Mark your calendars for Karam Forum, January 3-4, 2019 in Dallas. We’ll think together about how the deep patterns of scripture can inform and transform how our people live their daily lives in their homes, workplaces and communities. Taking place at the Warwick Melrose Hotel, Karam Forum will bring together theological educators and Christian academics to connect, collaborate, inspire and equip. (Note: This article has been edited to provide updated information.)
You know Karam Forum as a place where big questions get asked – Andy Crouch on the real meaning of human flourishing, Tom Nelson on being fruitful disciples, Deborah Gill on the Great Commission as a mission for all of life, Joshua Jipp on Jesus the economic teacher, and many more in our curriculum-friendly video library. At Karam Forum 2019, we’ll continue that tradition in a new way.
Our opening day will set the stage by considering the central issues our people are facing in their daily lives. Miroslav Volf will discuss how Christians can be fruitful citizens in a pluralistic world without compromising their claims to truth, and how we can respond to the excessive individualism of our culture without losing our concern for the freedom and authentic flourishing of every individual. David Miller will share his wide-ranging knowledge of the current state of the faith and work movement, and we’ll hear field reports from other Christian leaders on the needs of the people of God today.
On our second day, interdisciplinary teams of theological scholars will consider how the deepest doctrinal patterns of scripture provide building blocks for responding to contemporary challenges. Since we heard from a lot of biblical studies profs last year, this year we’re letting the systematic profs set the stage. We will hear four live, in-person TED-style talks: Fred Sanders will discuss how our daily tasks are transformed by knowing the Triune God, Patrick Smith will hold up the incarnation of Jesus as the true divine image for our everyday emulation, Michael Wittmer will argue for the central role of vocation in God’s plan of redemption, and Rudy Estrada will invite us to consider how that calling of God forms us into a people of God. These key ideas will then be considered by fellow scholars from biblical studies, history and other theological disciplines.
We’ll also take time to consider the specifically economic dimension of the vocational insight. You spoke, we listened: this year we’ll be taking that conversation to a new level, both in terms of substance – asking big questions about how theology can inform and critique economic inquiry – and in terms of diverse voices. Look for announcements about that in the coming months.
International movement leader Mark Greene will close our time together. He’ll share his experiences of seeing the whole-life discipleship insight bursting out in churches around the world, and hold up the special and indispensable calling of scholars and educators as part of this new thing God is doing in our midst.
Save the date and look for more announcements in this space – we hope to see you with us! And in the meantime, consider slipping one of our short talks into a summer or fall course.
