The Seminary Explores

When it comes to poet/priests, R.S. Thomas is about as good as it gets. This Seminary Explores conversation includes insight into his relevance and the brilliant tensions in his work by John McEllhenney, author of A Masterwork of Doubting Belief: R.S. Thomas and His Poetry.

For more information on the R.S. Thomas Literary Festival visit: http://www.st-hywyn.org.uk/rst.html

Dr. Robert Randolph, the 2015 minister-in-residence at Gettysburg Seminary spent a week on campus this fall. He is an award-winning poet, pastor of a Presbyterian church and Chair of the English and Foreign Languages Department at Waynesburg University in Waynesburg, PA.

For more information on his publications visit: http://elixirpress.com/ 

Astrophysicist Dr. Craig Foltz makes physics come alive in this engaging discussion of the origins of time, how telescopes work, and what it all means for our knowledge of the world and ourselves. 

Continuing our focus on “Science in the Seminary” this year, in this episode, Dr. Stephenson offers a basic description of physics and the kinds of things physics teaches us about the world.   Then moving into some specific theories about creation, the universe and how it all matters to our understanding of God.

Jay Eckman, a second year student at Gettysburg Seminary, talks about his involvement with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 2015 Youth Gathering in Detroit.  He explores the importance of the Youth Gathering for the life of the church as well as the importance of the gathering for his own preparation for pastoral ministry.

In this episode, which kicks off our year of “Science in the Seminary,” Kristin Largen talks with Kristin Stuempfle about the importance of dialogue between science and religion.  Kris uses the example of her father, Herman Stuempfle who was the President of Gettysburg Seminary from 1976 to 1989.  In particular she references the hymn he wrote for her, “Go Forth in Search of Truth.”

The Rev. Dr. Mark Oldenburg shares with Dr. Largen two “horror stories” involving 4th of July Sunday morning worship services as a way to talk more constructively about how to balance “secular religion” and Sunday worship services. The goal is to both recognize and celebrate the things that matter in our daily lives—like our country, but also honor and worship God as the absolute center of our life. Public ministers, you don’t want to miss this one!

Dr. Largen speaks with The Rev. Dr. Martin Zimmann, Pastor, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mechanicsburg, PA,  about the importance of talking about issues of race and culture in the church. Pastor Zimmann offers some helpful strategies for beginning the conversation.

Shirley Armstrong, Psychological Counselor and Peer Education Advisor at Gettysburg College describes the goals of The Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Program is for congregations, synods, colleges, seminaries, and other Lutheran organizations. RIC recognizes Lutheran communities that publicly welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender believers.  She discusses the need for churches to make a statement on the subject, but stresses that the main objective is to get people talking with each other, not simply taking votes.