2014-2015 Convocation

Joel Carpenter

Dr. Joel Carpenter is a professor of history at Calvin College. He is also the director of the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity, a research and faculty development agency of Calvin College. Joel Carpenter has a longstanding interest in American religious and cultural history, but he has been working lately in the history of Christianity in Africa and Asia. He also writes about Christianity in higher education.

Mr. Gordon's College: Defying Stereotypes, Going Where Jesus Leads | September 5, 2014 

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Norman Wirzba

Dr. Norman Wirzba is Professor of Theology, Ecology, and Agrarian Studies at Duke Divinity School. His work focuses on understanding and promoting practices that can equip both rural and urban church communities to be more faithful and responsible members of creation. Current research is centered on a recovery of the doctrine of creation and a restatement of humanity in terms of its creaturely life.

The Spirituality of Eating | September 12, 2014

Alexia Salvatierra

Rev. Alexia Salvatierra is a Lutheran Pastor with over 35 years of experience in community ministry, including church-based service and community development programs, congregational and community organizing, and legislative advocacy. In addition to coordinating the Welcoming Congregations/Guardian Angels Network for the Southwest California Synod of the ELCA, she currently serves as a consultant for a variety of national/international organizations, including World Vision USA/World Vision International/Women of Vision, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and the Christian Community Development Association.

Faith-Rooted Organizing—For When the World Breaks Your Heart | September 19, 2014

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Scott Thurman

Professor Scott Thurman, born in Lubbock, TX, earned his M.F.A. in Documentary Film from the University of North Texas. Scott teaches a range of courses for the Communication Arts department, including Visual Storytelling, Introduction to Production, Cinematography, Documentary Production, and History of the Documentary. His recent documentary The Revisionaries won the 2014 duPont Award, which recognizes excellence in broadcast and digital journalism in public service.

The Revisionaries | October 23, 2014

Denis Alexander

Dr. Denis Alexander is the Emeritus Director of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, St Edmund’s College, Cambridge, where he is a Fellow. Dr. Alexander writes, lectures, and broadcasts widely in the field of science and religion. Since 1992 he has been Editor of the journal Science and Christian Belief and currently serves on the National Committee of Christians in Science and as a member of the International Society for Science and Religion.

Adam, Eve and the Doctrine of Creation | November 7, 2014

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Kay Coles James

Kay Coles James is the President and Founder of Gloucester Institute, a leadership training center for young African Americans. She has an extensive background in nearly every sector of America’s economy. She has worked at the local, state, and federal levels of government under the administrations of former U.S. president George H. W. Bush (1989-1993), former Virginia governor George Allen (1994-1998), and former U.S. president George W. Bush (2001-2009), and has served dozens of organizations in the corporate, nonprofit, and academic arenas.

Conversations with the President | November 21, 2014

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Michal Beth Dinkler and Brynn Harrington

Dr. Michal Beth Dinkler is an assistant professor of New Testament Studies at Yale Divinity School. Her research lies at the intersection of New Testament and literary theory, focusing especially on the usefulness of narratological theories for the study of New Testament narratives. 

Brynn Harrington is a pastor at High Rock Church in Salem, MA. She studied theology and writing at Gordon College. After college, she spent time working with churches in California and Georgia before heading back up north to pursue a Master of Divinity degree at Gordon-Conwell.

Shame: Our Dirty Little Secret & The Cost of Authenticity | December 5, 2014

Tali Hairston

Tali Hairston is the Director of the John Perkins Center at Seattle Pacific University. He is currently responsible for leading the educational advancement of reconciliation and community development at Seattle Pacific. Managing a diverse staff and resourcing students, staff, faculty, alumni, and stakeholders; Hairston oversees co-curricular programs in global and urban service learning programs, intergroup dialogue, and experiential education opportunities in justice, poverty, ethnic identity, and cultural capacity.

Unity and Reconciliation | January 16, 2015 

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Satyan Devadoss

Dr. Satyan Devadoss is a professor of Mathematics at the University of San Diego. Before arriving at USD in 2016, Satyan Devadoss was a professor of mathematics at Williams College since 2002. He also held visiting positions at Ohio State, UC Berkeley, the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, Harvey Mudd, Université Nice, and Stanford. Motivated by computational biology, theoretical physics, and computer science, much of Devadoss's work revolves around discrete structures and their underlying topology and geometry. 

God, Math, and the Mess of Life | January 23, 2015

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Sindiso Mnisi Weeks

Dr. Sindiso Mnisi Weeks is an assistant professor at the UMass Boston School for Global Inclusion and Social Development. As a young researcher, Mnisi Weeks is highly rated by the National Research Foundation of South Africa. She has been the recipient of a number of awards, including the Women in Science Award for the Development of Rural Women through Science and Technology.

Christ, Mandela and Me: South Africa, a Place of Lamentation and Hope | February 27, 2015

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John Montgomery

John Montgomery founded Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc. in 1993 and is the Chairman and Chief Investment Officer. Montgomery is part of the management team for all Bridgeway strategies. His responsibilities include portfolio management, research, risk oversight and mentoring. He holds a BS in Engineering and a BA in Philosophy from Swarthmore College and graduate degrees from MIT and Harvard Business School.

Conversations with the President | April 10, 2015

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