Events

Ideas That Matter is an online lecture series hosted by Regent College this fall with the purpose of cultivating theological engagement with contemporary issues that are particularly relevant at this cultural moment.

Dr. Dennis Edwards is Associate Professor of New Testament at North Park University in Chicago, IL. Growing up in NYC, Dr. Edwards attended a storefront church whose pastor was an earnest, faithful, and dedicated spiritual leader. This example continued to inspire Dr. Edwards throughout college and his time spent teaching high school math and chemistry. Even after attending seminary, his desire to better understand scripture continued. Dr. Edwards says, “I pursued my PhD largely in an effort to quench my thirst for enlightenment and understanding of God’s Word.” Ordained through the Evangelical Covenant Church, Dr. Edwards brings a deep understanding of spiritual leadership to North Park. He also shares his diverse experiences as a church planter and pastor in Brooklyn, Minneapolis, and Washington D.C. with his students.

Dr. Edwards's recent book, Might from the Margins: The Gospel's Power to Turn the Tables on Injustice, explores the power of the gospel to be most visible among those who have been the least respected, including racial or ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, women, and people who have been displaced from their homeland. Yet in many faith communities, these are the same people whose leadership gifts are least likely to be recognized. But the power of the gospel comes from God, not from other humans. This book is a passionate affirmation of the power already present among marginalized Christians and a call to recognize and embrace this power for the sake of helping the church become more like Christ.   

Dr. Drew Hart is Assistant Professor of Theology at Messiah University in Pennsylvania. Dr. Hart is also an author and activist with ten years of pastoral experience. His undergraduate work was in biblical studies at Messiah College, he received his Masters of Divinity degree with an urban concentration at Biblical Seminary, and he earned a PhD in the field of theology and ethics at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. Dr. Hart continues to partner with community groups and churches across the country by facilitating anti-racism trainings, seminars, as well as delivering lectures and talks for colleges and conferences.

Dr. Hart is the author of Trouble I've Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism and his most recent work is Who Will be a Witness: Igniting Activism for God's Justice, Love, and Deliverance. Who Will Be a Witness offers a vision for communities of faith to organize for deliverance and justice in their neighborhoods, states, and nation as an essential part of living out the call of Jesus. In this book, Dr. Hart provides incisive insights into Scripture and history, along with illuminating personal stories, to help us identify how the witness of the church has become mangled by Christendom, white supremacy, and religious nationalism. He provides a wide range of options for congregations seeking to give witness to Jesus’ ethic of love for and solidarity with the vulnerable.

This conversation will be hosted by Dr. Mariam Kovalishyn, Assistant Professor of New Testament Studies.

You can purchase Might from the Margins: The Gospel's Power to Turn the Tables on Injustice from the Regent College Bookstore here.

You can purchase Who Will Be a Witness: Igniting Activism for God's Justice, Love, and Deliverance from the Regent College Bookstore here.

Please email questions during the event to [email protected].

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