Dear friends in Christ,
Christ and Tragedy.This two-class series begins on Sunday, March 12, at 10 a.m., and looks at the recent book The Tragic Imagination by Rowan Williams. Williams’s book provides an opportunity to ask important questions, both theological and practical: can a Christian discourse be tragic? What does dramatic tragedy do, and what can it teach us? How do we think of Christ in light of tragic experiences? No prior reading is expected.
Word made flesh: Delving into the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John holds a unique place in the New Testament. Not only does it differ from the synoptic gospels in some details, it also reads as the most “philosophical” of the gospels. Yet it is still about the person Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Mary. So what does “In the beginning was the Word” tell us about the Jesus who walked on earth, touched and healed those who were ill, and held children in his arms? The task of these two Sunday classes, presented by guest lecturer Matthew Knotts of the University of Leuven, is to orient us to the gospel of John and illuminate what it can teach us about God, his relationship to us, and our relating to him – that is, prayer. This class meets on March 26 and April 2 at 10 a.m.
Rowan Williams in Holy Week. We are pleased to welcome to Saint Thomas the Rt. Rev. Rowan Williams, current head of Magdalene College, Cambridge, and former Archbishop of Canterbury. Williams is giving a series of addresses at the parish during Holy Week (April 9 – 14) with the theme, “Transforming Power: The Cross of Christ and the Kingdoms of the World.” More details about Dr. Williams’s visit are available on a special page on our website. In addition, Dr. Williams has agreed to talk with the Sunday class at 10 a.m. on Palm Sunday, April 9.
Condemned into Redemption. Many thanks to the Rev. Fleming Rutledge, the speaker for our Spring Theology Lecture held on Wednesday, March 8, and to all who made the event possible. The 75+ people in attendance enjoyed a riveting lecture on substitutionary atonement, illustrated by excerpts from classic hymns and quotations from the Book of Common Prayer. If you missed the lecture, never fear – the audio is online on our website.
The Rector’s Christian Doctrine Class: An introduction to the seven Sacraments of the Church: Life after Baptism: Confirmation and the mission of the Church. This class continues on Tuesday, March 14 at 6:30 p.m. in Andrew Hall. Primarily intended for those who wish to be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church, it is also open to any who are interested in the topic of the day.
Speaking of sacraments… One of the hallmarks of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer is its emphasis on baptism, the theology behind it, and its role in the life of the believer and worshiping community. Has this structural emphasis on baptism been matched by a robust doctrinal emphasis? The Rt. Rev. George Sumner, bishop of the Diocese of Dallas, has his doubts, as he describes in a recent pastoral letter titled De Nada. He reports that “a worrisome number of Episcopalian friends, when asked what is happening in baptism, answered ‘nothing.'” As he rightly identifies, this is a matter of misunderstanding the person and work of Jesus – a misunderstanding, that is, about some of the fundamental doctrines of the Church. All the more reason, then, for a vigorous program of theological education and formation.
Yours in Christ, Joel
