The Grenz Lectures 2017: The Crisis of Meaning in Canadian Culture – The Myths of Private Faith

Date/Time
Date(s) - February 12, 2017
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Location
First Baptist Church

Categories No Categories


The Grenz Lectures in Christian Faith and Culture, sponsored by Carey Theological College on the campus of the University of British Columbia, address annually an issue of critical importance in the church and society by placing that issue in the context of the Triune God’s identity and work in the world.

The lectures are named for Stanley J. Grenz (1950-2005), who served as Pioneer McDonald Professor of Baptist Heritage, Theology and Ethics at Carey Theological College from 1990-2002 and as Pioneer McDonald Professor of Theology from 2003-2005. Grenz always sought to teach the church how to remain faithful witnesses to the gospel in the midst of shifts in culture. He wrote for lay people, pastors, seminarians, college students, and other theologians. His work addressed cutting edge topics at their time: the HIV/AIDS crisis, homosexuality, sexual ethics, women in the church. At the time of his death in 2005, he had just completed the second of six volumes on The Matrix of Christian Theology, a major reorienting of the work of theology.

In keeping with Stan’s legacy, Carey hosts these annual lectures in which a leading Christian thinker reflects theologically on some aspect of life as the community of God. For 2017, the theme of the lecture is “The Crisis of Meaning in Canadian Culture: The Myths of Private Faith” and will be discussed by Dr. Anna Robbins, Associate Professor of Theology, Culture and Ethics, and as Academic Dean of Acadia Divinity College.

Challenging Private Faith: Dr. Anna Robbins

Dr. Anna Robbins is also Director of Doctoral Studies, with academic oversight for the Doctor of Ministry program.

Anna came to faith in Christ at a young age at in Saint John, NB. After completing a BA at Carleton University in Ottawa, she returned to work for the Red Cross in International Development Education. Responding to a call to ministry, she and her husband Peter studied at ADC, where she earned a MRE in 1993 and a MA Theology in 1997. After serving in various educational, youth, and interim ministries, she continued her theological studies in Aberystwyth, Wales, completing her PhD in 2001. In 2000, she was appointed to the faculty of the London School of Theology, teaching theology and contemporary culture, and where she took on various academic leadership roles including Vice-Principal (Academic) and Acting Principal.

In London, she was involved with several organizations as theological consultant, including Theos, Christians in Politics, Tearfund, and the Evangelical Alliance. She served on the council of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and was a British delegate to the Baptist World Alliance. Her research graduates serve in diverse teaching and leadership positions around the world.

In 2012, she returned to Nova Scotia with her family, to join the faculty at ADC. Anna serves on the Steering Committee for the Evangelical Studies Group of the AAR. She writes bible notes for Scripture Union’s Daily Bread (UK), and speaks and writes widely, with a passion to help people to engage matters of contemporary culture and faith.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-grenz-lectures-2017-tickets-32097132387

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