In the presence of a plethora of social, political and global issues, theology can provide a thoughtful backdrop from which people across the world can unite to discuss, process and work toward a mutual understanding.
In the wake of a slew of terrorist attacks across Europe, the need for discussion is greater than ever, and while one department on campus can’t possibly be responsible for the entire burden of bridging gaps and answering questions, the Department of Theology is making an attempt.
Every year, the School of Theology and a student team host a series of lectures titled ‘Coram Deo,’ a Latin phrase meaning “in the presence of God,” where real-time issues and questions are discussed by a hand-selected panel from across academic disciplines. Each lecture is accompanied by an open question time, during which the panel members field and respond to various questions that came up during the guided lecture.
As an event that claims to encourage interdisciplinary discussion, each panel is made up of professors from departments across campus. Among the panel professors were Jacquelyn Winston, Ph.D., professor of theology and moderator for the Coram Deo series; Stephen Lambert, Ph.D., professor of psychology; Justin Marc Smith, Ph.D., professor of biblical studies; and Deshonna Collier-Goubil, Ph.D., chair and professor in the Department of Criminal Justice.
When it comes to choosing the panel, Winston emphasized the importance of considering both the topic for the event and the department the potential panelist represents.
“I invite four to five faculty members to serve on the panel to discuss the issue from the perspective of their professional expertise and their faith,” Winston said.
This year, the Coram Deo series has focused on numerous topics, from “Theology of Creation and the Environment” to last week’s lecture topic, “Theology of the Sacred and Profane.” The process of choosing the topic is left to the student board, which helps to create the framework for the event. Winston said she thinks this topic is important across all disciplines, but particularly in the context of social justice.
“Although we live in a country that emphasizes the separation of the sacred and secular world, as Christ-followers, everything we do should be influenced by our faith,” Winston said. “[Christians should] not [influence] by forcing our views on others, but by bringing the character of Christ as revealed in the Gospels into every avenue of life, including our actions relative to social justice.”
The event began with a general discussion of the relationship between Christianity and “the profane,” or things, events and behaviors that seem to be misaligned or separated from the Church at large. The panel members weighed in on the topic, attempting to include insight and information from their own discipline while contributing to the conversation in a theological manner.
As the conversation continued, each panel member offered reasons, insights, and conclusions about the role of “the profane” in the lives of Christians while highlighting the intense need for the Church to be an active force in the presence of injustice and oppression. To many of the panelists, “the profane” is not something separate from the Church, but it is something the Church keeps separate in order to maintain an individualized sense of faith, and that, said the panel members, needs to begin to change.
To Lambert, the need for Christians to integrate with a profane world is the most important takeaway from the entire event.
“We must not be isolationists,” Lambert said. “Christians do not live in a vacuum. Hence, the sacred has a profound ethical responsibility to engage the profane. Committed Christians have a sacred and ethical duty to establish communities in love.”
When it comes to his discipline, Lambert said he feels psychology has much to do with the concept of “the sacred and the profane.” To him, it represents a meeting place of the two, a place where the sacred confronts the profane and vice versa.
“Among other things, the psychological sciences focus on knowledge and the practical application of that knowledge to bring betterment to the lives of humans,” Lambert said. “Because many of us Christians in the field of psychology believe that God is found in community, psychology applies to both sacred and profane in both its God-glorifying and humanity-serving mission.”
While Coram Deo events are always open to those who are interested, this particular event saw a large number of student attendees. One student, junior allied health major Jenae Erickson, said she believes the event to be helpful because the panelists were given freedom to speak to the difficulties of living out the Christian faith. The event was both a motivator to asses one’s personal faith as well as an opportunity to hear insights on current social issues.
“The panelists were not afraid to call out the hard truths they believe Jesus spoke about social justice,” Erickson said. “[They] weren’t afraid to point [out] how we have failed to be the people Jesus called us to be.”