Looking for a community that pursues a Christian witness to justice and mercy in the world, grounded in the authentic discipleship of people like Chris Brooks, David French and Michael Wear, instead of partisan polarization? Karam Forum will gather at Doxology Bible Church in Ft. Worth, with an option to join via Zoom, this November 18-19. As we look forward to reconvening our unique gathering of theological educators, we’re cooking up plenary addresses, our signature “TED-style” talks, and fruitful collaborative discussions.
Plus, see below for all the information you need on hotels, Zoom participation, our van to San Antonio and more.
Register for Karam Forum today! You can gather with us LIVE and in person in Ft. Worth, OR join via Zoom from wherever you are!
The challenge of polarization is nothing new for our network. It’s impossible to summon the church to work actively for justice and mercy in the world without immediately slamming up against the pressures of a polarized culture. One of our very first Economic Wisdom Project Talks was Anthony Bradley on Christian Personalism as an alternative to partisan captivity.
In an EWP Talk on reconciliation and social witness given at our last in-person Karam Forum, Jules Martinez – now a Karam Fellowship board member – summoned the church to come together and embrace “prophetic independence.” Martinez pointedly mentioned that evangelicals have often allowed themselves to become captive to the political Right, while mainline and other denominations have often allowed themselves to become captive to the political Left. The church can only live into its identity in Christ by working actively for justice on terms set by Christ’s kingdom. Reconciliation across divisions empowers God’s people to stand against worldly forces that would take advantage of the church.
In addition to our keynote speaker on this topic, Chris Brooks, we’re also honored to welcome to Karam Forum 2021 two stimulating leaders who model prophetic independence. David French and Michael Wear, joining us via Zoom, are not just leading activists for justice in our world. They have both made tangible sacrifices to prioritize God’s kingdom over partisan advantage and their own personal advancement – and by doing so, have made space for an authentic Christian politics to be possible.
French, author of Divided We Fall and senior editor of The Dispatch, made his bones in the conservative movement as a lawyer defending students’ speech and religious-exercise rights on campus. He rose to become a staff writer and fellow at National Review. But after bearing a strong and consistent witness against religious nationalism and resentment-based political irresponsibility among many evangelicals, he ended up leaving National Review to join Jonah Goldberg’s self-described “remnant” at The Dispatch, which is gathering up the leading figures on the right who prioritize integrity over short-term victory.
Here’s French speaking on the themes of Divided We Fall in Biola University’s chapel last fall:
Wear, author of Reclaiming Hope and co-founder of the AND Campaign, had as solidly established a career in the institutions of the Left as French had on the Right. He led religious outreach for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, and had a senior role in the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in the Obama administration. But as the administration changed its position on sexuality issues, including a federal lawsuit seeking to force religious organizations to subsidize contraception against their consciences, Wear left the administration and became a D.C. consultant.
Here’s Wear discussing with journalist Matt Lewis why many Christians feel politically homeless:
You won’t want to miss out on being part of the conversation as we ask these prophetic witnesses to give us their insights on how the church can handle the challenges of the 21st century!
Not to mention the other inspiring and equipping you’ll experience at Karam Forum:
- Chris Brooks, pastor of Woodside Bible Church in Detroit, will join Vincent Bacote of Wheaton College to discuss how disciples of Jesus can seek justice in a polarized and chaotic culture. Brooks continues his long tradition as a leader in our community, helping us think carefully about these difficult issues.
- We’ll dive into Christian history with stimulating presentations on Christian opposition to slavery in ancient Rome (Gavin Ortlund of First Baptist Church of Ojai), justice and social activism in the early Reformation (Jennifer Powell McNutt of Wheaton College) and the encounter between the Industrial Revolution and the Wesleyan movement (Jennifer Woodruff Tait of St. John’s Episcopal Church and Charlie Self of Assemblies of God Theological Seminary).
- We’ll be holding another Karam Forum Global Session, following the success of our first session in January, to compare notes with colleagues around the world.
- For the first time, we’ll discuss original scholarly papers in breakout groups, building toward our new peer-reviewed journal on theology for human flourishing, launching in Spring 2022. We also plan to release an open call for papers to be discussed at the Forum next fall.
- And of course all the connecting and networking with colleagues that’s essential to the Karam Forum experience!
If you’re in Ft. Worth, our event will be starting shortly after ETS ends, and we’ll be done with plenty of time to get to San Antonio for those who are heading to SBL/AAR. The event starts at 7pm Thursday and ends at noon Friday; see our schedule for details.
Good news for travelers who need rooms! ETS conference hotel rates are available during the dates Karam Forum is meeting. See our FAQ page for details.
We’re going to have a van departing directly for San Antonio from the conference location at Doxology Bible Church, so if you’re attending SBL/AAR that will save you time and money. Our very limited seating will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. This month we plan to begin reaching out to Karam Forum ticket holders with the invitation to reserve a seat, so register now if you want to be first in line!
If you can’t be there in Ft. Worth, you can join us via Zoom for these provocative presentations. Those who join us via Zoom will get to see and hear the whole event, submit questions during discussion periods in each session, and have “virtual table talk” with other digital participants. You’ll join not only our plenary sessions in this way, but also the academic-paper breakout session of your choice.
So don’t put it off – register for Karam Forum now!
We’re grateful for the unique community that has grown at Karam Forum, and we eagerly anticipate a time of reunion this fall. Please join us!
