Join us this Friday for our next lecture!
As always, you can join us for our lectures in-person or on Zoom. If you are attending in person, please come to the Manor House at 7:30pm for coffee and dessert. Otherwise, click the link below to join the lecture at 8:00pm.
The password is Lecture.
29th September — An Introduction to An Informed Cosmos
Peter S. Williams, Christian Philosopher & Apologist
Peter will introduce an overview of his latest book, “An Informed Cosmos: Essays on Intelligent Design, examining the key theoretical and empirical claims of “ID” and reviewing the discussion about whether “ID” is “science”.
6th October — What is the Mark of a Christian?
Dawn Merz, L'Abri Worker
What would you associate with the word "Christian"? A church building? A cross? A political party? Kindness? Closed mindedness? Scandals? Hospitality? In one of his smallest but, arguably, most important publications, Frances Schaeffer issues a call to all Christians to be known by one thing. While revisiting this book, we will explore failure, forgiveness, the tension between truth and love, and how to pursue unity in the midst of our differences.
13th October — TBA
20th October — Rumours of a Better Country: Searching for trust and community in a time of moral outrage.
Marsh Moyle, Author
Join us in celebrating the launch of Marsh Moyle’s book. “Rumours of a Better Country: Searching for trust and community in a time of moral outrage”. Marsh will be sharing from his book and there will be copies available.
27th October — Deconversion Part 2: What do you do when someone you love is losing their faith?
Andy Patton, Former L’Abri Worker
The catch to loving someone who is deconstructing their Christian faith is that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to the problems they are facing. Sometimes it seems like nothing helps at all. On top of that, like the old adage about the drowning person reminds us, sometimes when you jump in the water to try to help, you only make things worse. But that doesn’t mean there is nothing to say to those experiencing deconstruction. Rather, our words and actions can do them a world of good—and may even help them find their way back to God.
3rd November — Why machines can’t think.
Stefan Lindholm, Former L’Abri Worker
There is a lot of hype these days about what AI can do and perhaps in the near future be able to do. Questions arise: Will humans be out of work? Will human dignity and unicity be compromised with the rise of real thinking machines? Stefan argues that there are solid theological and philosophical reasons why a machine will never be able to think and that the greater problem is that we think that they will.
10th November — What does it mean to be a man?
Phillip Johnston, Former L’Abri Worker
Since the rise of the MeToo movement in the mid-2010s, masculinity has reentered the cultural conversation with force. On the left, masculinity is often seen as a problem and rarely referenced without “toxic” as a descriptor. Men simply need to shape up and stand down. On the right, a pro-male movement has bubbled up in response. Men simply need to own their dominance and take charge. Does Christianity have anything different—or better—to say?
17th November — How do I know God exists?
Kristi Mair, Oak Hill College
Isn't it the height of intellectual hubris to claim that it is possible to know things confidently? In the midst of a meaning crisis, how can we say that we know anything at all? This lecture will explore the life-giving possibility of knowing the world, ourselves, and God meaningfully as we seek to consider the heart of knowing. Bring your scepticism, rationalism, empiricism, idealism, existentialism, nihilism (and any other way of knowing you favour), your questions, doubts, hurts and hopes as we consider what it means to know and to be known.
I love the topics. Are the lectures recorded? 8pm at English L'Abri is 2pm in Illinois. My job gets in the way!