Our collection of EWP Talks on History explores how the church cultivated holistic, integrated embodiments of Christian life and calling in past ages of challenging cultural change. The mighty and merciful works of God, done for and through his people in the past, can help us think afresh about how to follow Jesus and cultivate flourishing today.
Here’s a closer look at some of the talks in our History collection:
Chris Armstrong | “Vocation? Whatever!” From Work/Life Balance to a Seamless Life
Chris Armstrong of Wheaton College evokes key moments from church history, and from his personal history of struggle with attitudes about rest, home and work, to offer a compelling vision for why a theology of vocation must be central to the life of faith.
Consider assigning in: Ethics, Spiritual Formation, History
Jennifer Powell McNutt | A God Who Crosses the Tracks: Social Action in Reformation Theology
Luther and Calvin said justification by faith alone sets us free to love and serve others, working to bring life to the world, with special care for those most in need – and in their churches and communities, they practiced what they preached. In this stirring talk, Jennifer Powell McNutt traces the connection between justification and social action in Reformation theology.
Consider assigning in: History, Ethics, Theology, Pastoral Leadership
Jennifer Woodruff Tait, Charlie Self & Jay Moon | Dislocation and Discovery: The Industrial Revolution and the Wesleyan Movement
The Industrial Revolution was one of the most massive cultural and economic changes in global history, and we have inherited both positive and negative narratives about its impact. Historians Jennifer Woodruff Tait and Charlie Self look at the Wesleyan movement’s response to these changes to consider how the modern economy has shaped our world in both good and bad ways. Jay Moon moderates the discussion.
Consider assigning in: History, Ethics, Culture
Gavin Ortlund | Worth Standing Up For: Hearing a 4th-Century Witness for Justice and the Gospel
Christians have always recognized that the gospel calls us to stand up for justice – as difficult and complicated as that can be. Gavin Ortlund of First Baptist Church of Ojai draws on Gregory of Nyssa’s prophetic stand against slavery to help us see how we can stand up for justice in our own time.
Consider assigning in: History, Ethics, Culture, Pastoral Leadership, Theology
Greg Forster | Fruitful Paradoxes: Bringing Life to the World in the Modern Economy
Being the church means bringing life to the world, but how do we help our students lead churches that do that? In this stimulating talk, Oikonomia Network Director Greg Forster argues that “economic life is the most powerful way to bring life to the world,” because “the economy is where people mostly live.” Drawing on the ancient Letter to Diognetus, Forster unpacks fruitful paradoxes to help Christians think about how to bring life to the world in the modern economy.
Consider assigning in: Ethics, Pastoral Leadership, Culture, History
Anthony Bradley | Christian Personalism: How to Preach a Public Faith without Making Atheists
Anthony Bradley of The King’s College looks at the fallout of the Religious Right, and how the school of thought known as Christian Personalism can provide an alternative approach to bringing our faith into the public square.
Consider assigning in: Culture, Ethics, Pastoral Leadership, Theology, History
Chris Armstrong | God’s People, Christ’s Body, Spirit’s Temple: Being a Sacred Church
What if we’re getting the whole sacred/secular problem backward? Chris Armstrong invites us to rethink what the church really is – a visible sign of invisible grace – before we roll up our sleeves to change the world.
Consider assigning in: Pastoral Leadership, Theology, Spiritual Formation, Ethics, History, New Testament
Keith Reeves | Family and Opportunity in the Law and the Prophets
Keith Reeves of Azusa-Pacific University describes the connection between the household, family structure, land ownership and economic opportunity in the Old Testament law and prophets, and how these connections apply today.
Consider assigning in: Old Testament, Ethics, History