“It Just Doesn’t Make Sense: Wrestling with God’s Will in a Tragic World” is the title of the 16th Annual Theological Symposium to be held Sept. 20-21 at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.
Participants in the symposium will explore the ways in which believers address questions about the nature and plan of God and the responsibility of humans to fight evil in the world, such as:
* We confess that God daily and abundantly provides and that He shields and protects us in the face of all evil. We experience a world in which twin towers collapse and tsunamis sweep away villages. Where is God when we need Him most?
* Does God change His mind and course of action?
* Does He respond to our prayers? What are our prayers worth, anyway?
* When sins and evils challenge God, what does the Christian have to say?
* How does God’s responsibility for everything in His creation mesh with the responsibility He gives to every human creature in his or her sphere of accountability?
Following the symposium, Dr. Victor Raj, mission professor of exegetical theology at the seminary and assistant director of the Institute for Mission Studies, will lead a Sept. 21-22 evangelism workshop titled “The Act of God and the Acts of God: Studies in 1 Peter.” The workshop will focus on how God and religion, and godly acts and religious acts, gain prominence in the lives of people and communities, especially when catastrophes strike. Questions on God’s justice, patience, and grace will be covered, and readings from the first letter of St. Peter will be used to demonstrate how human suffering engenders Christian hope and opens the door for Christian witness.
The symposium and workshop are open to pastors, educators, and laypeople. Plenary sessions will be webcast.
A symposium schedule and registration form are available on the seminary’s Web site. For more information, contact the Office of Continuing Education and Parish Services at (314) 505-7123 or ce@csl.edu.
Posted July 28, 2005
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