Category: Podcast

Listen to David Austin’s plenary talk, “Civility and Statesmanship: Courtesy in the Public Square”, from the Church & State conference on October 27, 2012 at Multnomah University.

Few ideas are so heavily contested in Christian circles today as the idea of “Christian America” – whether America is that, ever was that, or should be that. The purpose of this workshop will be to allow participates to think historically (in the professional sense) about American’s colonial and early national period. I will not tell participants how to reconstruct our society, but how to use the past wisely. We will explore answers to such questions as how Christian is Americas past, is the “Christian nation” concept helpful or harmful to effective Christian action, and how should history inform our response to the challenges of our age?

Listen to Dan Scalberg’s workshop, “The Search for Christian America: Futile, Fatale, or Fulfilling?”, from the Church & State conference on October 27, 2012 at Multnomah University.

Read a written version of this workshop including bibliographic references.

God is passionate about justice. And God’s plan for ending injustice is through the Church, His people, courageously and creatively bringing His love and light to those suffering from the darkest forms of violence, oppression and injustice. IJM is on the front-lines of liberating people from the injustices of slavery, sex trafficking, property grabbing, and many other forms of violent oppression. And IJM is seeing fantastic results as we work with governments to bring structural transformation, freeing thousands but protecting millions. This workshop will equip you as an advocate in ending modern day slavery and combating injustice.

Listen to Mike Hogan’s workshop, “God’s Call to Rebuild the Wall: IJM’s Strategy for Transforming Public Justice Systems”, from the Church & State conference on October 27, 2012 at Multnomah University.

Evangelicals have struggled over what to do with a Mormon Presidential candidate. Do we vote along religious or political lines? What happens in the future—if and when—a Presidential candidate is a Muslim? Many Christians would be concerned about such subjects and Sharia Law. At this workshop, an Evangelical Christian and an American Muslim discuss faith and politics and concerns over Christian and Muslim politicians in presidential politics.

Listen to Paul Louis Metzger and Harris Zafar’s workshop, “The Muslim Moment in American Politics?”, from the Church & State conference on October 27, 2012 at Multnomah University.

This workshop will explore the ways in which the language and practices of the State colonize the Christian imagination for temporal ends. Our working thesis will be that the State’s “liturgy” is not entirely secular; neither, however, is the Church’s liturgy entirely sacred. Rather, the rhetoric of sacred/secular enables State to privatize the Church’s message whilst sacralizing its own machinations. We shall take cues from St. Augustine as well as concrete grassroots leaders and organizations that challenge the State’s absolutization of its own authority.

Listen to Scott Clyburn’s workshop, “Church & State through the Ages”, from the Church & State conference on October 27, 2012 at Multnomah University.