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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260401T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260401T135000
DTSTAMP:20260330T131217Z
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SUMMARY:TRS - Scott Barth
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Scott Barth will be presenting\, “The Problem of the “Twofold” Human: Shared Foundations and Divergent Teleologies in the Theological Anthropology of Nemesius of Emesa and Gregory of Nyssa” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nThis study explores the problem of the “twofold” human—the union of a material body and a rational soul—in the anthropologies of Gregory of Nyssa and Nemesius of Emesa. Both fourth-century bishops operate within a shared intellectual framework rooted in Plato\, Aristotelian psychology\, Stoic cosmology\, and Galenic medicine\, yet they apply this framework toward different teleological ends. Nemesius advocates a “horizontal” mediation in which humanity serves as the cosmic bond (syndesmos)\, maintaining the created order through moral agency and rational authority. Gregory\, by contrast\, presents a “vertical” anthropology that views embodiment as\, in part\, a pedagogical instrument guiding the soul’s eschatological ascent into the divine likeness. Their divergence lies not primarily in their sources but in the teleological function they assign to human embodiment. These contrasting visions reveal two trajectories within early Christian anthropology: one focused on the moral governance of the cosmos and the other on humanity’s transformative participation in the divine life.\nBio\nScott Barth is a PhD student at MDC\nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Wednesdays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-22/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260331T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260331T140000
DTSTAMP:20260327T214916Z
CREATED:20260318T134700Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T214916Z
UID:10000501-1774962000-1774965600@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:Special TRS - Arthur Lau
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s special Theological Research Seminar\, Arthur Lau will be presenting\, Wealth and Possession in God’s Kingdom: Unpacking the Tension in Jesus’ Teachings on Money in the Synoptic Gospels. \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are encouraged to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nThis paper examines Jesus’ command to “sell all” in the rich man pericope across the Synoptic Gospels (Mk 10:17–31; Mt 19:16–30; Lk 18:18–30)\, asking whether it constitutes a universal requirement for discipleship or a context-specific demand. Situating the texts within the socioeconomic realities of first-century Palestine and the diverse Jewish traditions of the Second Temple period\, the study highlights how wealth was both materially significant and theologically contested. Through close literary and theological analysis of each Gospel\, the paper argues that Jesus’ command is not a uniform economic mandate but a concrete expression of a universal kingdom demand: undivided allegiance to God and childlike dependence upon divine grace; yet this demand takes distinct narrative forms. \nBio\n\nArthur Lau is in the MATM program at McMaster Divinity College. After more than thirty years in the investment banking and asset management industries\, Arthur chose to take early retirement and return to school. As both a fund manager and a deacon\, he has actively taught on biblical perspectives of money and stewardship. In addition to expounding Scripture’s teaching on wealth\, he also offers practical wisdom on managing financial resources. He prays that his seminary education will not only provide a solid biblical foundation but also help him discern how he may continue to serve the Lord in his present vocation. In his free time\, Arthur enjoys playing the saxophone\, hiking and reading. \n\nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Wednesdays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/special-trs-arthur-lau/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260304T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260304T135000
DTSTAMP:20260302T141249Z
CREATED:20250808T151743Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260302T141249Z
UID:10000428-1772629200-1772632200@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Rajesh Paulgnanam
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Rajesh Paulgnanam will be presenting\, “Seeing in Reading: An Exploration of Thomas Long’s Catalytic Reading in Contemporary Preaching.” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nThis paper draws on Thomas Long’s work in the pastoral theology of preaching by examining his construct of ‘catalytic reading’ in the homiletical task. The questions raised by Long highlight the practice of reading for those engaged in the ministry of proclamation. The rapidly developing landscape of reading necessitates the question\, “Do preachers read differently?”  The paper explores the invigoration of theological imagination and language in preaching. This exploration leads to a culmination ‘seeing’ in  the task of preaching. \nBio\nRajesh (Stephen) Paulgnanam previously completed his MTS in Toronto and is currently a Doctor of Practical Theology student at MDC. \n  \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Wednesdays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-21/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260211T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260211T135000
DTSTAMP:20260202T145023Z
CREATED:20250808T151655Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T145023Z
UID:10000427-1770814800-1770817800@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Quinten Shannon
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Quinten Shannon will be presenting\, “On Miracles: An Exploration of the Relationship Between Science and Special Divine Providence.” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nThis essay examines whether miracles necessarily entail violations of the laws of nature within a Christian theistic framework. After defining both miracles and natural laws\, the discussion critiques the traditional Newtonian conception of nature as a closed\, deterministic system\, arguing that developments in quantum physics have rendered this framework inadequate. The essay then evaluates contemporary attempts to reconcile divine action with natural law\, particularly noninterventionist models grounded in quantum indeterminacy\, and highlights their philosophical and theological shortcomings. Finally\, it proposes a revised theistic understanding of natural law as descriptive rather than prescriptive\, situating scientific laws within the broader context of creation. From this perspective\, miracles do not break natural laws but represent expressions of divine action that transcend scientific prediction while remaining consistent with God’s sustaining relationship to the created order. \n  \nBio\nHello everyone! My name is Quinten Shannon\, and I am a graduate student at MDC in the MA (CS) program with a concentration in Ministry Studies. I completed my undergraduate degree at Tyndale University in Toronto\, where I earned an Honours BA in Biblical Studies and Theology and wrote my thesis titled “Seeing the Meaning of Mark 13: A Narrative-Critical Approach.” I come from a family of eight children and grew up just up the escarpment in Ancaster\, not far from MDC. \nI currently serve as a pulpit supply minister\, providing preaching and ministry support to churches across southern Ontario. Outside of academics and ministry\, I have a deep love for music—I enjoy playing guitar and writing songs—as well as sports. I am also a student-athlete and play first base on McMaster University’s Varsity Men’s Baseball Team\, and I enjoy playing hockey as well. \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Wednesdays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-20/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260128T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260128T135000
DTSTAMP:20260114T202132Z
CREATED:20250808T151614Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260114T202132Z
UID:10000426-1769605200-1769608200@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Dr. Joshua L. W. Heath
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Dr. Joshua L. W. Heath will be presenting\, “Post-Christendom\, Postmodern\, Post-Secular Perhaps – But Not Post-Colonial! Context and Theology in Canada Post-TRC” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nTheologians use many paradigms to make sense of the Canadian context and the church’s place in it. However\, relatively little evangelical theology has attended to the voices of leading Indigenous scholars\, spokespeople\, and theologians who draw attention to the colonial aspect of the Canadian (and North American) context. This presentation argues that attending to the reality of settler colonialism is necessary for contextually sensitive evangelical theology in Canada\, and essential for Christian thought and ministry that responds to the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada’s call to the ongoing work of establishing and maintaining respectful relations. \n \nBio\nJoshua L. W. Heath\, PhD (University of Toronto)\, is a theologian specializing in evangelical social and political engagement in the context of Indigenous and Non-Indigenous relations in Canada. He also works on the ground in partnership with First Nations in northern Ontario and elsewhere through his work with Matawa Health Co-operative and as a freelance researcher\, proposal writer\, and consultant. \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Wednesdays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-19/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260114T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260114T135000
DTSTAMP:20260112T194556Z
CREATED:20250808T151202Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260112T194556Z
UID:10000425-1768395600-1768398600@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Dr. Ambrose Thomson
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Dr. Ambrose Thomson will be presenting\, “How to Live in Mordor: Christian Freedom in the Age of Irresistible Means.” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nEveryone knows that we live in a technological age and almost everyone by now has a love hate relationship with technology. It seems to give us many benefits\, but it also seems to create conditions of life that make us “feel thin\, sort of stretched\, like butter scraped over too much bread\,” to use Bilbo’s phrase from The Lord of the Rings. Like the effect of Bilbo’s Ring\, this effect of technology is associated with its irresistibility. Technology enslaves the world with its power\, and yet the promise of the Gospel is freedom from every power that contests the authority of God in Christ. How\, then\, are we to live in the shadow of Mordor? Even if we wanted to\, we cannot reject the use of technology unless we completely depart from the world. The path of Christian faithfulness must be carved here\, in the midst of this technological age; we have no other choice. This paper is about how technology competes with Sabbath as a solution to the problem of human work and about how a robust practice of Sabbath\, therefore\, can be an antidote to technology’s enslaving power. \n \nBio\nAmbrose joined McMaster Divinity College in 2024. He lives in Hamilton with his wife\, Melissa\, and their three daughters. In his faculty role\, he has a passion for teaching believers about the Old Testament foundation of Gospel faith. His dissertation focused on the Old Testament’s theology of Yahweh’s presence with Israel and how it informs Paul’s teachings about the Spirit in the life of the Church. \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Wednesdays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-12/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251203T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251203T135000
DTSTAMP:20250915T160636Z
CREATED:20250808T151057Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250915T160636Z
UID:10000424-1764766800-1764769800@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Robert Revington
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Dr. Robert Revington will be presenting\, “How Biblical Scholarship in Canada Has Changed” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nSince the 1840s\, the theory and practice of biblical studies in Canada has undergone massive changes. This lecture explores how research in the field in Canada has changed. What types of research questions did the earliest Canadian biblical scholars examine compared to today? How did professors interact with their students in past eras? \nBio\n \nRobert Revington is a Research Fellow at McMaster Divinity. He was recently a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow at Queen’s University and has also done some teaching for the Vancouver School of Theology. He completed his PhD at Knox College in 2023 and recently replaced his supervisor Stuart Macdonald as the new president of the Canadian Society of Presbyterian History. Robert has been working on a study of the history of biblical studies in Canada and is also under contract with Eerdmans to publish a new biography of Lucy Maud Montgomery\, focusing on her identity as a Canadian Presbyterian. He has published articles in the Journal of Religion and Film\, Sport History Review\, Journal of the Canadian Church Historical Society\, Anglican Theological Review\, and the Journal of L. M. Montgomery Studies\, along with proposed chapters in multiple edited volumes. Finally\, Robert is a men’s league hockey player and season ticket holder for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. \n  \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Mondays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee. \n 
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-18/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TRS-Logo-Event-scaled-e1754597848263.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251105T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251105T135000
DTSTAMP:20250915T160728Z
CREATED:20250808T150835Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250915T160728Z
UID:10000422-1762347600-1762350600@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Dr. Clement Wen
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Dr. Clement Wen will be presenting\, “Wolfhart Pannenberg and Sino-Christian Theology: A Third Way between Liu Xiaofeng and He Guanghu” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nThis presentation explores the reception to date and constructive potential of the late German Lutheran theologian\, Wolfhart Pannenberg (1928–2014)\, for Sino-Christian Theology. While Pannenberg’s voice has not been as prominent as Karl Barth\, Dietrich Bonhoeffer\, Jürgen Moltmann\, Reinhold Niebuhr\, and Paul Tillich\, I argue that his programme’s overall apologetic interests\, interdisciplinary emphases\, focus upon history\, and framing of the public nature of truth carry relevance for Sino-Christian theological construction\, especially when considered in the light of the contrasting proposals by two of the movement’s more prominent figures: Liu Xiaofeng (b. 1956) and He Guanghu (b. 1950). Specifically\, I argue that Pannenberg’s programme can serve as a mediating third way for Sino-Christian Theology between Liu’s suprahistorical revelational positivism and He’s principled religious pluralism. Insofar as Pannenberg’s programme is often accused of being overly Western and Eurocentric in its reading and application of Christianity’s developmental history\, I propose also that Pannenberg’s own thought contains internal resources which can help correct this alleged problem. Though Sino-Christian Theology as an academic modality of discursive engagement has come upon challenging times over the last couple decades\, Pannenberg’s voice is still relevant in providing mediating correctives to the approaches put forward by Liu and He. \nBio\nDr. Wen’s current interest in the reconstruction and renewal of evangelical theology is inspired by the work of the late Robert E. Webber (1933-2007) and the late Stanley J. Grenz (1950-2005). However\, the broader trajectory of his historical and systematic thought to date has been primarily influenced by his previous research on the Byzantine Father Maximus the Confessor (580-662)\, the Protestant Reformer John Calvin (1509-1564)\, the twentieth-century German Lutheran Wolfhart Pannenberg (1928-2014)\, and the contemporary move in recent decades towards Global and World Christianity. Dr. Wen’s first monograph\, An ‘Open-Ended Distinctiveness’: The Contemporary Relevance of Wolfhart Pannenberg’s Participatory Ecclesiology and Ecumenism for World Christianity\, was published in Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht’s Forschungen zur systematischen und ökumenischen Theologie series in 2021. \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Mondays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-16/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TRS-Logo-Event-scaled-e1754597848263.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251022T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251022T135000
DTSTAMP:20250822T142405Z
CREATED:20250807T201353Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250822T142405Z
UID:10000420-1761138000-1761141000@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Jeyoon Park
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Jeyoon Park will be presenting\, “A Linguistic Fortress against Heresy: The Constructive Strategies of the Creed of Nicaea (325)’” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nThis paper analyzes the linguistic construction strategies inherent in the Creed of Nicaea (325) by applying the Opentext model\, grammatical metaphor\, and appraisal theory from Systemic Functional Linguistics. The Nicaea text is divided into a ‘confessional section’ and an ‘anathema section’. The former establishes doctrine as an objective entity through nominalization and builds a singular authority (monogloss) with positive appraisal language\, while the latter directly quotes the voices of heretics (heterogloss)\, reduces them to a matter of contention\, and explicitly rejects them with negative appraisal. In conclusion\, it argues that the Creed of Nicaea is more than a simple declaration of faith\, but a ‘linguistic fortress’ sophisticatedly designed to defend traditional doctrine and effectively neutralize heretical challenges. \nBio\n \nJeyoon Park is a second-year PhD student in NT at MDC. He is interested in Christology\, the Kingdom of God and covenant\, and linguistic methodologies. My goal is to serve the church as a sound Bible teacher and scholar. I live with my wife and newborn baby in downtown Hamilton. \n  \n\n\n\nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Mondays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee. \n 
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-15/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TRS-Logo-Event-scaled-e1754597848263.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251001T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251001T135000
DTSTAMP:20250902T124210Z
CREATED:20250807T200439Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250902T124210Z
UID:10000419-1759323600-1759326600@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Paul Robinson
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Paul Robinson will be presenting\, “The Syriac Reception of Nicene Orthodoxy: Translating Jacob of Serugh’s Homily\, ‘On the Council of Nicaea’” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nThis Syriac poet-preacher Jacob of Serugh (451–521) wrote over 700 poem-homilies (memrē)\, of which roughly half survive\, and many of which remain untranslated. In this paper I highlight insights and questions from my own working translation of Jacob’s memra On the Council of Nicaea\, with the aim of providing greater insight into the Syriac reception of Nicene Orthodoxy. I consider Jacob’s interpretation of Nicaea in light of two earlier figures\, Ephrem the Syrian (d. 373) and Theodore of Mopsuestia (350–428 AD)\, both of whom were \nfamiliar to Jacob and influential in the Syriac-speaking churches. \nBio\nPaul Robinson is an Anglican priest and a doctoral student in historical and systematic theology at McMaster Divinity College. Paul is particularly interested in the poet-theologians of the early Syriac tradition\, especially Saint Ephrem the Syrian and Saint Jacob of Serugh. He and his wife Kristin live in Hamilton with their three young children. \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Mondays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee. \n 
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-14/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TRS-Logo-Event-scaled-e1754597848263.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250917T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250917T135000
DTSTAMP:20250822T141554Z
CREATED:20250807T183534Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250822T141554Z
UID:10000417-1758114000-1758117000@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Dr. James Payton
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Dr. James Payton will be presenting\, “The Impact of the Council of Nicaea: ‘Already/Not Yet’” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nFrom the vantage point of 1700 years\, we can recognize the impact the 325 Council of Nicaea had on the development of the Christian church: it became the first ecumenical council and propounded what would become the first “fixed formula” creed of Christianity. This paper seeks to situate both the Council of Nicaea and the creed it propounded in their historical setting\, recognizing that the participants did not and could not anticipate the impact the council and the creed would have. \nBio\n \nDr. Payton joined the faculty of McMaster Divinity College in 2021. He is Professor Emeritus of History at Redeemer University\, where he taught Eastern European history and Church history. Before that\, he served eight years as a pastor. Jim has also taught at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia)\, St. Stephen’s College (University of Alberta)\, Evangelical Theological Seminary (Osijek\, Croatia)\, and Matthias Flacius Illyricus Faculty of Theology (Zagreb\, Croatia). \nHe has been extensively involved in ecumenical and interfaith activities in both Eastern Europe and North America. He served as Executive Secretary (1998–2006) and as President (2006–2011) of CAREE (Christians Associated for Relationships with Eastern Europe)\, a UN-endorsed NGO which worked for peace\, justice\, and reconciliation in and for the region for more than forty years. He served as member (2006–2021) and Christian chair (2008–2011) of the National Muslim-Christian Liaison Committee. He has a wide range of academic specializations in history and historical theology\, including the history of Eastern Europe\, the intellectual history of Eastern Orthodoxy\, the Reformation era\, and a long-standing special interest in Patristics. \n  \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Mondays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee. \n 
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-13/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250324T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250324T140000
DTSTAMP:20250324T220236Z
CREATED:20241126T145000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250324T220236Z
UID:10000194-1742821200-1742824800@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS
DESCRIPTION:About TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Mondays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-11/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TRS-Event-Photo-scaled-e1754591467338.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250310T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250310T140000
DTSTAMP:20250208T195644Z
CREATED:20241126T144919Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T195644Z
UID:10000193-1741611600-1741615200@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS
DESCRIPTION:About TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Mondays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-10/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TRS-Event-Photo-1-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250224T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250224T140000
DTSTAMP:20250208T195549Z
CREATED:20241126T144838Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T195549Z
UID:10000192-1740402000-1740405600@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS
DESCRIPTION:About TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Mondays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-9/
LOCATION:Ontario
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TRS-Event-Photo-1-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250210T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250210T140000
DTSTAMP:20250206T201458Z
CREATED:20241126T144803Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250206T201458Z
UID:10000190-1739192400-1739196000@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - John J. H. Lee
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, John J.H. Lee will be presenting\, “What We Should Talk about When We Talk about ἁμαρτία (‘sin’) in Paul’s Gospel” \nRead the abstract and her bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nIn his 2018 paper\, Simon Gathercole aptly observed a prevailing tendency in contemporary Pauline scholarship: the inclination to interpret ἁμαρτία in Paul’s letters as a cosmic evil power rather than as individual acts of disobedience and transgression against God’s law. My paper challenges that trend. Employing a two-stage framework\, I conduct a semantic domain analysis of all the related terms associated with ἁμαρτία\, as well as a verb-noun pair (ἁμαρτάνω-ἁμαρτία) study across both the undisputed and disputed Pauline letters and the entire New Testament. Based on these linguistic findings\, I argue that ἁμαρτία in Paul’s writings is best understood as referring to an individual’s sinful act rather than a cosmic evil force. \nBio\nJohn graduated from MDC in 2024 with a PhD in New Testament. He is the Managing Editor of the McMaster Divinity College Press. Before comingto MDC\, he and his family served with Wycliffe Bible Translators in the Caucasus region as Bible translator \n\n\n\n\nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Mondays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee. \n 
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-john-j-h-lee/
LOCATION:Ontario
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TRS-Event-Photo-1-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250127T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250127T140000
DTSTAMP:20250208T195439Z
CREATED:20241126T144719Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T195439Z
UID:10000189-1737982800-1737986400@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Erin Wildsmith
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Erin Wildsmith will be presenting\, “Henri Nouwen and the Inner Life of the Preacher?” \nRead the abstract and her bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nOver the course of his life Dutch priest\, lecturer\, and writer Henri J.M. Nouwen inspired countless students and readers crossing national and denominational boundaries. While Nouwen and his work have long been valued by a broad readership for his penetrating insights into the spiritual life\, Christian leaders seemed to hold a special place in his heart. Indeed\, many of his most beloved books are addressed specifically to this audience. While he speaks only sparingly about preaching\, Nouwen’s pastoral theology crystalizes important insights for the inner life of preachers as the starting point from which he or she evokes the vocation of the congregation. This paper will explore three central themes in Nouwen’s work: oscillation between the polarities of the spiritual life\, the preacher as wounded healer\, and the twin ministries of silence and prayer\, and apply them to the preacher’s own inner landscape. A closer engagement with Nouwen’s treatment of these themes can encourage weary preachers in search of a renewed sense of vocation and energy for ministry. \nBio\nErin is the Senior Pastor at Highview Community Church in Kithener\, ON. She graduated from MDC in 2013 with a Master of Divinity and is currently completing the Doctor of Practical Theology program \n  \n\n\n\n  \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Mondays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee. \n 
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-8/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TRS-Event-Photo-scaled-e1754591467338.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241209T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241209T140000
DTSTAMP:20250208T200613Z
CREATED:20240814T152641Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T200613Z
UID:10000091-1733749200-1733752800@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Lydia Lao
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Lydia Lao will be presenting\, “Identity Amid Social Conflict: Intragroup Relations in Nehemiah 5:1–13.” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nThe economic crisis depicted in Neh 5:1–13 reveals an intragroup conflict between the poor and wealthy strata in the Judean community in the Persian period. By employing a social psychological approach and textual analysis\, this work suggests that both strata were experiencing conceptual social mobility. Furthermore\, this work argues that the resolution of the economic crisis\, and hence the intragroup conflict\, reshaped the self perceived identity of the members of the Judean community and led to the formation of a common membership across the social hierarchy of the community. This paper further argues that through the reshaping of communal membership and redefinition of kinship relations\, the Judean community was able to acquire a positive social identity distinct by its common social conscience stemming from the reverence of God. \n\nBio\nLydia completed her MDiv degree at the China Graduate School of Theology in Hong Kong. She joined a Christian rehabilitation centre for problem gamblers after graduation. She later took up the women and elderly ministries in her home church prior to studying in MDC. Her research interest is in the communal identity of the postexilic community.. \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Mondays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-6/
LOCATION:Ontario
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TRS-Event-Photo-scaled-e1754591467338.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241118T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241118T140000
DTSTAMP:20250208T195929Z
CREATED:20240814T152416Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T195929Z
UID:10000090-1731934800-1731938400@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Aaron Jung
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Aaron Jung will be presenting\, “Intention and Interpretation of the Bible.” \nRead Paper \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nThis study explores the intricate interplay between authorial intention and the text as a hermeneutical inquiry. William K. Wimsatt and Monroe C. Beardsley’s seminal essay\, “The Intentional Fallacy\,” not only ignited polemical debates on the role of an author’s intentions in textual interpretation but also catalyzed a paradigm shift in modern hermeneutics\, paving the way for the rise of New Criticism. This shift profoundly influenced Biblical Studies\, a discipline in which interpreters have traditionally focused on discerning the intentions of the author or originating community\, often with limited engagement with the complexities of intentionality in interpretation. However\, even contemporary literary approaches to Biblical Studies frequently emphasize the author’s intention without fully considering the fundamental relationship between intention and text. Accordingly\, this study revisits the debates surrounding authorial intention and seeks to propose a thoughtful approach to biblical interpretation. \nBio\nAaron Jung is a PhD stduent in Christian Theology\, with a concentration in New Testament studies. As both a Baptist pastor and social worker\, he possesses extensive experience working with an NGO dedicated to adolescents\, as well as serving in a local church in South Korea. Now residing in Hamilton with his wife\, Jisoon\, and their daughter\, Ina\, he is deeply dedicated to the rigorous study of Scripture and its effective proclamation through preaching. His scholarly interests extend across a diverse range of disciplines\, including psychology\, philosophy\, pedagogy\, literary studies\, and linguistics. \n  \n  \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets from 1:00 PM to 1:50 PM on alternating Mondays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. James Dvorak\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-5/
LOCATION:Ontario
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241104T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241104T140000
DTSTAMP:20250208T200107Z
CREATED:20240814T152333Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T200107Z
UID:10000089-1730725200-1730728800@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Corey Parish
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Corey Parish will be presenting\, “The Polyphony of Life”: Expanding Bonhoeffer’s Musical Imagery through the Lens of Disability Theology.” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nThis paper expands Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s metaphor of the “polyphony of life” by engaging his musical imagery with disability theology. Using his earlier theological writings on anthropology\, ecclesiology\, and Christology as an undergirding for the concept of polyphony\, i.e. several independent voices sounding together around an underlying melody—the cantus firmus\, this paper brings Bonhoeffer’s musical imagery and academic theology into conversation with key themes in disability theology\, including the realities of human diversity\, our need for relationality and belonging\, and the recognition of all people\, including those with disabilities\, as contributory participants in community life. \nBio\nCorey is a church pastor and social service worker in Fergus\, ON\, where he lives with his wife and three children. He studies and writes in the field of practical theology with special emphasis on disability and community. Corey completed his Doctor of Ministry degree at Tyndale University in 2024 and looks forward to beginning a PhD in Christian Theology at McMaster in January 2025. \n  \n  \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets over the lunch hour on Wednesdays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. Francis Pang\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-4/
LOCATION:Ontario
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TRS-Event-Photo-scaled-e1754591467338.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241021T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241021T140000
DTSTAMP:20250208T200445Z
CREATED:20240814T152239Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T200445Z
UID:10000276-1729515600-1729519200@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Isaiah Padgett
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Isaiah Padgett will be presenting\, “Charity in the Presence of Scarcity: Utilizing Ruth 2 as a Resource for Old Testament Economic Ethics.” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nPerhaps more than any other time in history\, ethical concerns are at the forefront of public consciousness. While some topics have relatively modern permutations\, many concerns are perennial ones. Issues such as caring for the poor and marginalized in society\, the ethical challenges of war and violence\, and how one is to understand their connection to state and government are all issues that reemerge on a recurring basis. One such concern is that of economic ethics\, an issue that is not only discussed in modern society\, but also features prominently within the Old Testament where condemnations of social abuse and calls for justice are frequent. Despite this\, such ethical explorations have neglected many areas of the Old Testament\, choosing instead to focus almost exclusively on legal and prophetic material. One overlooked area is the book of Ruth. While the issues of migration and the treatment of the foreigner have rightly been emphasized\, what has largely been missed are the economic dimensions of the text and its relation to the ethics of the book. With this in mind\, this paper explores Ruth 2—particularly vv. 8-16—as a resource for Old Testament economic ethics by highlighting the character and actions of Ruth and Boaz with attention to the dual concepts of economic charity and material scarcity. Ultimately\, I will argue that Ruth 2 is an underutilized and underappreciated text which can serve to greatly enrich the exploration of Old Testament economic ethics. \nBio\n \nIsaiah Padgett is currently a PhD student in Christian Theology working in Old Testament ethics. Originally from Virginia in the United States\, Isaiah currently resides in Hamilton with his wife\, Becca. Isaiah has a passion for local church education and for helping Christians see the enduring relevance and importance of the Old Testament for faith and praxis. \n  \n  \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets over the lunch hour on Wednesdays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. Francis Pang\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-3/
LOCATION:Ontario
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241007T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241007T140000
DTSTAMP:20250208T200019Z
CREATED:20240814T151253Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T200019Z
UID:10000280-1728306000-1728309600@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Brendan DePhillippeaux
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Brendan DePhillippeaux will be presenting\, “Augustine the Modernist?: The Question of Triune Mediation in Augustine’s Epistemology.” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nAugustine of Hippo’s influence upon Western theology cannot be understated\, which makes it unsurprising that his legacy has come under increased scrutiny in the highly critical intellectual context of 20th and 21st century theology. One of his more outspoken critics is the late British theologian Colin Gunton\, whose significant work on creation theology\, the doctrine of the Trinity\, and Western intellectual history more generally was largely framed by a negative assessment of Augustine’s contribution in each of these areas. More specifically\, Gunton charged Augustine with smuggling Neoplatonic thought into Christian theology\, particularly through his use of Platonic “forms” in his doctrine of creation. This\, Gunton claims\, displaced the notion of triune mediation in favor of a dualistic understanding of creation that a) metaphysically confused the creator/creature relationship\, and b) infected the doctrine of revelation with a notion of epistemic “immediacy” that paved the way for modern rationalism. While both of these aspects of Gunton’s critique have been competently challenged by a range of scholars\, the present essay seeks to engage the second of these—namely Gunton’s argument concerning epistemic “immediacy”—by means of a closer analysis of Augustine’s trinitarian theology as it pertains to the doctrine of revelation. This essay contends against Gunton that Augustine’s epistemology does not represent the “contamination” of Western theology with Greek philosophy\, but rather a constructive and dialectical project aimed at the “conversion” of Greek philosophy in conformity to Nicene trinitarianism. Augustine’s epistemology not only rejects key Platonic assumptions in favor of triune mediation\, but even exceeds Gunton’s own criteria for a coherent doctrine of revelation\, which this essay will seek to demonstrate primarily through examination of his later treatise On the Trinity. \nBio\nMy name is Brendan DePhillippeaux\, and I am currently working on my PhD in systematic theology. As someone who naturally loves thinking about origins and pondering the numerous connections between theology\, philosophy\, and culture\, I have found myself increasingly interested in the early church\, especially the writings of the second-century Greek apologists. More specifically\, my current research is focused on the theological hermeneutics of Irenaeus of Lyons\, namely how the central role of tradition in his thinking enabled him to interpret all of Scripture as a single unified story of triune mediation ordering all creation toward redemption in Christ. \n  \n  \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets over the lunch hour on Wednesdays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. Francis Pang\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs-2/
LOCATION:Ontario
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240923T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240923T140000
DTSTAMP:20250208T200210Z
CREATED:20240814T150530Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250208T200210Z
UID:10000283-1727096400-1727100000@mcmasterdivinity.ca
SUMMARY:TRS - Dr. Clement Wen
DESCRIPTION:At this week’s Theological Research Seminar\, Dr. Clement Wen will be presenting\, “Meaning and Eternity amidst ‘the Horrors’: Marilyn McCord Adams and Wolfhart Pannenberg in Critical-Constructive Dialogue.” \nRead the abstract and his bio below. \nAll are welcome to attend in Camelford Hall (room 226) at McMaster Divinity College at 1:00pm or via livestream at the link below: \nJoin the Livestream\nPassword: z00m (Note that the password has zeros rather than “o”) \nAbstract\nIn this paper\, Marilyn McCord Adams (1943-2017) is placed in dialogue with Wolfhart Pannenberg (1928-2014) over the question of how sin\, evil\, and especially “the horrors” affects “meaning” and “meaning-making.” Because Adams emphasizes the subjectivity of individuals who are “meaning makers\,” she posits that “the horrors” (i.e.\, the most grievous of inexplicable evils) work towards the destruction and undoing of “meaning” and our sense of reality’s “coherence.” The implications of this view will be explored with especial emphasis on how such differs greatly from the way in which Pannenberg grounds inherent\, discoverable “meaning” and “coherence” eschatologically by way of his differentiated omnitemporal understanding of “eternity” and the role this plays in terms of God’s action within history. A broader implication is that a critically-constructive dialogue between Adams and Pannenberg promises to be immensely fruitful and\, as such\, the paper encourages and anticipates further interaction between these two important twentieth-century figures. \nBio\n \nDr. Wen is Assistant Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology and the Howard and Shirley Bentall Chair in Evangelical Thought at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton\, Ontario. He is author of An ‘Open-Ended Distinctiveness’: The Contemporary Relevance of Wolfhart Pannenberg’s Participatory Ecclesiology and Ecumenism for World Christianity (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht\, 2021). \n  \n  \nAbout TRS\nThe MDC Theological Research Seminar (TRS) is a bimonthly gathering for all MDC students and faculty. TRS meets over the lunch hour on Wednesdays\, and includes about thirty minutes for the paper presentation and twenty minutes for discussion. \nAll advanced degree students are invited to present a paper and share your research with your colleagues. TRS is an excellent opportunity to “test drive” a paper you will be presenting at an upcoming conference and receive helpful feedback on your current research projects. Thinking about submitting an article to a journal and want some interaction first? TRS will provide it. Just published an article or an essay and want to share it us? TRS is an excellent opportunity to broadcast it. \nThis year the organizing committee consists of Dr. Francis Pang\, Dr. Phil Zylla\, and Dr. Gord Heath. To submit a paper\, contact a member of the organizing committee.
URL:https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/event-calendar/trs/
LOCATION:Camelford Hall (Room 226)\, 1280 Main St W\, Hamilton\, Ontario\, L8S 4K1\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Theological Research Seminars
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