Adapted from Becoming Whole: Why the Opposite of Poverty Isn’t the American Dream by Brian Fikkert and Kelly M. Kapic (Chicago: Moody Publishers 2019); originally published at Chalmers.org. If you’ve read or heard much from me over the years, you know that my organization, the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College and I are […]
Seminary Spotlight: Dallas Theological Seminary
March 26, 2019 was a high-water mark for work and economics at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), where The Hendricks Center takes primary responsibility for initiatives on those topics. In celebration of the center’s 30th anniversary, DTS held a conference entitled “Equipped: Ministry That Works,” featuring keynote presentations by Tom Nelson and Timothy Keller. Equipped was […]
Seminary Spotlight: Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
A Navy chaplain, cross-cultural worker, women’s discipleship leader and legal assistant would typically have little in common. But they do share one thing: they, like thousands of other believers, have been challenged to integrate their work, culture, faith and concepts of economic wisdom via the resources of the Intersect Project. The Genesis of the Intersect Project […]
The God Who Loved Me: Mark Greene at Karam Forum
Here at the Oikonomia Network, we know what the people want. And so, without further ado: It’s in this video at time stamp 7:18. You’re welcome. Karam Forum 2019 was a delightful experience for Mark Greene, as he said in his alternately side-splitting and moving talk at the close of the conference. Back in England, […]
Final Reflections on Curricular Integration Workshops
This article concludes the series sharing insights from a joint curricular development initiative of the ON, the Theology of Work Project and three ON schools (Asbury, Assemblies of God and Western). We end here with the questions that continue to loom largest in curricular integration. The Need to Give Higher Priority to Work With growing […]
Economic Wisdom Project Talks (and Where to Find Them)
Economic Wisdom Project Talks are short, accessible, engaging and rich presentations by leading theological educators, suitable for classroom and local church use. They’re about 15 minutes and feature compelling stories and simple structures, yet they convey essential “meaty” insights and catalyze conversations about how we can more fully live out the wisdom, grace and power […]
The Call to Work and Seminaries
The Call to Work (TC2W) course is a ten-session, workshop-based experience, catalyzing spiritual formation via faith and work integration. We’re a different kind of faith and work curriculum, and we’re now looking for a different kind of partnership with theological education. While the majority of faith and work curricula do an excellent job of helping […]
Seminary Spotlight: Biola University
The Talbot School of Theology at Biola University is continuing with classroom integration of faith, work and economic wisdom as well as integrating new thinking about economic issues with our faculty. Meanwhile, the Talbot Center for Faith, Work & Economics is working with local churches and other partners to move out into culture and the […]
Seminary Spotlight: Denver Seminary
Note: This article spotlights work at Denver Seminary, where three faculty members are individual faculty partners of the Oikonomia Network. Artwork: Light the Lamps, Justin Reddick, mixed media on canvas, 30” x 40”, private collection (used with permission) Justin Reddick wears many hats. He is a husband, father, artist, seminary student and the religious services assistant and […]
Seeking Economic Wisdom at Karam Forum
At Karam Forum 2019, we gathered an interdisciplinary panel to seek economic wisdom, drawing on scholarship in both theology and economics as well as the wisdom of pastoral experience. Our panel featured four pastors, three seminary professors and two economists – sitting on only six chairs! Through the conversation we discovered insights on topics ranging […]
Ethics Curricular Workshop: Faculty Interview
This interview is the latest in a series of articles sharing insights from a joint curricular development initiative of the ON, the Theology of Work Project and three ON schools (Asbury, Assemblies of God and Western). Tell us about the class you examined in the curricular workshop. It’s a master’s level course, TH634: The Theology and Ethics […]
We’re All Dead? Book Excerpt and AU Lunch Event
Since the Keynesian Revolution invented modern macroeconomics, all mainstream schools of economics have taught us that we should be happy if we are prosperous. But instead, we feel hollow and morally anxious – our economy feels empty. The Keynesian Revolution and Our Empty Economy: We’re All Dead by Victor Claar and Greg Forster calls us to restore […]
Small Group Study: Jesus and Your Job
Note: This interview highlights the small-group video study curriculum “Jesus and Your Job,” from the Theology of Work Project. What are the big insights people will get from this video series? When people – both inside and outside the church – hear the word “Jesus,” they might think of a church building, or of “heaven,” or […]
Leaders Who Empower
Note: This article is adapted from Leadership in Christian Perspective: Biblical Foundations and Contemporary Perspectives for Servant Leader by Justin A. Irving and Mark L. Strauss (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2019). In his 1978 book simply titled Leadership, James MacGregor Burns notes that leadership is “one of the most observed and the least understood phenomena on earth” (p. […]
Seminary Spotlight: Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
The Center for Transformational Churches (CTC) at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School continues to sponsor development opportunities for faculty and students, cultivate curricular integration and hold campus events. In addition, CTC houses the national office of the Oikonomia Network. Our integrating themes are whole-life discipleship and the future of theological education. Some of our recurring points […]