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2005-2006 Season Schedule
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2000 Years Without Christianity?
Charles Aling at
Midway Borders 7:30 p.m. Thursday, October 6, 2005
The Christian influence in society has provided a basis for action,
including movements for hospitals, education, poverty relief, and the
abolition of slavery. Dr. Aling will discuss this history from the
Roman Empire to the end of the 19th century.
Dr. Charles Aling is Professor of History at Northwestern College and
earned a Ph.D. in Ancient History and Egyptology from the University of
Minnesota.
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Clarence Darrow and G.K. Chesterton Debate Science and
Religion
Dale Ahlquist at
Richfield Borders 7:30 p.m. Thursday, October 20, 2005
Clarence Darrow is widely known for his eloquence as an attorney and
for his battle with William Jennings in the widely-known Scopes
"Monkey" Trial in 1925, but less known is his 1931 debate with English
author, journalist, and critic G.K. Chesterton before 4000 people in
New York City. Dale Ahlquist will present a fascinating account of
this remarkable debate between one of the world's most famous skeptics
and one of the world's greatest defenders of the Christian faith.
Dale Ahlquist is President of the American Chesterton Society,
Publisher of Gilbert Magazine, and author of G.K. Chesterton: The
Apostle of Common Sense.
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Addiction and Freedom
John Prin at
Midway Borders 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 3, 2005
John Prin draws on his years as a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor to
explain
ways that people keep unhealthy secrets and lead double lives, causing
them
to misbehave, become sick, or violate others.
John Howard Prin, LADC, BA, writes and lectures about recovery and
healthy ways to think, behave, and live. He is author of Stolen
Hours, a self-help guide for people secretly living double lives
(Syren, 2004), and his second book, Keeping Secrets, will be available
in summer 2006 (New World Library). John's career as an addictions
counselor began with his own recovery from chemical addictions in
1996.
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The Science of the Soul
Kevin Favero at
Richfield Borders 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 17, 2005
Mr. Favero explores the concept of human free will and draws on
biology, quantum physics, and math to discuss human capabilities and
characteristics that cannot be explained by science.
Kevin Favero earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the
University of Illinois and an M.B.A. from the Carlson School of
Management at the University of Minnesota, is an engineer and
consultant in the energy and utility industries and is author of The
Science of the Soul: Scientific Evidence of Human Souls (Winner of
Midwest Independent Publishers Association 2004 Award in Religion and
Philosophy).
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Pleasure: The Insights of Blaise Pascal
Gannon Murphy at
Midway Borders 7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 1, 2005
Blaise Pascal, 17th century French mathematician, physicist, and
philosopher, experienced wealth, fame, notoriety, and the pleasures
of city life. He concluded that there are three kinds of people, only
one of whom finds true pleasure.
Gannon Murphy is author of Voices of Reason in Christian History,
director of the Minnesota Apologetics Project
(mn-apologetics.org),
earned an MA in theology from Bethel Theological Seminary, and is a PhD
candidate at the University of Wales.
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Heart of the Matter Holiday break - Merry Christmas!
No lectures on December 15, 2005 and January 5, 2006
This season's lectures run from October 2005 through May 2006, except for December 15, 2005
and January 5, 2006.
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Yoga: Appealing or Appalling -- reflections of a former Yoga Guru
Chander Mehta at
Richfield Borders 7:30 p.m. Thursday, January 19, 2006
Chander Mehta will describe his work as a former guru, help us
to understand why so many people (including himself) are attracted to
Yoga and shed some light on the downside risks associated with being
"yoked with the Hindu gods" (which is the literal definition of the
term Yoga).
Chander Mehta was born in Lahore, India (now Pakistan) and moved to
New Delhi during the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan. As an engineer,
he came to the USA in 1968 and became a successful businessman.
A former guru, he also studied Hinduism at the Meditation Center, was discipled
by a swami from the Himalayas, and taught yoga in Minnesota schools and homes,
Chander is an ordained Christian minister and has served internationally supporting
orphanages, Bible colleges, and work in India for Bible distribution, evangelism, and church planting, providing educational and spiritual help to many. A close friend of past Heart
of the Matter speakers Vishal and Ruth Mangalwadi, Chander has been a member of
the board for Mangalwadis' South Asian Resources
(vishalmangalwadi.com).
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Michael Polanyi: The Twentieth Century's Unsung Philosopher
of Science
Phil Lueck at
Midway Borders 7:30 p.m. Thursday, February 2, 2006
In this lecture we will consider the life and thought of medical doctor, physical
chemist, and philosopher of science, Michael Polany (1891-1976) who attempted
to counter an exagerated trust in scientific method and the idea that scientific
knowledge is the only authentic knowledge.
Phil Lueck is professor of Bible/Distance Education at Northwestern
College in Roseville, director of the Program for Worldview Studies at
the MacLaurin Institute, and
earned a doctorate from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His interests
include worldview exploration and formation, the integration of faith and learning,
especially the interface between science and theology. While not a Polanyian
scholar, he is deeply drawn to Polanyi's quest for a new model of the philosophy
of science.
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The Human Being - Complex Machine or Image of God?
Frank Stootman at Richfield Borders 7:30 p.m. Thursday, February 16, 2006
Neuroscience, evolutionary biology, robotics and psychology suggest to
us that belief in God is ultimately a self delusion. Where are the
limitations of science? Is the picture as bleak as is so often held?
Do we need to find our way as humankind by denying a significance
derived from external revelation? Professor Stootman will explore the
current scientific image of ourselves as complex machines in a
Naturalistic paradigm, examine the assumptions, and argue that only a
holistic view is sufficient to make sense of who we are.
Frank Stootman is an Associate Professor at the University of Western
Sydney where he lectures in the School of Computing and Mathematics.
He holds a PhD in physics from the University of New South Wales,
Australia, and his research interests include, Astrophysics, SETI, and
Computational Simulation. Formerly a visiting fellow at University of
California-Berkeley and at Liverpool University, UK, Frank and his
wife, Heather, are also workers at L'Abri Fellowship in Australia.
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On The Distinction Between Depression And Despair
Gordon Marino at
Midway Borders 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 2, 2006
Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard distinguished between
psychological and spiritual illnesses. Professor Marino will explore
whether we have lost that distinction.
Gordon Marino is Professor of Philosophy, Boldt Distinguished
Professor in the Humanities, Curator of the Hong/Kierkegaard Library,
and assistant football coach at
St. Olaf College.
A former boxer,
Professor Marino holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, is
author of Kierkegaard in the Present Age, co-author of The Cambridge
Companion to Kierkegaard, and editor of Basic Writings of
Existentialism (Modern Library Classics). His articles have appeared
in the Atlantic Monthly, New York Times Magazine, Wall Street Journal,
and other periodicals. He and his wife, Dr. Susan Marino, live in
Northfield.
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The End of Individualized Patient Care?
Twila Brase at Richfield Borders 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 16, 2006
In the drive to contain health care costs and constrain physician decision-making, managed care organizations, large employer groups, and government agencies have joined together to standardize the practice of medicine and penalize doctors who provide care tailored to the patient's needs. What will be the impact on uniquely created individuals who need medical care?
Twila Brase is
President of the
Citizen's Council on Health Care
(www.cchconline.org), and
represents patients and citizens as a board member
of the Patient
Safety Institute (ptsafety.org).
She is also an advisor to
LifeSharers (lifesharers.com),
an innovative organ donation initiative based
in Missouri. In 2000, the Minnesota Physician magazine
selected her as one of Minnesota's 100 Most Influential
Health Care Leaders.
Ms. Brase holds a Bachelor degree in Nursing from Gustavus Adolphus
College, and is a certified public health nurse.
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The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them
Jerry Reedy at
Midway Borders 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 6, 2006
During the 1960s the content of education (K-12 and higher) became
controversial. Unable to please all the various factions, educators
finally said in effect, "We no longer know what students should study,
but it doesn't matter. Let them study whatever they want as long as
they are developing the desired skills such as critical thinking and
problem solving." E.D. Hirsch, a professor of English at the
University of Virginia and educational reformer, has argued that this
"educational formalism" does not work.
Hirsch developed an empirical way to discover what the content of
education should be. His work has resulted in the Core Knowledge
curriculum, now used by over 1,000 schools. Professor Reedy will
advocate that all schools should be Core Knowledge schools, and
discuss how "progressive education," (the philosophy of education that
is now dominant in the public schools) is mistaken and why it needs to
be replaced if significant improvement in student achievement is to
occur.
Jeremiah Reedy is Professor of Classics at
Macalester College and was
was the founder and director of the Macalester Center for the Teaching
of Humanities. He holds a Ph.D. in Classical Studies from the
University of Michigan and has edited, co-edited, translated, or
written several books.
Dr. Reedy was the co-founder of a Core Knowledge Charter School
located in the "Frogtown" area of St. Paul, was the founding
president of the Minnesota Association of Scholars, and serves
on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Scholars.
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Voices of the Land
Diane Glancy at Richfield Borders 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20, 2006
Many historical events were not recorded, or if they were, mystery
continues to surround them. What exactly happened? What were the
possibilities? Did Christ appear to the Indians? Was it a form of
hysteria? Was it something? Was it nothing? Was it both, depending
on who reported what was happening?
Professor Glancy's discussion of these ideas will touch on her new
book, "The Dance Partner: Stories of the Ghost Dance", published by
Michigan State University Press. Her talk and reading will be about
the lesser known historical facts that give voice to America's past.
Diane Glancy is Professor of English
at Macalester College and author
or several books including two collections of
essays (In-between Places and The
Cold-and-Hunger Dance ), Stone Heart: A Novel of
Sacajawea , and a collection
of poetry, The Shadow's Horse. Her work has earned
numerous literary
prizes, including an American Book Award,
the Minnesota Book Award in Poetry, the Native
American Prose Award, and a Sundance Screenwriting Fellowship. |
Failure, and Stumbling Toward Wholeness
Mark Horst at
Midway Borders 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 4, 2006
The story of Saul, the first king of ancient Israel, has been told
for three thousand years. It's about a boy who became a king and
wrestled with the role his whole life. Saul is not what we would
call a 'good example', but he is an excellent teacher for those of
us who are stumbling toward maturity. A steady diet of 'good examples'
produces frozen people, so afraid of not being good themselves,
they hardly dare to live. Saul didn't succeed at being king,
but he was an outstanding failure.
Mark Horst serves as lead pastor
to Park Avenue
United Methodist Church in
Minneapolis.
Mark graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, and went on to
earn his Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School. In
1985 he received a Ph.D in religious studies from Yale University. His
dissertation examined John Wesley's theology and argued for a reunion of
theology and Christian spiritual formation.
During this time he lived at the Catholic Worker in New York City where he
was deeply affected by Dorothy Day's vision of living out Christ's sermon on
the mount in daily living.
Park Avenue Church is a racially, socially and economically
diverse inner-city church with a strong evangelical heritage and a
passionate outreach ministry to the surrounding urban neighborhood.
The church sponsors
the Soul
Liberation Festival, an outdoor festival of gospel music
and preaching now in its thirty-third year.
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The Da Vinci Code: Unraveling Fact from Fiction
Larry Snyder at Richfield Borders 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 18, 2006
The DaVinci Code has become a publishing phenomenon, and may
also be a blockbuster at the cinema when in opens worldwide on May
19th. Though a book of fiction, it raises challenging questions about
the history of the
early church and the understanding of Jesus. In so doing Dan Brown has
woven together fact and fiction. But what is fact and what is fiction?
Larry Snyder has been a worker at
L'Abri Fellowship (labri.org) for 36
years, 18 years in
Switzerland and 18 years in Rochester. He holds an undergraduate
degree in history and political science from Bowling Green State
University in Ohio and a ThM
in theology from Covenant Seminary in Saint Louis.
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Thanks to Borders Stores for hosting lectures in the Heart of the Matter Lecture Series