the link between virtue and wise leadership, and showing how character formation enables leaders to establish trust, think wisely, empower others, and persevere through difficult times.The Trinity Forum held an Online Conversation on February 17 with Michael to better understand how character is formed, why it matters, and how it can contribute to personal, communal, and civic flourishing.Thank you to our sponsors for their support of this event:Sam and Betsy FunkClaudius and Deirdre Modesti
The Trinity Forum | Year in Review, 2022 The Trinity Forum 2022-12-30 | On behalf of all of us at the Trinity Forum, we wish you a happy Advent season! As we enjoy the holidays, we also wanted to share a brief look back at some of the milestones from the past year. We are grateful to you, our viewers, members, friends, and partners, all of whom have helped make this another historic year for The Trinity Forum. We hope that you'll continue to partner with us in cultivating and communicating the best of Christian thought and joining us for conversations on the things that matter most. Donate here: https://rb.gy/pdugydRegister for Upcoming Events: ttf.org/upcoming-events
Renewing the Joy of Advent The Trinity Forum 2022-12-16 | Each year, Advent invites us to enter into the joy of the season through rhythms of remembrance and renewal. But often, our very familiarity with the Advent story can leave us dulled to the miracle and joy of the season.In her new Advent collection Heaven and Nature Sing, author Hannah Anderson invites readers into a fresh reading of the Christmas story by drawing together 25 meditations on the beauty of creation.On Friday, December 16th, we held an Online Conversation with Hannah Anderson to discover anew the joy of the long-anticipated Incarnation which calls heaven and nature to sing.Thank you to our sponsors for their support of this event:Kelly and Adrienne JohnstonChris and Cheryl Bachelder
The Blessing of Limitations The Trinity Forum 2022-12-09 | We live in an age of speed and overwhelm, where we often feel we are constantly expected to do more, move faster, work harder, brush past boundaries and limits, and shave margins. When we inevitably fail to meet all demands, we are left feeling not only exhausted and discouraged, but often disoriented and diminished.But what if, instead of seeing our limitations as an impediment, we could learn to view them as a blessing, even a gift? In You’re Only Human, theologian and scholar Kelly Kapic offers a theologically grounded approach to understanding and receiving the gift of our human finitude.On December 9th, the Trinity Forum invites you to join us for an Online Conversation with Kelly Kapic as he offers a way to find joy and relief in our incarnational limits and use them to foster greater freedom, spiritual growth, and deeper community.Thank you to our sponsors for their support of this event:Baker Publishing GroupDon and Rita Walker
Learning Humility The Trinity Forum 2022-12-02 | In an age where overt narcissism and oversized egos are often celebrated as a sign of decisive leadership, humility may seem a lost virtue, or a form of moral condolence for the less successful. But in his new work, Learning Humility, Richard Foster argues that learning humility is more needed than ever, and is “the one thing that can conquer all-consuming pride and provide a solid foundation for developing a genuinely good life.” Through wisdom gleaned from both spiritual classics and Native American culture, Richard shows how how vital, if countercultural, this often overlooked virtue is.The Trinity Forum held an Online Conversation on Friday, December 2nd with Richard Foster, founder of Renovaré, and Brenda Quinn, pastor of spiritual formation, to provide insight into what humility is and uncover how we can cultivate it in a challenging cultural climate.
Beauty, Trauma, & the Healing Power of Presence The Trinity Forum 2022-11-09 | The Russian novelist Dostoyevsky famously asserted that beauty will save the world. But can it save the one in which we actually live? Perhaps surprisingly, both the biblical narrative and the world of neuroscience would suggest that it can — and it all begins with our imaginations being renewed.In partnership with Montgomery Bell Academy and St. Paul Christian Academy, The Trinity Forum held an Evening Conversation with psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr. Curt Thompson on Monday, November 7th to discover how the renewal of our imaginations opens new possibilities for better knowing and loving God, ourselves, and each other — and, in turn, reshapes our world.Thank you to our sponsors:FriendsMary & Lee BarfieldJanet & David ChestnutJessica & Kevin DouglasAshley & David EdwardsRebecca & Al GonzalesCrissy & Bill HaslamElizabeth & Bill HawkinsGretchen & Allan HornerEleanor & Eric OsborneMolly & Ed PowellCarol & John RochfordAnna & Gif ThorntonHeather & Morgan WillsFoundations CorporateCharis Foundation Sims-Funk, PLCCreed & Culture Fund Gaw Properties, Inc
How to be a Patriotic Christian The Trinity Forum 2022-11-04 | What does it mean to love our country? Is there a difference between patriotism and Christian nationalism? How should Christians navigate the tensions between allegiance to the kingdom of God and their nation, and avoid the dangers of both idolatry and disengagement?On November 4th, The Trinity Forum held an Online Conversation with theologian and president emeritus of Fuller Seminary Rich Mouw and political theorist and scholar Paul Miller to explore the relationship between Christianity and nation and offer a vision that promotes civic flourishing and responsible citizenship.
Can Our Culture be Remade, An Evening Conversation The Trinity Forum 2022-10-25 | At a time when the forces of atomization seem irresistible, many are questioning: is redemptive, unifying social change even possible anymore? What prospects are there for renewing the creative collaborations that make community possible? How might we approach remaking the connective tissue between people, places, and institutions that marks the common life we all crave and need?On Monday, October 24th from 6:30pm - 8:30 p.m. the Trinity Forum and Comment Magazine hosted an Evening Conversation to unpack these questions with public theologian and cultural anthropologist David Bailey and author and Praxis partner Andy Crouch. David Bailey is a public theologian, cultural anthropologist, and catalyst focused on building reconciling communities. David is the founder and Chief Vision Officer of Arrabon, a spiritual formation ministry that equips the American Church to actively and creatively pursue racial healing in their communities. He is the co-author of the study series, A People, A Place, and A Just Society and the executive producer of the documentary 11 am: Hope for America's Most Segregated Hour and the Urban Doxology Project. Read David's essay, Reconciliation is Spiritual Formation from Comment Magazine at the link below.Reconciliation is Spiritual FormationA framework for organizational practicecomment.org/reconciliation-is-spiritual-formationAndy Crouch is an author, speaker, and musician who has shaped the way our generation sees culture, creativity, and the gospel. In addition to his new release The Life We're Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World, he has also authored The Tech-Wise Family, Culture Making, Playing God, and Strong and Weak, and his work has been featured in Time, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. He was executive editor of Christianity Today from 2012 to 2016 and is now a full-time partner in theology and culture with Praxis, an organization that works as a creative engine for redemptive entrepreneurship. Ready Andy's essay, Spiritual Practices for Public Leadership from Comment Magazine at the link below.Spiritual Practices for Public LeadershipGuarding one’s soul in and out of seasoncomment.org/spiritual-practices-for-public-leadership
Trust, Truth, and the Knowledge Crisis The Trinity Forum 2022-10-21 | The question “How do I know what’s true?” comes up with increasing frequency and urgency in our time of angry polarization, deliberately-stoked outrage, and earned distrust. There is money to be made and a growing market for the kind of misinformation that reinforces our views and confirms our preconceptions — as well as a large price to be paid. Our failure as a people to agree not only on matters of right and wrong, but more basic questions of truth and falsehood, or even reality versus fantasy, exacerbates our divisions and frustrations. So how do we learn to discern what is true and real amidst the din?The Trinity Forum spoke with Bonnie Kristian on Friday, October 21 to consider the causes, consequences, and hopes for understanding and responding to our knowledge crisis. Drawing on her experience as a journalist, Bonnie explores the sources that contribute to widespread confusion and conspiracy thinking and offers insight into ways to combat misinformation and pursue truth in our own lives, families, and church communities.
Bookclub Box, Introducing Winston Churchill The Trinity Forum 2022-09-29 | Os Guinness introduces the life and significance of Winston Churchill and what led him to pen the essay, "Painting as a Pastime."
Bookclub Box, Introducing Annie Dillard The Trinity Forum 2022-09-28 | Tish Harrison Warren introduces the life and writing of Annie Dillard with a special focus on "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek."
How To Inhabit Time The Trinity Forum 2022-09-24 | Time often seems a scarce resource — one we increasingly attempt to stretch, squeeze, prolong, or kill. Yet for all of our attempted manipulation of time, we increasingly sense we are living “nowhen” — disconnected from the past and distracted from the present — leaving us more vulnerable to nostalgia, disorientation, and anxiety for the future. On Friday, September 23rd, The Trinity Forum hosted an Online Conversation with Dr. James K.A. Smith, author of the new book How to Inhabit Time, to examine the ways in which we can understand and move from enmeshment in time to habitation, and develop a “temporal awareness” attuned to both the grittiness of chronological history and the kairos of faith. We are grateful to our sponsors for their generous support: Laura Grace AlexanderThank you to Image Journal, our co-host for their support of this event.
Cultivating a Life of Learning The Trinity Forum 2022-09-16 | How can we cultivate the habits and discipline required for a life of learning, especially in an age of distraction? And is such a life really worth it?Zena Hitz, humanities scholar and author of Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life, argues that few experiences are as formative and fulfilling as the cultivation of a rich inner life of learning and contemplation.On Friday, September 16 at 1:30 p.m. ET, we held an Online Conversation with St. John's College Tutor Zena Hitz who offered a compelling reminder of the intrinsic value of learning as a means for renewing ourselves and, in turn, our communities.Thank you to our sponsor for this event: The Institute for Human Ecology (IHE) at The Catholic University of America
The State of Religious Freedom The Trinity Forum 2022-08-26 | The right to religious freedom is a central tenet of American democracy and one of the first rights enshrined in the Constitution. But what that means, how far that freedom extends, the threats that undermine its practice, and the proper protections around such freedom has been a matter of contention ever since. On Friday, August 26, The Trinity Forum sat down for an Online Conversation with Center for Public Justice's Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance founder and director Stanley Carlson-Thies and scholar and legal advocate Kristina Arriaga to explore the meaning and implications of religious freedom in the U.S. With decades of legal and academic experience defending the principles of religious freedom, Stanley and Kristina discussed the problems currently facing religious liberty while providing insight on how to navigate the coming decades.
The Fall, the Founding, and the Future of American Democracy The Trinity Forum 2022-08-19 | What did America's founders believe about human nature? How might a deeper understanding of their perspective shape the way we think about our current and future challenges to democracy? On Friday, August 19th, The Trinity Forum spoke with Dr. Tracy McKenzie, professor of history at Wheaton College and author of the award-winning We the Fallen People: The Founders and the Future of American Democracy, to take a close look at the nature of American democracy and what it means for the future. We discussed the view of human nature that was shared by America's founding fathers, the implications of its abandonment, and the tension of fallen human beings entrusted with self-governance. This conversation of America's history can help us see the present with fresh insight as we consider how Christians and the Church play a role in the public and political life of the country.
Jazz Hope And The Gospel: An Online Conversation with William Edgar and Carl Ellis The Trinity Forum 2022-08-06 | Jazz music has the power to express the deepest meanings of life. Its rich history and distinctive elements like improvisation and syncopation reflect the complexity and richness of the human experience. In his new work, A Supreme Love: The Music of Jazz and the Hope of the Gospel, theologian and jazz pianist William Edgar traces the development of jazz within the context of the African American experience and argues that the music form cannot be properly understood apart from the context of the Christian gospel.On Friday, August 5th at 1:30pm ET, we hosted an Online Conversation with William Edgar and Carl Ellis, professor of theology and culture at Reformed Theological Seminary. They discussed the way jazz encompasses the movement from deep lament to irrepressible joy, reflects the creation of harmony out of chaos, and presents the unique hope of the gospel.Thank you to Fetzer for their support of this event.
Science, Faith, Trust, and Truth with Francis Collins The Trinity Forum 2022-07-22 | Dr. Francis Collins spoke at The Trinity Forum's Evening Conversation on July 19, 2022 about science, faith, trust, and truth.
Neurobiology and the Soul with Curt Thompson and Jeffrey Dudiak The Trinity Forum 2022-06-25 | What is the connection between our mind and our soul? New discoveries in neuroscience reveal that love can literally change our minds — that our relationships and interactions with others help shape our brains – which in turn, shape our relationships and behaviors. The link between our habits and spiritual practices and the renewing of our mind may be far more direct than once supposed.On Friday, June 24th at 1:30pm ET we hosted an Online Conversation with psychiatrist Curt Thompson and The King's University philosophy professor Jeffrey Dudiak to discuss the convergence of what brain research and spiritual practices reveal about the formation and development of our mind, heart, and soul.This Conversation is part of our Discovery and Doxology series in partnership with BioLogos and Church of the Advent bringing together leading scientists, theologians, and scholars to discuss the relationship between science and faith.Thanks to our sponsors: the Templeton Religion Trust, Praxis Guilds Indianapolis, Edge Mentoring, and Telemachus.
Discovery and Doxology: Conversations on Science and Faith The Trinity Forum 2022-06-21 | In partnership with the Templeton Religion Trust, Biologos, and Church of the Advent, The Trinity Forum is pleased to present Discovery and Doxology, a series of conversations exploring the relationship between science and faith.These conversations address head on the tensions that accompany seeking to understand the proper relationship between science and faith. This series will introduce you to some of the brightest scientific and theological lights of our own generation.We hope you enjoy these conversations and that they inspire your own exploration and praise. To listen to these conversations as part of a special podcast release, visit our website at ttf.org/podcast.
Reading in Community: An Online Conversation with Matthew Lee Anderson and Anika Prather The Trinity Forum 2022-06-10 | Christians have been called a “people of the book,” yet how often do we spend time gathering together to read deeply? In a fast-paced technological world, taking time to read deeply and well, let alone alongside others, can feel like a daunting task. And while reading alone has extraordinary value (and, research shows, is intriguingly linked with spending more time with others), reading in community is a uniquely formative endeavor that shapes how we think, what we value, and our ability to have genuine and meaningful dialogue and relationship with others.On Friday, June 10th at 1:30pm ET the Trinity Forum hosted an Online Conversation with Baylor professor and convenor of the online reading group for The Divine Comedy, 100 Days of Dante, Matthew Lee Anderson and Howard University professor and author Anika Prather to explore the importance of reading together and the impact that such small but meaningful interactions can have on ourselves, our communities, and our civic structures.Thank you to Fetzer for their support of this event.
Curbing the Culture Wars: An Online Conversation with Yuval Levin & Brandon Vaidyanathan The Trinity Forum 2022-06-03 | As the intensity of our culture war politics intensifies, partisan conflict and division have spread far outside their usual boundaries. Increasingly, virtually any sphere of life has grown politicized, shaded in either red or blue. Neighbors become online adversaries online, and once-independent institutions become platforms for political theater.So what are the proper boundaries between the various spheres of our lives? Is it possible to discern and develop distinct domains between education, church, family, politics, and finance in a way that is complementary and supportive, rather than either atomizing or totalizing? Can our culture wars be contained and curbed, or are they destined to invade and poison every nook and cranny of life?On Friday, June 3rd at 1:30pm ET the Trinity Forum and Comment magazine hosted an Online Conversation with National Affairs editor Yuval Levin and sociologist and professor Brandon Vaidyanathan on how we can envision and develop new habits and models that lead us toward more coherent lives and contribute to the common good.
Faith in an Empirical World: An Online Conversation with Ard Louis and Tremper Longman The Trinity Forum 2022-06-03 | We live in an era where science and faith are widely believed to be in conflict. A spreading materialism asserts, even assumes, that only empirical knowledge is reliable, and denigrates ways of understanding reality beyond the quantitative. Others believe that the realms of science and religion are entirely separate — each with interesting things to say, but nothing to say to each other. In this Online Conversation, we’ll offer a different hypothesis: that science and faith actually have things to say to each other and to us in enabling us to better understand ourselves, our minds, our world, and its originator and designer. And that contemplating the complexity of our Cosmos, and the mystery of our self and soul, may cultivate a new sense of wonder, awe, and even worship – a doxology amidst discovery.On Friday, May 20th, we hosted an Online Conversation with Dr. Tremper Longman, professor of biblical studies, and Ard Louis, professor of theoretical physics, to discuss how we can cultivate faithful epistemology in a culture marked by conflict and confusion. This event was held in partnership with Biologos and Church of the Advent and made possible through the support of Templeton Religion Trust.
After Babel: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World with Andy Crouch & Jonathan Haidt The Trinity Forum 2022-05-06 | We were made for relationship — to be seen, loved, known, and committed to others. And yet we increasingly find ourselves, in the words of our guest, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, whose recent Atlantic article has ignited a national conversation on social media: “disoriented, unable to speak the same language or recognize the same truth. We are cut off from one another and from the past.” As we have grown increasingly reliant on technology and social media, he notes, “something has gone terribly wrong.”In his most recent book, The Life We’re Looking For, bestselling author and Praxis partner Andy Crouch explores how the technology era has seduced us with a false vision of human flourishing—and how each of us can fight back, and restore true community. We were excited to welcome Jonathan Haidt and Andy Crouch for a broad-ranging discussion on the seismic effects of our technology on our personal relationships, civic institutions, and even democratic foundations — and how we might approach rethinking our technologies and reclaiming human connection.
Work, Justice, and the Common Good: An Online Conversation with Henry Kaestner and Dave Blanchard The Trinity Forum 2022-04-22 | In a time of growing civic fracture, how can we understand and steward the gifts and resources we have been given to serve God and others?While work occupies most of our waking hours, it can often feel excluded from our understanding of or discussions around Christian formation and vision for flourishing. This Online Conversation will explore possibilities for faith-driven investing, redemptive entrepreneurship, and the role our work plays in the common good.Co-founder of the Faith Driven Entrepreneur Henry Kaestner and Praxis co-founder Dave Blanchard explore how God can use our vocations to connect us to a larger vision of cultivating good. Thank you to our sponsors: John Moon, John & Jackie Coleman, and Bill & Dana Wichterman with Faith Driven Network of DC Metro
Evening Conversation with Arthur Brooks: Healing a Divided Culture The Trinity Forum 2022-04-15 | ...
Science, Faith, & the Pursuit of Truth: An Online Conversation with Elaine Ecklund and Ted Davis The Trinity Forum 2022-03-28 | What does it mean to pursue truth — and how do we know what we know? Science and religion have often been assumed to offer either contradictory or unrelated forms of knowledge, with any intersection between them presumed to be a conflict.Such assumptions have grown more contentious in recent years in a world awash in misinformation and epistemic battles. How do science and faith relate in pursuing truth? What might each have to say to the other? And how might such a conversation enhance our understanding of knowledge itself?We hosted an Online Conversation on Friday, March 25th at 1:30 pm EST with social scientist and Rice University professor Elaine Ecklund and International Society for Science & Religion Fellow Ted Davis showing how science and Christianity intersect in constructive, even beautiful ways. This Conversation was the third event in our Discovery and Doxology series in partnership with BioLogos and Church of the Advent bringing together leading scientists and theologians to discuss the relationship between science and faith.
Reading as Regeneration: An Online Conversation with Jessica Hooten Wilson and Claude Atcho The Trinity Forum 2022-03-18 | The act of reading is fundamental to our understanding of the world and its Creator (the Word made flesh), and numerous studies have shown immersive reading to be an inherently creative and generative endeavor, enabling the reader to imagine more broadly, empathize more deeply, and occupy an expanded view of possibility. But in a world where electronic and social media constantly demand our attention, sap our focus, and crowd out uninterrupted pursuits, how can we better understand and enjoy the formative power of deep reading? What are the possibilities in our time of reading for regeneration?In, The Scandal of Holiness, Jessica Hooten Wilson challenges the presuppositions of self-help culture and suggests an unusual prescription: that a plan for wholeness and the pursuit of holiness should both include robust reading, and the renewal of imagination in the company of literary saints. And in his work Reading Black Books, Claude Atcho discusses the generative capacity for reading great works by often-overlooked black authors from a theological mindset, and the possibilities for better understanding justice, suffering, faithfulness, and love.On Friday March 18th, we hosted an Online Conversation with Jessica and Claude exploring how literature can rehabilitate our imaginations and strengthen us in the pursuit of holiness.
Gift Logic & Abundant Life: An Online Conversation with Louis Kim & Tim Soerens The Trinity Forum 2022-03-11 | We often think of the joyful experiences of our lives as intimate, personal, bound to a time or place, and marked by love and a generosity of spirit. Such experiences often seem both set apart from and sustaining the workaday demands of modern life. But what if joy, and the logic and disposition that bears it, could be more fully and broadly experienced, not only in our personal lives, but also our civic life? What would it mean to prioritize generosity and gifts in all of their grace in our economic thinking and social structures? On March 11, the Trinity Forum and Comment Magazine welcomed technology executive Louis Kim and social entrepreneur Tim Soerens for an Online Conversation to explore what it would mean to expand and scale the gift logic in our work and communities.To join the Trinity Forum Society and help make more conversations like this possible, visit ttf.org/join/.Learn more about Comment Magazine at comment.org/.
Doing Justice: an online conversation with Gary Haugen The Trinity Forum 2022-02-25 | Justice is essential to God’s vision of human flourishing — but knowing and doing what is just can be fraught with confusion and division, and require discernment as well as courage.On Friday, February 4, 2022 we hosted an Online Conversation with Gary Haugen, CEO of International Justice Mission (ijm.org), to discuss the importance of how ordinary people can bring extraordinary reform, and offers stories of courageous Christians who have stood up for justice in the face of human trafficking, forced prostitution, racial and religious persecution, and torture.To help us continue to make important conversations like this possible, we invite you to join the Trinity Forum Society: ttf.org/join/.This program was made possible by a grant from John Stiger Ferry Foundation. Learn more at: jstigerferryfoundation.org/.
Strength in the Second Half: an online conversation with Arthur Brooks The Trinity Forum 2022-02-25 | As one starts to approach middle age (or beyond), how do we think about our vocation and purpose? Should our sense of mission change? What should we do to equip ourselves for a joyful, purposeful, and meaningful second half?On February 25th, we were delighted to welcome author, behavioral economist, and former American Enterprise Institute (AEI) President Arthur Brooks to discuss the ideas in his latest book Strength to Strength, which weaves together philosophy and research on human flourishing to illuminate the inescapable fact of change as we grow older — and to offer practical guidance on flourishing in new stages of life. Arthur joined us for a conversation exploring how we can integrate connection, service, and spiritual depth to contribute to a meaningful life.We are grateful to our event sponsor: David CampaigneClark DurantFred & Rika Clark
How Much is a Child Worth? | An Online Conversation with Rachael Denhollander The Trinity Forum 2022-01-22 | How do we discern and prevent abuse directed towards the most vulnerable? What do we do when the institutions that are supposed to protect us fail? Rachael Denhollander actively pursues this question as an attorney, author, advocate, and educator who is recognized as a leading voice on the topic of sexual abuse. On Friday, January 21st, we held an online conversation with Rachael on recognizing and responding wisely to the abuses of power and protecting the vulnerable. Rachael became known internationally in 2016 as the first woman to speak publicly against the former USA Gymnastics’ team doctor Larry Nassar who sexually abused hundreds of young athletes. Speaking from her personal story as told in What is a Girl Worth?, Rachael challenged us to love and speak on behalf of those who are wounded by evil and injustice, even when it is costly.Special thanks to our event sponsor, The De Vries Institute at Calvin Universityhttps://calvin.edu/centers-institutes/de-vries-institute/
The Trinity Forum | Year in Review, 2021 The Trinity Forum 2021-12-20 | On behalf of all of us at the Trinity Forum, we wish you a happy Advent season! As we look forward to the holidays, we also wanted to share a brief look back at some of the milestones from the past year. We are grateful to you, our viewers, members, friends, and partners, all of whom have helped make this another historic year for The Trinity Forum. We hope that you'll continue to partner with us in cultivating and communicating the best of Christian thought and joining us for conversations on the things that matter most. Donate here: https://rb.gy/pdugydRegister for Upcoming Events: ttf.org/upcoming-events
C.S. Lewis: The Most Reluctant Convert | An Online Conversation with Max McLean The Trinity Forum 2021-12-18 | What is it about C.S. Lewis’s story and writing that continues to resonate so strongly?Through his portrayal of Lewis in the recently premiered film, The Most Reluctant Convert, actor Max McLean explores C.S. Lewis's enduring legacy as he enacts Lewis’s journey from hard-boiled atheist to renowned Christian writer. On Friday, December 17th we hosted Max McLean to discuss Lewis’s influence on his thinking, art, and imagination and to explore how Lewis’s life and practice hold continued relevance for us today. We are grateful to our event sponsors for their support in making this event possible!Keith SkogenDavid KiersznowskiKelly & Adrienne JohnstonJeff & Deborah Upchurch
Finding God in the Garden | An Online Conversation with Andrew Peterson The Trinity Forum 2021-12-11 | Thank you to our cohosts, The Rabbit Room.The song for this is Find the Light by Abby Gunderson.
