The conference can start – Roger Cotton of AGTS and Vincent Bacote of Wheaton have arrived. Stephen Grabill welcomes approximately one million Kern Fellows It’s always an honor to welcome the Kern Fellows Amy Sherman, caught in the act of creating shalom KFF’s Fred Oaks puts more effort into listening than most of us do […]
ON Testimonials
It is a privilege, professionally challenging, and intellectually and spiritually stimulating, to teach at Acton University. My efforts include the fourth Core Course, Biblical Foundations of Freedom, and select elective courses – this year my elective course was Why Wesley Matters. The multicultural and multidenominational student body compels creativity and clarity, and I relish the […]
KPN Testimonial
For the first time, the Kern Fellows Program at Acton University this year included pastors engaged with the Kern Pastors Network (KPN). The KPN is a new initiative of The Kern Family Foundation that reaches out to pastors who received seminary scholarships from the Foundation with the goal of building disciples in the areas of […]
Sample Syllabi
Work and Economics in Theological Education: At the curricular integration workshop we held during Acton University, we handed out a batch of sample syllabi illustrating possible ways to integrate work and economics into the seminary curriculum. The syllabi, available below, cover a wide variety of areas from Bible scholarship and social ethics, to church leadership […]
ON Point
By Greg Forster During this year’s Acton University, I saw one of the most amazing things I’ve ever witnessed. Over 100 theological educators divided into groups and brainstormed on how to reconnect the seminary curriculum to work and the economy. They came from the broadest spectrum of evangelical traditions, from Presbyterians to Pentecostals. Their groups […]
Curricular Workshop
Takeaways for Educators At this year’s Acton University, the Oikonomia Network held a curricular integration workshop on work and economics in the seminary curriculum. Over 100 theological educators participated, brainstorming on how work and economics could be better integrated into every area. Some of the most interesting ideas are highlighted below, with links to the […]
New Vision Paper
New Vision Paper on Economic Wisdom and Pastoral Ministry For some time now, the Oikonomia Network has relied on 12 wise elements about the economy to reframe the integration of theology and economics. We envisioned these elements as the first step toward a larger Economic Wisdom Project that would advance a new conversation about faith […]
Dallas Willard
Tribute to Dallas Willard By Fred Oaks And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. – 1 Thessalonians 1:5 This month we were all saddened by the news of Dallas Willard’s passing. Many faculty members in the Oikonomia Network were with Dallas in January when he […]
Seminary Spotlight
What’s Going ON at Gordon-Conwell? By David Gill For 20 years, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary has put special focus on work, business, and economic issues through its Mockler Center for Faith & Ethics in the Workplace. The primary activity of the Mockler Center has been to organize monthly seminars and presentations on campus, to which campus […]
On Screen
Don’t forget about the Oikonomia Network introductory video and one-minute trailer! TED, “Thank you, washing machine . . . that gave us time to read books!” You may recall Swedish economist Hans Rosling’s short BBC video about economic growth and well-being, which we featured in our March newsletter. Rosling is back with a quirky, unforgettable TED talk on the washing machine and […]
Brooks & Nelson
Keep watching the Oikonomia Network’s YouTube channel for unique video resources on the intersection of faith, work, and economics. Several new videos feature groundbreaking ideas from leading authors in this field. Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, turned in a stellar performance in his interview for the Kern Family Foundation’s Faith & Flourishing series. Pastor Mel Lawrenz […]
On Point
By Greg Forster Pastors equip the saints for works of ministry, and seminaries equip pastors to do this equipping. In the Oikonomia Network, our calling is to equip the equippers of the equippers! This month, we’re posting several new tools on the ON website that we hope you’ll find helpful as you prepare future pastors […]
Seminary Spotlight
What’s Going on at Biola-Talbot? By Scott Rae At the Talbot School of Theology (Biola University), we are grateful to be participants in the Oikonomia Network as we pursue our commitment to whole-life discipleship by connecting theology to work and economics. When we began the Oikonomia project, many of our students held deeply entrenched ideas […]
Willard on Wisdom
“Love of God and love of neighbor requires us to address these issues of living with economic wisdom. They are too important for human life to be set aside. There is much else for pastors to do, of course, and not every pastor will engage the issues of economic wisdom to the same extent; but […]
ON Topic
Don’t miss our ON Topic webinar with Tom Nelson, author of “Work Matters,” on May 2 at 1 p.m. CST (2 p.m. EST, 11 a.m. PST). Nelson has made several appearances at seminaries in our network, so many of you are already familiar with his book. In this webinar, however, we will go beyond the introductory level […]