The Seminary Explores

Pastor Yehiel Curry of Shekinah Chapel describes his own path to ordained ministry, and his work with the Lutheran Church in developing a relevant, exciting ministry, geared toward Black men and their families in Chicago. He is dynamic, passionate and wise, and you will love his story!

Lathan Marstellar, the Artist in Residence and the Gettysburg National Military Park, talks about the worlds of virtual and augmented reality and his work creating a virtualized experience around President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Lathan will be presenting his work March 11th, 2017 from 10am-1pm at the GNMP Visitors Center.

Gerald Christianson celebrates his 40th year as a host of the “Seminary Explores” with this interview of Amanda Garner. She maintains that literacy is not only a scandal, it’s an epidemic. About 800 million persons world-wide and 93 million Americans are functionally illiterate; that is, they read below a fourth-grade level, leading to job loss, poverty, unproductivity. With a limited budget, she depends on trained volunteers who can relate to persons and work with their needs.

Artists Chantelle Dinkel and Tanya Ortega talk with Katy Giebenhain from Seminary Ridge Review about the expanding role of arts in the national parks, current projects, and the Gettysburg residency experience. Dinkel is a Swiss-Canadian representational painter trained in Italy at The Florence Academy of Art. Ortega is a photographer and sculptor with a background in forestry, geology and environmental sciences. She is the Founder of the National Parks Arts Foundation.

Nick Collier, the current Gettysburg National Military Park Artist-in-Residence, speaks with Katy Giebenhain about sculpture, a contemporary twist on an Afghan Box Camera and what it is like to be a veteran spending a month on the iconic Battlefield outside of tourist season.

After almost 500 years since the Reformation, Donald McCoid, Bishop Emeritus, Southwest Pennsylvania Synod, ELCA, and staff member on the “Declaration” Commission discusses, Declaration on the Way: Church, Ministry, Eucharist offers an unprecedented series of 32 “statements of agreement” between Roman Catholics and Lutherans. The culmination of 50 years of dialogues, they signal that Catholics and Lutherans are “on the way” to full, visible unity. Approved 931-9 by the ELCA Church-wide Assembly, the full document is available free on-line. A study guide for congregations will soon be released.

“They won the battle, but lost the war” summarizes Mr. Hutchinson’s approach to the Battle of the Little Big Horn and the route of Custer’s troops. The U.S. persisted in a relentless military campaign to drive the natives into reservations under their control, while the remnant under Sitting Bull found that the Canadian “Mounties” who were both policemen and magistrates stressed cooperation, provided they observe Canadian law.

Dr. Donnella, Chaplain of the College at Gettysburg College, shared his thoughts on Black Lives Matter, Immigration, Inter-religious dialogue, and Pope Francis. While he expressed his hopes in light of these topics, he also was saddened by the lack of religious and civil tolerance during the recent political issues in the United States.

Dr. Christopher M. Bellitto, Professor of History at Kean University and author of Ageless Wisdom: Lifetime Lessons from the Bible asks what lessons we can learn about wisdom and growing older from the Bible. He draws lessons from famous, and not so famous, Biblical stories to learn how we can gather wisdom and appreciate its gifts: blessings and burdens, patience and laughter, and reaping and sowing.

Johnstown, Pennsylvania based artist Sally Stewart talks about her sculpture created in response to the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center “Out of the Depths I Cry Unto Thee, O Lord.” The wood and mixed-media piece was on display at a special September 14, 2016 Eucharist service honoring first responders during the attacks. Stewart is a longtime friend of Gettysburg Seminary who has had a solo exhibit here through the Fine Arts Council and work featured on the Fall 2012 cover of Seminary Ridge Review.