For Your Consideration

On Tuesday, September 2nd, Executive Director of the Christian Study Center, Mike Sacasas, gave a lecture as part of the Fall 2025 Open House at Christian Study Center to kick off our fall programming. For over a decade, modern society has been frequently described as a “burnout society” in which individuals are worn down by economic and technological forces. While this analysis has its merits, we can now see the limits of the array of cultural responses to burnout society. This talk will draw on the Christian tradition to explore the limits of the burnout critique and offer a critical appraisal in which self-sacrifice — driven by faith, hope, and love — fuel our pursuit of the good for the sake of the world.Lecturer BioMichael Sacasas earned his MA in Theological Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary in 2002. He was later a doctoral candidate at the University of Central Florida studying the relationship between technology and society with a focus on the work of Hannah Arendt. Along the way he has taught in a variety of settings, served as a school administrator, and written extensively on technology and society. He is an Associate Fellow in Ethics and Culture at the Greystone Theological Institute and was recently names a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit christianstudycenter.substack.com

On Thursday, August 7th, Dr. AJ Poelarends visited the Christian Study Center to give a lecture on the vocation of a Christian University Professor. Lecture synopsisThe value of education has been under question for some time now. C.S. Lewis’s sermon, “Learning in Wartime” from 1939 emphasized that scholarly work can be a vocation—a calling from God. In this session, we’ll think through such questions as: What is the deeper significance of being a Christian faculty member? How does it differ from those around us who are not Christian? How do we lean into this calling? What challenges do we face when we do?Lecturer BioDr. Poelarands joins us from the Anselm House as Director of the Center for Faith and Learning. He received his PhD in Computational Astrophysics and was an Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Wheaton College. Dr. Poelarends is married with four children and lives in Minneaopolis, where he serves the higher education community at the University of Minnesota. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit christianstudycenter.substack.com

On Wednesday, June 18th, Dr. Karl Gunther visited the Christian Study Center to give this lecture. In 1530, monasteries were some of the wealthiest and most prestigious institutions in England. A decade later, they were gone and in many cases literally dismantled. In his talk, Dr. Gunther will consider the causes and consequences of this dramatic historical episode and help us think about our own moment of collapsing confidence in institutions, including public and private universities.Lecturer BioDr. Karl Gunther is a historian of the English Reformation and Associate Professor of Humanities within the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education at the University of Florida. He earned his B.A. in Philosophy and History from Wheaton College (IL) and his M.A. and Ph.D. in History from Northwestern University. Gunther’s first book, Reformation Unbound: Protestant Visions of Reform in England, 1525-1590 (Cambridge University Press, 2014) was a finalist for the Royal Historical Society’s Whitfield Prize and the Runner-up for the American Society of Church History’s Brewer Prize. He has published articles in Past & Present, The Journal of Ecclesiastical History, Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte, Reformation, History Compass, and in volumes on Freedom of Speech, 1550-1850 (2020) and Early Modern Literature and England’s Long Reformation (2021). He was elected a fellow of the Royal Historical Society in 2015 and served as President of the Southern Conference on British Studies from 2015-2017. Before joining the Hamilton School in 2023, he was an Associate Professor of History at the University of Miami, where he taught for fifteen years, serving as the department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies, the co-convener of the UM Medieval and Early Modern Studies Research Group, and the chair of the UM Faculty Senate’s Student Affairs Committee.Gunther is currently in the final stages of completing his second book, entitled Wrong! Responding to Error in the English Reformation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit christianstudycenter.substack.com

Sara Hendren, an artist and design researcher from Northeastern University, dives into the fascinating concept of the gift economy. She argues that life should be viewed as a gift, emphasizing how our dependencies can actually liberate us. Hendren explores the cultural significance of rituals and social bonds formed through giving, contrasting them with transactional relationships. She critiques modern education for its focus on outcomes rather than genuine purpose and fulfillment, urging listeners to embrace authentic connections over mere transactions.

Sara Hendren, an artist and design researcher at Northeastern University, dives into the interplay of design and disability. She emphasizes the virtues of dependence, advocating for innovative designs that enhance accessibility. Highlighting projects like the Dementia Village in the Netherlands, she shows how sensory-rich environments can uplift those with cognitive challenges. Hendren also explores the ethics surrounding Down syndrome, urging a shift in societal attitudes towards inclusivity and human dignity. Her insights inspire a reimagining of ethical frameworks for the 21st century.

On February 12, 2025, we were delighted to welcome Dr. Brad East to the Christian Study Center.In this lecture, Dr. East explores both the challenges and the questions which the advancement of technology raises for Christians, offering ideas for what discipleship, worship, and spiritual formation might look like in our time and place.Dr. East earned his PhD from Yale University and is currently associate professor of theology in the College of Biblical Studies at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. He is the editor of Robert Jenson’s The Triune Story: Collected Essays on Scripture (Oxford University Press, 2019) and the author of multiple books including The Doctrine of Scripture (Cascade, 2021), The Church’s Book: Theology of Scripture in Ecclesial Context (Eerdmans, 2022), The Church: A Guide to the People of God (Lexham, 2024), and Letters to a Future Saint: Foundations of Faith for the Spiritually Hungry (Eerdmans, 2024).His articles have been featured in multiple publications, including, but not limited to, Modern Theology, International Journal of Systematic Theology, and the Scottish Journal of Theology. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit christianstudycenter.substack.com

In this episode of For Your Consideration, we would like to offer this public lecture given by Tara Burton at the Christian Study Center on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.We often think of transhumanism as a distinctly modern phenomenon. But the history of magic suggests that the desire to transcend our humanity -- and become gods -- through knowledge, is part of a far older religious tradition. This talk looks at the history of the Hermetic tradition -- which flourished alongside proto-orthodox Christianity and Gnosticism in Hellenized Alexandria before being rediscovered in the West during the Renaissance -- and the influence of both Hermeticism and early modern ideas on magic on the development of what we now think of as modernity.Tara Isabella Burton is an astute interpreter of contemporary culture, particularly regarding matters of religion, media, and identity. She received a doctorate in theology from Oxford in 2017 and is currently a Visiting Fellow at George Mason University's Mercatus Center and a Visiting Research Fellow at Catholic University of America's Institutional Flourishing Lab. Burton is also the author of two books of cultural criticism, Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World and Self-Made: Curating Our Image from Da Vinci to the Kardashians. She is also an accomplished novelist, having most recently published Here In Avalon. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit christianstudycenter.substack.com

On Friday, October 11, 2024, Pascal’s Coffeehouse at the Christian Study Center celebrated its 20th Anniversary. As part of the celebration of this milestone, Dr. Paul C. H. Lim gave this lecture, which we are delighted to share with you on this episode of For Your Consideration.In our times of political and cultural polarization, the word “Christian” has often been either hijacked or weaponized. So, what does it actually look like to be a Christian and follow the King whose kingdom was not of this world? How do we seek the greater good of humanity while seeking to serve the Lord of grace and glory? By juxtaposing perspectives from Augustine’s City of God, Aquinas’s exitus-reditus doctrine, and Jesus’ teaching on double-belonging, Professor Lim presents a pathway for faithful flourishing for Christians. This will also highlight the strategic significance of Christian Study Centers by presenting a more authentic and credible fabric of a “Christian plausibility” of love and truth. Dr. Lim is Professor of Humanities in the Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education and Affiliate Professor of Religious Studies with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He came to UF after nearly twenty years at Vanderbilt University and visiting appointments at the University of Chicago Divinity School, Cambridge University, and Yonsei University in Korea. His Mystery Unveiled: The Crisis of the Trinity in Early Modern England (Oxford University Press, 2012) won the 2013 Roland H. Bainton Prize as the best book in history from the Sixteenth Century Society and Conference. Along with his distinguished academic work, Dr. Lim was for a number of years the lead instructor with the Nashville Institute for Faith and Work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit christianstudycenter.substack.com

On Friday, September 13, 2024, the Christian Study Center was pleased to host Paul and Emily Pastor for a discussion exploring the place of beauty in the Christian tradition and its relationship to creativity. Paul is an accomplished poet, and Emily is a classically trained a fine artist, specializing in representational oil painting. Beauty is an eternal invitation to join a life far larger than our own. But what holds us back from this belonging, and how can we live in light of this Beauty in a world that is often ugly and profoundly painful? In this lecture, Paul and Emily aim to deepen our understanding of how to meaningfully “befriend” Beauty in our lives, participating joyfully in creation according to our giftings, and for the good of the world.If you’d like to learn more about Paul and Emily and their artistry, here are links to their respective websites: Paul Pastor Emily Pastor This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit christianstudycenter.substack.com

In this episode of For Your Consideration, we are pleased to share a lecture that was given by Dr. Lee Vinsel on Thursday, February 1, 2024.Acting wisely in the context of new technologies can be difficult because both utopian and dystopian forms of hype create unrealistic and misleading visions of near-term change. Analyzing historical and contemporary examples of hyped technologies, Dr. Vinsel argues that wisdom in the context of hype is difficult, but not impossible. Most of all, it requires embracing the intellectual and spiritual dimensions of uncertainty—acknowledging that, as it comes to so many things, we simply do not and cannot know. Dr. Vinsel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Science, Technology, and Society at Virginia Tech. He studies human life with technology, with particular focus on the relationship between government, business, and technological change. Vinsel’s work has been published in several major history journals and has appeared in popular outlets like Aeon, the New York Times, The Atlantic, Guardian, and Le Monde. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit christianstudycenter.substack.com