International Reformational Philsophy Symposium
Christ, Culture & Christian Scholarship in Nursing
The Open Book and Scholarship Conference/Scripture and Hermeneutics Consultation
Second Latin American Regional Conference

Board, VanderStelt retire
New contact information for IAPCHE Secretariat
St. Petersburg School of Religion and Philosophy plans Tenth Anniversary Jubilee
St. Petersburg Conference Proceedings Now Available
With Heart and Mind: May 2001
South African IRS Merges with Potchefstroom University
ARIHE Report

International Conference 2000

August 12-16, 2000, 100 delegates from all five regions of IAPCHE (Africa, Asia/Oceania, Europe, Latin America, and North America) met together on the campus of Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa, USA, for IAPCHE's sixth international conference, to consider "The Challenge of Christian Higher Education in the 21st Century: Strategizing for International Cooperation."

The conference began with a 25th anniversary celebration at Lake Okoboji, graciously sponsored and hosted by Peter and Betsy De Yager, associate members of IAPCHE. Dr. Bennie van der Walt from Potchefstroom University, South Africa, where IAPCHE began in 1975, gave an after-dinner address titled "IAPCHE: Our Past Heritage, Present Opportunity, and Future Challenge" in which he reflected on the 25-year history of the Association and urged his listeners to look ahead in hope to the challenges of the future.

The following day, Sunday, August 13, the conferees gathered in the Covenant Christian Reformed Church for an afternoon convocation service. Dr. Sidney Rooy, San Jose, Costa Rica, speaking on "Education for Life: The Struggle for Wisdom in the Supermarket of Values," opened the conference by emphasizing that Christian higher education must confront the real needs and challenges of the 21st century--including those in the Third World--by preparing students to respond in faithfulness to the call of their covenant God in every area and aspect of life.

Over the next three days, during which the actual work of the conference took place, the time was spent in describing and looking for ways in which to meet the challenges facing IAPCHE and its individual and institutional members.
First, a speaker from each of the five IAPCHE regions was asked to present a paper describing the challenges of his particular region:

Asia/Oceania: Dr. Bong Ho Son, Korea
Respondent: Dr. Keith Sewell, Australia
Africa: Dr. Bennie van der Walt, South Africa
Respondent: Dr. Edward W. Namukoa, Kenya
Latin America: Dr. Jose Alcantara, Mexico
Respondent: Dr. Juan Rogers, Argentina
North America: Dr. Harry Fernhout, Canada
Respondent: Dr. Joel Carpenter, United States
Europe: Dr. Sander Griffioen, The Netherlands
Respondent: Dr. Natalia Pecherskaya, Russia
 

As was expected, each region faces a unique set of challenges. At the same time, there are challenges that all the regions share in common. A review of the discussion notes indicates that all five regions confront dualism which divides faith and learning, learning and life; materialism which views education solely as a means to gain lucrative employment; individualism which destroys community and produces a destructive competitive spirit; and secularization which results in privatizing the Christian faith and produces a crisis of values in society in general and education in particular. Frequent reference was also made to the scarcity of men and women qualified to engage in research and to provide instruction from an integral Christian perspective--suggesting the need for post-graduate education which prepares people to do their academic work directed by a biblical world view.

Second, after taking stock of the challenges, the entire conference moved to consider ways of meeting those challenges. These sessions were introduced by the executive secretary, Dr. John B. Hulst, who, along with Dr. James Koldenhoven, led the conferees through an extensive strategy session. The conferees were reminded of the purpose of IAPCHE: The IAPCHE is a world-wide community of scholars and institutions that provides a network which, through academic activity, helps people to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in an integrated way.

Attention was also directed to a recently developed statement describing what IAPCHE means when it speaks of Christian higher education. The statement includes the following:

Christian higher education encompasses all educational endeavors at the tertiary or undergraduate and graduate levels
in which all facets of created reality, especially human life, are explored and examined in a more detailed manner
than they are in primary and secondary education.  In distinction from its non-Christian counterparts, Christian higher education assumes a recognition of a desire to perform its entire task in light of God's inscripturated revelation.

The unique purpose of Christian higher education is to prepare students and other members of the academic community for knowledgeable and competent discipleship in an increasingly complex world and culture, and to serve the larger Christian community as it seeks, through Spirit-directed faithful witness, to bring the healing power of Christ to bear on all areas of life.

-- Organizational: to define and clarify the organizational structure so as to make onging networking more serviceable.
-- Programs: to revise present long-term programs and identify, define, and prioritize networking programs.
-- Projects: to identify, define, and prioritize short-term networking projects.
-- Membership: to define, establish, and increase membership in all categories and relationships with other associations
so as to enhance the IAPCHE network.

On Sunday evening, following the regular worship time in the churches of the community, an informal worship service was held in the lounge of the Student Union Building. It was a wonderful time of sharing, praying, and singing songs from the various regions. Each day of the conference began with a devotional period led by Dr. James De Jong, president of Calvin Theological Seminary, who called us to a biblical consideration of the "Community, Complexity, and Challenge of the Kingdom" in Christian higher education. These meditations were very encouraging, because they reminded us repeatedly of the presence, the direction, and the blessings of the Lord during these days of intense discussion and deliberation. A mid-conference organ and piano recital by Joanne Draayer and her daughter Trisha also refreshed us.

In a meeting following Conference 2000, chaired by Dr. John C. VanderStelt, the board agreed that the conference was a
success and that it had fulfilled its purpose--beyond all expectations! It then voted unanimously to approve the conference
recommendation that IAPCHE continue into the future and that its membership--individual, institutional, affiliate, and
associate--be called upon to support the Association and its Secretariat in this endeavor. The evaluations of the conferees clearly echoed the board's decision. As one of them exclaimed: "What tremendous opportunities IAPCHE now has to promote God's kingdom worldwide!"

CONVOCATION

Opening comments by John C. VanderStelt, chairman of the board of IAPCHE, at the Convocation service of Conference 2000, August 13, 2000, Sioux Center, Iowa.

Members of IAPCHE, observers, and visitors--dear brothers and sisters:
On behalf of the board and the executive committee of the Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education, on this first day of the week, when we are again reminded that our risen Lord is enthroned at God's right hand, I officially welcome you to the sixth International Conference, organized around on the theme "The Challenge of Christian Higher Education in the 21st Century: Strategizing for International Cooperation."

From five continents and twenty-eight countries, some of which are symbolized in the flags displayed here, you have come to use this five-day international conference to your administrative, academic and peda-
gogical skills for the benefit of others, in response to the second part of our Lord's last mandate, just before he ascended, to "teach them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Mt. 28:20).

This is really what Christian higher education is all about. For this reason, twenty-five years ago, at the initiative of Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, we met for the first time at an international conference in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Since 1975, we met four more times--in Grand Rapids, USA, in 1978; Sioux Center, USA, in 1981; Breukelen, the Netherlands, in 1984; and Lusaka, Zambia in 1987. In addition, during the last ten years, hundreds of Christian educators, scholars and administrators met five times in regional conferences--in Hungary, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Costa Rica, and Russia.

For various logistical reasons, the Board of IAPCHE has not been able to meet since our last international conference in Lusaka in 1987. During this thirteen-year period, the Executive Committee of the Board met annually with the three executive secretaries who served IAPCHE during this time: Mr. James DeYoung, my successor, for three years; Dr. Paul G. Schrotenboer for six years, until his death in 1996; and, during the interim period, Dr. John B. Hulst for the last four years.

As I look back over the last twenty-five years during which I have been privileged to be involved in this fledgling association, I thank God for many things, in particular for the following:
(1) the late Dr. Bernard Zylstra, of the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto, for his invaluable advice to me as executive secretary during the painful apartheid-related struggles;
(2) that we can celebrate the removal of  the apartheid albatross from around IAPCHE's neck;
(3) the miracle that IAPCHE still exists and has the potential of becoming a vibrant agency for enhancing Christian higher education throughout the world;
(4) the miracle removing the "Iron Curtain," so that last year we could have our first regional conference in the School of
Religion and Philosophy at the University of St. Petersburg in St. Petersburg, Russia, and so that we also now have five Christian scholars and educators from Russia, as well as one from Czech and three from Hungary, present at this conference; (5) that our 1978 dream, to promote Christian higher education in concrete ways on that vast and rapidly changing
continent of Latin America is now becoming a reality--as is evident in the excellent regional conference held in
San Jose, Costa Rica, last year, in the fact that a second IAPCHE conference is to be held in Latin America in September, and
in having some eighteen,( i.e., more than ever before) Latin Americans present at this conference;
(6) and that we have, once again, two participants from India at the conference.

The challenges before us are many, exciting, and demanding. They include at least the following:
(1) exploring ways in which Christian higher education can be developed and enhanced in poverty-stricken areas of the world and in those parts of the world in which the Christian faith is either too nominal or too spiritualistic to have any practical effects
on daily life;
(2) restructuring the Association in such a way that its members, board, and staff can more effectively accomplish the most,
with the minimum of means, in the shortest amount of time possible;
(3) seizing on the unparalleled opportunities provided by the phenomenal increase in the number of Christians in Africa--from fifty million in 1960 to two hundred and fifty million in 2000, and
(4) doing more in the region of Asia/Oceania, especially Indonesia, which is presently so caught in the grip of
economic and political instability that none of its five IAPCHE related Christian universities could send any delegates to
attend this conference.

And now let this sixth international conference, with its focus on strategizing for the future, officially begin, and let us proceed in the full awareness of Christ's promise to "be with us always, to the very end of the age" (Mt. 28:21) and of Paul's wonderful and mysterious words to Christians in Corinth, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (II Cor. 3:17)

Long-range plan drawn up by Conference 2000

OUR PURPOSE STATEMENT:
The IAPCHE is a world-wide community of scholars and institutions that provides a network which, through academic activity, helps people to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in an integrated way.

PURPOSE STATEMENT: (New)
The purpose of IAPCHE, an organization of scholars and institutions, is to honor Jesus as Lord by fostering, worldwide, the development of integral Christian higher education through networking and related academic activities.

ORGANIZATION:
We will build and maintain a structure that recognizes the need for a central office, regional representation on the board, and resources to ensure needed networking.

Objective 1 Enhance the identity and functionality of five IAPCHE regions: Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Asia/Oceania.
Objective 2 Secure a board of directors to represent each region and an executive board that can conduct business between full board meetings.
Objective 3 Take appropriate action to ensure a central office, regional centers, a general secretary, and staff.
Objective 4 Develop a financial plan that can sustain the operation, its programs, projects, and development objectives.

Objective 1 Schedule and hold an international conference for institutional members every five to ten years.
Objective 2 Schedule and hold an international academic conference for individual members every five years.
Objective 3 Encourage regions to hold regular regional conferences.
Objective 4 Continue to publish a membership directory.
Objective 5 Communicate regularly with membership.
Objective 6 Continue to publish conference proceedings and consider ways to make scholarly papers available to a broader public.

Objective 1 Assist the Institute for Christian Studies in the development and implementation of a faith and
learning network.
Objective 2 Encourage Center for Educational Services and similar agencies in their endeavors to assist in
the training of Christian teachers in elementary and secondary schools.
Objective 3 Develop for consideration a plan to administer and issue a Christian Academic Studies Certificate.

MEMBERSHIP:
We will increase our membership and develop contacts with international associations of Christian higher education.

Objective 1 Double individual membership, from 275 to 550 (revenue goal: $10,000 per year).
Objective 2 Double institutional memberships, from 31 to 62 (revenue goal: $75,000 per year).
Objective 3 Continue to develop affiliate membership.
Objective 4 Increase associate membership (revenue goal: $50,000).
Objective 5 Review our present relationships with APCU, ACCU-IEF, CCCU, and IICS, and continue to explore other such contacts.

IAPCHE drafts statement on Christian Higher Education

1. What is Christian higher education?
Christian higher education encompasses all educational endeavors at the tertiary or undergraduate and graduate level, in which all facets of created reality, especially human life, are explored and examined in an advanced and more detailed manner than they are in primary and secondary education.

2. On what foundations should Christian higher education be developed?
In distinction from its non-Christian counterparts, Christian higher education assumes a recognition of:
a. the operation of religious commitments controlling all educational and research processes,
b. a desire to perform its entire task in the light of God's inscripturated revelation,
c. the presence of God's Word and Spirit to, respectively, structure and guide created reality, consequently any
concepts of neutrality and/or relativism are rejected,
d. the distortions of disobedience and its repercussions in all educational and research activities,
e. the call to redemption and restoration, not just abstract analyses and descriptions or impersonal research,
f. the importance of a local and global community of competent, effective educators and researchers concerned
with developing integrated academic programs and providing serviceable insight in their areas of specialization
for the benefit of society.

3. What is the purpose of Christian higher education?
The unique purpose of Christian higher education is:
a. to deepen our understanding of the world and human life in it,
b. to design steps that address and seek to correct distortions in all of life,
c. to prepare students and other members of the academic community for knowledgeable and competent discipleship
in an increasingly complex world and culture,
d. to serve the larger Christian community as it seeks, through Spirit-directed faithful witness, to bring the healing power of Christ to bear on all areas of life.

EDITORIAL
by J. B. Hulst, Executive Secretary
Conference 2000--A Success

By this time it's clear to everyone associated with IAPCHE that Conference 2000, "The Challenge of Christian Higher Education in the 21st Century: Strategizing for International Cooperation," was a success. The purpose of the conference was to describe the challenges of the 21st century and to consider how we, as an Association, could prepare to meet those challenges. That purpose was and is being fulfilled, i.e., the challenges were clearly described and they are in the process of being met by way of a 5/10 year plan. Now, of course, much depends upon detailing and implementing that plan--in awareness of our dependence upon the blessing of God, the presence of his Spirit, and the direction of his Word.

From my viewpoint as Executive Secretary, Conference 2000 was also a success in that it reminded the Association of a number of important matters that should never be forgotten.

We were reminded, first, that it is important to state clearly who we are and what we stand for. Often during our discussions we were brought back to our Basis in which we declare: "Academic work is an expression of life commitment to God the Creator, through Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit. Science and scholarship cannot have a neutral, uncommitted character but should be pursued from a biblical perspective." Just as often we were reminded of our purpose: "The IAPCHE is a world-wide community of scholars and institutions that provides a network which, through academic activity, helps people to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in an integral way." It was also helpful to have continually before us a recently prepared statement concerning the Association's understanding of Christian higher education, i.e., its meaning, its foundation, and its purpose.

Knowing who we are and what we stand for made it possible for us, secondly, to work together as a community. The conference was truly international, with men and women coming from the regions of Africa, Asia/Oceania, Europe, Latin America, and North America, and from 28 different countries within those regions. The meetings were also ecumenical in that the delegates represented different churches, denominations, and confessional backgrounds. This diversity was openly acknowledged, even celebrated. Still there was a sense of unity and community, because there was a clear understanding--as indicated in IAPCHE's Basis--that "true knowledge is possible only because of God's grace which has triumphed in Jesus Christ." In other words, those gathered were united in acknowledging the lordship of Christ in the world of higher education.

Further, it is worthy of note that this sense of community extended to the institutions represented at the conference. All of us involved in higher education are aware that there is competition between institutions--also between institutions of Christian higher education. No doubt, some of this competition is appropriate and even helpful; but much of it is detrimental in that it hinders the cause of Christian education. This is especially true when institutions are so involved in competing with each other that they fail to realize how much they can do together to promote Christian higher education locally, regionally, and throughout the world. At Conference 2000 it was encouraging to see institutional representatives working together in recognition of the fact that meeting the challenges of the 21st century demands that we work as a community rather than alone or in opposition to one another.

This sense of community also had an impact upon the relationship between faculty and administrators. Again, those of us familiar with higher education--also Christian higher education--know of conflicts between faculty and administration that have brought the operation of a college, university, or seminary to a virtual standstill. This is tragic not only because of the hurt that this conflict causes, but primarily because the purpose and program of such institutions--especially that of training students in the principles of the kingdom--is not being realized. It was good, therefore, to see administrators and faculty working together in the strategy sessions and to hear them openly state that they had learned much from each other.  Much of the success of Conference 2000 was a result of this spirit of community, with institutions, administrators, and faculty --from different regions, countries, and confessional backgrounds--working and agreeing that they should and would meet the challenges of the 21st century together.

Conference 2000 reminded us, thirdly, of how important it is for us to constantly remain open to Scripture. The 25th anniversary program began with Scripture-reading; the convocation address involved the opening of Scripture; the informal
worship service centered around Scripture; each day Dr. James De Jong led us in devotions by reading and reflecting on Scripture; and the two sessions of the board meeting were opened with Scripture. What struck me was that, instead of being a mere formality, each time the inscripturated Word of God spoke to us directly so that, in dealing with the issues before us, we were conscious of being directed by the will and Word of the Lord. This is not to claim divine approval for every one of our statements and conclusions; but it is to acknowledge, in the words of II Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,"--which, again, is why we, individually and as an Association, must stay close to and open to the Scriptures.

Finally, as we listened to reports from the various regions of IAPCHE, we were reminded that as we face the challenges of the 21st century we may be confident of God's blessings and, therefore, have good hope for the future. I recall, for example, the report from Dr. Patricio Proaño, head of the Universidad Christiana Latinoamerican (UCL) in Quito, Ecuador. Proaño described the challenge he faces in finding the resources needed to help his faculty members grow as Christian scholars and teachers. At the same time, he indicated that UCL had already been blessed with 1400 students and that enrolment is expected to grow to 5,000 in the next five or six years. Most of our institutions cannot expect such growth; but all of us may be encouraged by such reports as we, trusting in God, plan and work together to promote the cause of Christian higher education around the world.

First international board meeting held since 1987

Session I. August 12, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, prior to the Conference

This was the first international board meeting since the 1987 meeting in Lusaka, Zambia.
Dr. John VanderStelt chaired the meeting. Seven members were present, making a quorum. Significant items on the agenda:
1. A report from the Executive Secretary indicating
• that Susan De Young resigned as Office Manager, because of a family move to Minneapolis, and has been replaced by Lynn Otto.
• that the financial report for 1998-1999 was reviewed and verified by an auditor.
• that membership now stands at 275 individuals, 31 institutions, 4 affiliates, and 12 associate members. (The number of individual members has decreased, but all of those now listed are active members.)
• that the Association has ongoing contact with a number of other associations of Christian higher education, e.g., Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), International Institute for Christian Studies (IICS), Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities (APCU), and International Forum of Associations of Christian Higher Education (IFACHE).
• that proceedings of the regional conferences held in San Jose, Costa Rica and St. Petersburg, Russia have been published; and the proceedings of the regional conference in Mkar, Nigeria are in process.
• that the IAPCHE statement regarding the nature and purpose of Christian higher education has been prepared and approved by the Executive Committee.
• that a regional conference is scheduled for Latin America, in Quito, Ecuador; and regional conferences are being considered for Indonesia and Korea, and perhaps also for Central Europe.

2. The planning, finances, and program for Conference 2000 received enthusiastic approval. It was noted:
• that the Conference will consider a description of 21st century challenges and ways to meet those challenges.
• that the Conference will be assisted in its strategy sessions by Dr. James Koldenhoven, a member of IAPCHE, who has experience and expertise in long range planning.

3. Regarding the 1996-2000 transition period, it was agreed
• that the transition period would end with Conference 2000.
• that the 5/10 plan would be received as recommendations from the Conference, with the final decision to be made by the (individual) membership.
• that, following Conference 2000, a list of nominees (including suggestions from the regions) would be prepared for the election of the new board.

4. Additional items. The board also
• received a proposal for the establishment of a Centre for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education in Africa.
• took grateful note of a proposal from IAPCHE member Dr. D. Barry Lumsden, University of North Texas, to publish the proceedings of Conference 2000 in Christian Higher Education: An International Journal of Research and Practice.
• received with appreciation notice of Dordt College's willingness to continue to provide, without charge, office space for the IAPCHE Secretariat.

Session II. August 17, 7:00 - 10:00 a.m., following the Conference

1. With gratitude to God, the board
• reviewed Conference 2000 and declared that it has accomplished its purpose in describing the challenges of the 21st century and in charting a course for IAPCHE's future.
• voted unanimously that IAPCHE should continue into the future, aware of its dependence upon the Lord for his continued favor and direction.

2. Having declared that IAPCHE should  continue into the future, the board
• approved a list of nominations for the new board, with the understanding that each region would elect its own board representatives and that the new board would be in place and ready to function by the end of the year 2000.
• decided to present the 5/10 plan by way of recommendation to the new board for its consideration, approval, and implementation.

3. Dr. John B. Hulst indicated his willingness to serve another year as Executive Secretary, with the understanding that the Association will move as soon as possible to find someone to occupy the office as a permanent, paid position. The board responded positively.

4. Additional items. The board
• approved the application of the West Yorkshire School of Christian Studies (WYSOCS), Leeds, Great Britain, for affiliate membership.
• received for information reports from Dr. Johan van der Vyver regarding the conference of the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities, in Atlanta, GA, April 2000; from Dr. Sidney De Waal about the conference of the International Forum of Associations of Christian Higher Education (IFACHE), in Bethlehem, July 2000; and from Dr. Theodorus Setiawan concerning the Reformed Ecumenical Council assembly meeting in Indonesia, July 2000.

5. The meeting was closed with a session of prayer.

Conferences

International Reformational Philosophy Symposium
by John C. VanderStelt, chairman of the board of IAPCHE

Five days after IAPCHE concluded its International Conference 2000 in Sioux Center last August, the Association for Reformational Philosophy (ARP) held its Sixth International Symposium in Hoeven, the Netherlands, from August 21-25. One hundred seventy-five educators and scholars from twenty-seven different countries throughout the world attended ARP's international symposium.

Dr. Bong Ho Son, from Seoul, gave the keynote speech on the main theme of "Cultures and Christianity A.D. 2000." This was followed by five main presenters: Dr. Bennie J. van der Walt, from Potchefstroom, on "Religion, Worldview, Culture"; Dr. Adrian Vlot, from the Netherlands, on "Cultural Diversity and Technological Development"; Dr. Adolfo Garcia de la Sienra, from Mexico, on "Reformational Economic Theory"; Dr. Elaine Storkey, from London, on "The Family and Cultural Change - Some Christian Reflections"; and Dr. James W. Skillen, from Washington, on "Politics in One World."

In response to each of these five presentations, two educators/scholars from other regions of the world jump-started the discussions between them and the main speaker, which, in turn, triggered active participation by other symposium participants. These five main topics were interspersed by a series of five workshops, with seven simultaneous workshops in each series.

An excursion on Wednesday afternoon and evening to the world-famous Storm Surge Barrier near Rotterdam, a dinner in the old city of Delft, and a superb organ recital of Johann Sebastian Bach in the famous Nieuwe Kerk of Delft, as well as a Cultural Evening on Thursday provided all participants with a welcome change of pace, fostered meaningful cross-cultural fellowship, and stimulated informal exchange of ideas about Christian education and scholarship.

The symposium ended with a fascinating discussion which three panelists (Dr. Bob Goudzwaard, Dr. Elsie de Powell, and Dr. Bong-Ho Son) initiated among themselves and with all the other participants on the topic, "Cultures and Christianity A.D. 2000 and Beyond." As symposium chairman, Dr. Hendrik G. Geertsema concluded the conference by offering some penetrating, lucid, and challenging comments and a short and powerful prayer, and by having all participants listen, while standing, to a gripping rendition (on a CD) of Handel's "Thou Art Worthy."

The fact that IAPCHE's Conference and ARP's Symposium were held last August is significant for several reasons. Both were by design truly international, intended to encourage Christian higher education, participated in by men and women, held at the beginning of the twenty-first century, and committed to developing a distinctively Christian way of thinking in the area of higher education. Of the nine persons who attended both events, two were main speakers in both Sioux Center and Hoeven, one was a main speaker in Sioux Center, and one was a responder in Hoeven.

My request to Dr. Sander Griffioen, chairman of the Association for Reformational Philosophy, for permission to add the participants in ARP's Symposium to IAPCHE's mailing list was gratefully endorsed by the participants after Griffioen asked them for their approval. Participants in the international ARP will provide a valuable source of speakers and other resource persons for future regional and international IAPCHE conferences.
 

Christ, Culture & Christian Scholarship in Nursing
Report of an academic conference (exerpts) previously published on the website of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship/ USA

From June 28 to July 2, 2000, something special happened in Edinburgh, Scotland. Thirty-five Christian scholars from four continents, most of them nurses, met for a three-day conference on Christian scholarship in nursing preceding the fifteenth quadrennial conference of the Nurses Christian Fellowship International. Below is a short report.

According to the invitation, the aim was "to gather, present, and encourage Christian scholars as well as Christian scholarship in nursing." Its theme, "Christ & Culture--Christian Scholarship in Nursing," meant to do so from different cultural perspectives on key issues in Christian nursing education and research. With hindsight, it is fair to conclude that the conference did exactly that.
It was the dawning of a vanguard of Christian scholars in nursing.

Fifteen outstanding scholars from around the world, various of them well known writers, presented challenging papers in plenary sessions divided over three days. Informed by Micah 6:8, they posited what it means for Christian nurse scholars to do justice (nursing ethics), to love kindness (Christian vision), and to walk humbly with God (spiritual care). Each of these sub themes was addressed by presenters and discussed by participants with a good mix of South, East, and West, but also of age, expertise and gender.

Perhaps the most exciting accomplishment of this meeting was the emerging awareness among presenters and participants that Christian scholarship in nursing is serious business. It is not someone's hobby or whim, but it is quality stuff for being Christians in the modern world.

The exploration of the pluralism confronting Christian nurses in the modern world and the pluralism within Christian scholarship in nursing itself were main topics of discussion. The conference also called for various ways for these Christian nursing scholars to move forward. Various plans for collaboration were made. These include regional collaboration on projects in Asia, Europe and America, using the Internet for announcements, resources, news-letters, and also with an academic on-line journal for Christian nurses. On the other hand, actually holding meetings and submitting abstracts to others will be indispensable for exchange and encouragement, but also for drawing new members to the community of Christian scholars in nursing.
To read the complete report, visit http://gospelcom.net/iv/ncf/facgrad/600scotland.html.
 

The Open Book and Scholarship Conference and Scripture and Hermeneutics Consultation
By Elaine Botha, Director of Research and Faculty Development, Redeemer University College, Canada

The second international Open Book and Scholarship Conference on the relationship between the understanding of scripture and scholarship in the disciplines took place at Redeemer University College from August 16 -19, 2000. A hermeneutics consultation was held at the same time. What made this quite a unique venture was the fact that the whole event required careful planning and coordination by the various groups involved. This was a joint venture of Redeemer University College, the Pascal Centre and the Dooyeweerd Centre in collaboration with the Cheltenham and Gloucester School of Higher Education in Gloucester and the British and Foreign Bible Society in the United Kingdom. Dr. Craig Bartholomew, Research Fellow at Cheltenham and Gloucester, was the main liaison for the two projects. He also gave the opening address of the Open Book and Scholarship Conference, titled "Before Babel and After Pentecost: Language, Literature and Biblical Interpretation."

The "Scripture and Hermeneutics Seminar" organized by the Cheltenham Group was already the third Consultation on issues related to Biblical hermeneutics. Two previous Consultations had already taken place in Cheltenham in 1998 and Cambridge in 1999. The 2000 Consultation, which took place simultaneously with the Open Book Conference, dealt with the theme: "After Pentecost: Philosophy and Theology of Language and Biblical Interpretation." The Consultation was attended by about 35 participants. The Confererence was attended by about 65 participants including Redeemer College faculty, other Redeemer administrators and staff, and scholars from as far as the Netherlands, England, Russia, and South Africa, and all across the USA and Canada. Presentations included 5 papers in plenary sessions and 15 workshops and panel discussions.

The structure of the program of the Consultation and Conference was arranged in such a way that the two events shared some joint plenary sessions and speakers. Dr. Nicholas Wolterstorff spoke on "The Promise of Speech Act Theory for Biblical Interpretation," Dr Anthony Thiselton spoke on "Behind and in Front of the Text," and Dr. Mary B. Hesse, well-known philosopher of science from Cambridge, responded to Wolterstorff's paper and participated in the Conference Workshop on "Metaphor, Analogy and Creativity in the Disciplines".

What made the program unique for the faculty of Redeemer University College was the fact that a number of the so-
called "Group of 7- Research team" at the college were all involved in the program of the conference as speakers and as workshop leaders. A group of seven faculty members have been involved in an Interdisciplinary Research Project on Biblical hermeneutics and the Disciplines for the past two years. Four members of this group--Dr. D.F.M. Strauss, Dr. Mike Goheen, Dr. Gene Haas and Dr. Deborah Bowen--all participated in the Conference, and a fifth, Dr. Jitse van der Meer, participated in the Consultation. Dr. Elaine Botha also gave a presentation at the Consultation on the nature of metaphors in religious language. She and Dr. Al Wolters have been involved in all three of the Consultations held thus far. The Dooyeweerd Centre contributed two main plenary session speakers to the program: Dr. D.F.M. Strauss spoke on "Biblical Authority and the Foundation of the Discipline," and Dr. Roy Clouser on "Some Watersheds of Biblical Interpretation." The Dooyeweerd Centre also organized a panel on Clouser's paper.

A special event at the conference was a special seminar for graduate students, "Graduate Studies in the Secular Academy." This proved to be a very lively discussion with maximum participation of all graduate students present and a large number of other conference participants. Many of the students present were Redeemer College alumni. The conference surpassed all our expectations, and participants' evaluations of the conference were overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic.

Financially, the Conference and Consultation was supported by the three bodies mentioned above and supported by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council's Aid to Small Universities Research Grant and the Priscilla and Stanford Reid Trust.  This Trust especially contributed towards the participation of graduate students.
 

Second Latin American Regional Conference
By Sidney Rooy, IAPCHE Executive Committee member

The second Latin American regional conference for IAPCHE (AIPECS in Spanish), held September 2-8, 2000 at Quito, Ecuador, centered on the theme: "Education for Life, the renewal of the mind" with reference to Romans 12:1-2. Fifty-five professors from fifteen countries shared their thoughts and experiences, with concentration on the various fields of study. Principal speakers were the renowned educators Wilfredo Canales, a Peruvian living in Paraguay, and José Míguez Bonino from Argentina. Wilfredo spoke on: "The formation of the Christian mind in a society in crisis." José stimulated our reflection on the theme: "The Christian mind and its response to present educational demands."

Ten educators gave round table introductions to the theoretical and practical implications of the transformation of the mind for their areas of specialization. Following these discussions, the entire group worked on the significance of an integrated Christian education for curriculum and pedagogy. Some of the results of the discussions were expressed in the conference document prepared at the conclusion of the meetings, destined to be sent to the many Protestant educators who could not be present. After introducing the biblical and theological challenges faced by Christian higher education, the document analyzes the present crises confronting the educative process in Latin America. The major tasks to be addressed are listed, with special recognition of problem areas and factors which inspire hope for Christian educators. The last section defines fourteen strategic recommendations for action.

Enthusiasm for the future of the movement was evident in the spirit of the meetings as well as in the concrete plans made for its continuance. The recently established Presbyterian university (Corporaci'n Universitaria Reformada) of Barranquilla, Colombia, was asked in the person of its rector, Dr. Gonzalo Dérney Ramos, to provide a center for planning and communication until the next regional meeting is held. Dr. Dérney will serve as Latin American coordinator during this period. The preliminary steps for organization and for action will be evaluated and defined with more precision in a meeting of several educational leaders in Barranquilla next January. It is hoped that the two new board members representing Latin America for IAPCHE will also be able to participate  in this meeting in order to coordinate the regional activities with the broader university world of Christian
professors.

The papers presented at the conference will be published as the second book on the educational reflection of the regional
meetings held in Latin America. The publishing company representing the Latin American Theological Fraternity, Kairos of Buenos Aires, has asked permission to be the publisher. Besides the two principal lectures, the participants in the round table discussions have been asked to expand their presentations in the light of the reflection at the plenary sessions. The published proceedings of AIPESC II are expected to be ready by March of 2001, and will include photos and a directory of those present.

The meetings were held as part of a broadly representative Latin American Congress of Evangelization (CLADE IV), with thirteen hundred participants from every land in our region. Previous CLADE meetings were held in: Bogotá, Colombia (1969); Lima, Peru (1979); and Quito, Ecuador (1992). During CLADE IV seventeen mini-consultations, covering as many themes, met each afternoon to consider the demands and challenges in each problem area. The theme of the congress, "Christian Witness for the Third Millenium: Word, Spirit and Mission," was highlighted in worship, prayer, meditation on Biblical and contextual issues, communion and celebration. The emphasis centered on such areas as: youth and society, ministry with children, transcultural missions, expository Bible study, Christian literature, family, theological education, integral mission, politics and human rights, the unity of the church, Christian presence in the university (IAPCHE), Christian witness in the business world, indigenous peoples, worship and adoration, faith and economics. Panel discussions were dedicated to contemporary issues in the life and mission of the church. They included: spiritual warfare, faces of Protestantism in Latin America, consumer society and stewardship of creation, and the relation of men and women from a Christian perspective.

A report was given to participants on the international meeting of IAPCHE which was held from August 12 to 16 at Dordt College, Iowa. At that meeting Latin America had been represented in a significant way by sixteen delegates from ten countries. Several had been present at the first regional meeting of AIPECS in San Jose, Costa Rica, in January of 1999. A nomination of four Latin Americans was made by the current Board of IAPCHE, from which two delegates will be elected to participate in international affairs. Presently IAPCHE has twenty-five individual members from this region.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Board, VanderStelt retire

At the end of this calendar year, the entire board of IAPCHE will retire, to be replaced by a newly elected board. The present board consists of the following persons:
Rev. Craig Bartholomew, Cheltenham, United Kingdom
Dr. Egbert Boeker, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Dr. Pieter Holtrop, Kampen, The Netherlands
Dr. Godfrey Nguru, Limuru, Kenya
Dr. Hector Pina, Lima, Peru
Dr. Sidney Rooy, San Jose, Costa Rica
Dr. Theodorus I. Setiawan, Jakarta-Timur, Indonesia
Dr. Rodrigo Tana, Manila, The Philippines
Rev. Istvan Thuroczy, Kossuth, Hungary
Dr. John C. VanderStelt, Sioux Center, USA
Dr. George Vandervelde, Toronto, Canada
Dr. Bennie J. van der Walt, Potchefstroom, South Africa

In addition to serving their regular terms, those listed were willing to serve during the four-year interim, 1996 - 2000. All of them, especially the members of the Executive Committee (Rooy, Setiawan, VanderStelt), deserve our appreciation for their long and devoted service to the work of the Association.

Special note should be taken of the service rendered by Dr. John C. VanderStelt. VanderStelt attended all of the international conferences of IAPCHE, including the first conference, 1975, in Potchefstroom, South Africa. He was executive secretary from 1981-1987, and in recent years has chaired both the board and the executive committee.

During this time--actually during the 25 years of IAPCHE's existence--VanderStelt has dedicated himself to the purposes of the Association and provided it with visionary leadership.

It should also be observed that Dr. VanderStelt has recently retired from his position as professor of theology and
philosophy at Dordt College--a position which he has held since 1968. The department in which he served is planning to publish a "festschrift" in his honor. The editor, Dr. John Kok, reports, "We have contributions from students and friends who want to acknowledge VanderStelt's work at Dordt and within the international community of Christian higher education." Dordt has also established the John C. VanderStelt essay competition in theology and philosophy. The purpose of the competition is "to encourage essays that will develop Reformed Christian perspective and conversation among students, faculty, and staff on an announced topic." The topic for this year is, "A Plea for Theological Reflection in the Christian Life" --a fitting topic in light of VanderStelt's work at Dordt and on behalf of IAPCHE.

New address, phone information for IAPCHE Secretariat from the IAPCHE office

New postal and e-mail addresses and phone and FAX numbers for the Executive Secretary:

Dr. John B. Hulst
P.O. BOX 243
Sioux Center, IA 51250
Phone: 712-722-1530
FAX: 712-722-1185
e-mail: jlhulst@mtcnet.net

New Office Manager:
After four years of excellent work, Susan De Young has moved; IAPCHE welcomes Mrs. Lynn Otto as the new office manager. New phone and FAX numbers for the IAPCHE office are below:

Lynn Otto, IAPCHE
498 -- 4th Ave. NE
Sioux Center, IA 51250-1697
Phone: 712-722-6346
FAX: 712-722-1185
e-mail: iapche@dordt.edu
 

St. Petersburg School of Religion and Philosophy Plans Tenth Anniversary Jubilee

The St. Petersburg School of Religion and Philosophy (SRPh) is planning a celebration of it's Tenth Anniversary Jubilee, which will take place in St. Petersburg, Russia, November 26 - December 2, 2000. The School of Religion and Philosophy is Christian in origin, a fact which manifests in the importance that the SRPh attaches to its educational, scholarly, and cultural role in the context of contemporary Russian society.

As part of the celebration, SRPh plans to accomplish the following projects which represent different aspects of the School's activities during the ten years of its existence and help cover the increased costs of the new academic year:
• Organization of a conference on "Science and Faith: The Problem of Human Being in Science and Theology," to be held Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, 2000;
• Publication of a unique CD-ROM containing: a full-text database of Church Slavonic Bible, the Vulgate, the Septuagint, plus Greek New Testament and more, a use-friendly study tool for browsing simultaneously, searching, indexing, and annotating these texts;
• Production of a movie about churches of St. Petersburg, belonging to different Christian confessions, narrated by SRPh
(with the help of the professional St. Petersburg video studio).

SRPh is grateful to the Association of Friends and Sponsors of the St. Petersburg School of Religion and Philosophy, which has supported the work of the School throughout these ten years. For more
information about the Jubilee or the Association, please contact:
Dr. Natalia Pecherskaya
Rector, SRPh
Universitetskaya emb., 5
199034, St. Petersburg, Russia
e-mail: office@srph.spb.ru
web-site: www.srph.spb.ru

St. Petersburg Conference Proceedings Now Available

On May 24-26, 1999, a regional conference was held in St. Petersburg, Russia. Organized by the St. Petersburg School of Religion and Philosophy (SRPh) and sponsored by IAPCHE, the conference focused on "Higher Education in XXI Century Russian Culture: A Christian Perspective."

The publishing house of SRPh has now published the conference proceedings in a Russian-English edition. See below for synopses of included papers.

SRPh would be glad to receive your orders for this edition. The cost of the publication is $5.00 U.S. for individuals and $10.00 U.S. for organizations, plus $2.00 U.S. for mailing. Please send your requests to:
St. Petersburg School of Religion and Philosophy
Universitetskaya emb., 5
199034, St. Petersburg, Russia
e-mail: office@srph.spb.ru
 
 
 
 
 

South African IRS Merges with Potchefstroom University

from REC May News Exchange
The Institute for Reformational Studies in Potchefstroom has long been a source for Christian literature. It has striven to focus on African situations from a Calvinist perspective. With the retirement of its longtime director, Bennie van der Walt, the functions of the IRS have now been taken up by the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education. The philosophy department will take some functions of the IRS over, while they will assign others to a new Centre for Faith and Scholarship.

ARIHE REPORT

On April 17, 2000, the Association of Reformed Institutions of Higher Education (ARIHE) met on the campus of Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, Illinois. Dr. Harry Fernhout, president of the Institute for Christian Studies, serves as the chair for this Association, and Dr. John B. Hulst regularly attends these meetings as representative of IAPCHE. Member institutions are Calvin, Covenant, Dordt, Geneva, Institute for Christian Studies, Redeemer, The Kings, and Trinity.  Most ARIHE members are also institu-tional members of IAPCHE.

The meeting began with a roundtable in which each institution provided an update on program development, construction projects, and enrolment prospects. As usual, we were reminded that these institutions of Christian higher education are clearly being blessed by the Lord, and are making a significant educational impact on the lives of many young Christians.

The meeting then turned to three areas where the members of ARIHE are seeking to work coordinately:

1. Distance Education
Several of the institutions are offering courses, but coordination in this area is still minimal. While there is no conflict in terms of the courses being worked on, it was agreed that further communication to effect greater coordination would be beneficial. Presently there is a commitment to liberal transfers and avoiding overlap.

2. Administrator Education
Aware that there is a shortage of qualified administrators for our Christian schools, ARIHE has been working with CSI in the development of its Administrator Education Program (AEP). The intent of the program is to recruit new administrators and to provide continuing education for those already in administrative positions. Even though it is not yet known how many will be participating in the program, it is hoped that it will be effective in preparing men and women to be capable
leaders of our Christian schools.

3. Faculty Development
Each institution is, of course, interested in and committed to faculty development, i.e., assisting the members of its faculty in scholarship, teaching, and the development of a Christian perspective in their academic work. As a result, throughout the academic year a number of conferences are scheduled for various disciplines and/or departments.  It was agreed that, instead of holding conferences on an individual basis, a rotating list of departments and convening institutions should be established as an ongoing feature of collaboration.

In a concluding session it was observed that, while efforts toward cooperation are still desired, the Association is doing so only on an ad hoc basis because it does not have the infrastructure in place to move beyond this. Consideration is being given to the possibility of obtaining the services of a part-time coordinator to facilitate the ongoing work of communication and coordination.

INSTITUTIONAL MEMBER NEWS

Redeemer Announces New Name
--Ontario, Canada
This summer Redeemer president Justin Cooper announced that with the approval of the provincial legislature of Ontario, Canada, Redeemer would hereafter officially be known as Redeemer University College. Legislation approving the change to Redeemer's charter was passed on June 22.

Commenting on the new name, Cooper observed that it was a natural extension of changes made in 1998 when the provincial legislature recognized Redeemer's liberal arts and science programs as meeting the high standards of Ontario universities. "For many people the 1998 charter amendment that allowed Redeemer to use the bachelor of arts and bachelor of science designation for its degrees was the defining moment for this institution. By including the word 'university' in our name we hope to eliminate any ambiguity that might still exist in the mind of the general public about the level of education we offer."

Cooper pointed out that Redeemer's program remains unchanged, as does the mission to offer undergraduate studies from a Christian perspective. "We offer the same high-quality education and rigorous scholarship along with a strong faith commitment for which we have become known. Our new name better describes the role we play in Canadian higher education."

Redeemer University College opened in 1982. Its current student body of 600 represents 35 Christian denominations coming from 10 provinces, 12 U.S. states, and 15 foreign countries. Redeemer has been a member of IAPCHE since 1985.   www.redeemer.on.ca

Russian-American Christian University
--Moscow, Russia & Wheaton, Maryland, USA
Dr. John Bernbaum, president of Russian-American Christian University, announced in August the appointment of Dr. Larry Ort as RACU's Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Ort has had a distinguished career as a professor at Spring Arbor College (Spring Arbor, Michigan) and has visited Russia on six occasions, twice on teaching sabbaticals. "Last spring, Dr. Ort taught at RACU and knows our institution very well," wrote Bernbaum. "The board was pleased when Larry  submitted his application for this position and he was clearly its choice for this key role. He will bring considerable strength to this position and, together with his wife Judy, who also has experience as a college administrator, they will provide the day-to day academic leadership that RACU needs.

RACU is now in its fifth year, with aproximately 130 full-time students. Bernbaum reported that their greatest concern at present is the financial needs of their students. "While tuition at RACU is $1,000 for an academic year (only 20% of the real cost), it is still a difficult
burden for our students." According to the Russian government, the average salary in Russia at the current time is $60 per month, while the Moscow Federation of Trade Unions recently noted that the "minimum survival level in Moscow" this spring was $98 per month. Part-time jobs are very difficult to find.

Northwestern College
--Orange City, Iowa USA
Northwestern College (Orange City, Iowa, USA) is expanding its contacts with the international community.  This fall Northwestern reaffirmed its relationship with Okinawa Christian Junior College and is exploring expansion of its course offerings to attract more international students.
For the last three years the college has also sent students abroad through a program of summer study trips. During the summer of 2000, six faculty led a total of 64 students on trips to Taiwan, Mexico, London, Ireland, and the Czech Republic.  The 3- to 4-week long trips emphasize
exposure to specific aspects of society, culture and history of the host countries, and frequently include language study and home stays. The college is seeking additional contacts in other countries to expand the program. Write Doug Carlson at carlson@nwciowa.edu.

Calvin Theological Seminary
--Grand Rapids, Michigan USA
Calvin Theological Seminary offers the Ph.D. in four areas: historical, systematic, philosophical, and moral theology. The program requirements include completing two years of course work, passing comprehensive examinations, and writing a dissertation. Approximately half of the 30 students in the program are from outside North America. We offer generous fellowships, assistantships, and tuition scholarships.
Applications for admission in the fall must be complete by February 10.
For additional information, please contact:

Mr. David De Boer, Director of Recruitment and Financial Aid
Calvin Theological Seminary
3233 Burton Street, SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Phone: 800-388-6034
or 616-957-7035
E-mail: ddeboer@calvin.edu

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
St. Petersburg Regional Conference Proceedings Report
Prof.Mikhail Uvarov, Vice-Rector, St.Petersburg School of Religion and Philosophy

HIGHER EDUCATION IN XXI CENTURY RUSSIAN CULTURE: CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Ed. By Natalia Pecherskaya, SRPH, St. Petersburg,  2000.  278 p.
(for information on ordering click here)

Included Papers
Prof. Sergey Khoruzhy, Institute of Mankind of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow
THE TASK OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND PARADIGMS OF THE RUSSIAN CULTURE
After the collapse of the totalitarian regime, the restoration of the system of Christian education at all levels and in the whole of the country became one of the most pressing needs of Russian society. Today, after a ten-year post communist period, some conclusions can already be drawn from our experience in solving this problem, and we notice that the difficulty increases as we move further along a vertical line from the lower educational levels to the higher ones. Whereas the network of parish schools developed rather easily everywhere, there is yet, in the field of theological higher education, no universal strategy and no universal model. What we observe in this area instead is a variety of experiments, each of which is carried out along its own lines--and these lines not only diverge widely, they often go in quite opposite directions. There is no need to search for examples--we all know them. An attentive observer easily perceives in these differences old traditional conflicts within Russian religious movements and culture. We understand quite well that it is impossible to grasp today's developments in the field of Christian education in Russia without a serious retrospective analysis. We must understand what directions this education has been taking, what factors of Russian consciousness and culture have been influencing and shaping it, which processes have been fostering and which have been hindering it.

Dr. James R. Payton, Jr., Redeemer College, Canada
TOWARD AN ORTHODOX APPROACH TO HIGHER EDUCATION IN 21ST-CENTURY RUSSIA
An orthodox approach to higher education would explore the wide diversity of God's manifold creation, redeemed and restored in Christ. We examine what we now know of that creation and seek ways to develop both our knowledge and that creation further, all to God's glory. Whatever advances we or others may achieve in any field of endeavor--in culture, science, medicine, technology, economics, politics, or whatever--are the exploration and elucidation of what God placed within the creation. Higher education encourages us as professors, and our students with and after us, to engage in such exploration. The privilege of serving the resurrected Christ is not restricted to priests and monks: human beings can serve him in all legitimate occupations. Thus, from an orthodox perspective, we can honor Christ by becoming scholars--and by being educators. And we can honor him in education by preparing young people to become all he has made them to be, learning about the wonders of his dynamic creation and helping them take their place in our human task of unfolding the riches of that creation to the praise of its Creator.

Dr. Harmen J. Brinkman, Former Chairman of the Executive Board, Free University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
TRADITION, CRISIS AND PERSPECTIVES OF THE RUSSIAN HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM
Higher education is a far from marginal component in modern societies. Knowledge is an important factor in everyday life. It is recognized to be a basic element in economic development. That is why mass higher education has emerged in many countries and is emerging in many other countries. However much higher education can be justified, it is expensive. It cannot function, certainly in its connection with research, without a certain amount of financial state support, e.g. with regard to infrastructure and schemes for student loans. Historically the state may not only be a founder, but also a legislator and an organizer/provider for higher education. In modern societies, higher education is so strongly connected with the state and the national economy that political and economic crises heavily affect higher education institutions. Political and economic misery means misery in higher education. Accordingly, Russian higher education is in deep misery.

Prof. Isidor Levin, St.Petersburg School of Religion and Philosophy
THEOLOGICAL DEFICIT IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Modern theology is a general hermeneutics, that is, a scholarly enquiry into understanding as such. Hermeneutics helps to demythologize theology. In today's Russia a reverse process has begun--that of mythologizing. It is the hermeneutical character of thinking that makes a person thoughtful and educated. Hermeneutical consciousness teaches one to work with doubts and opinions, to study arguments and to refute them.

Dr.Natalia Pecherskaya, Director, St. Petersburg School of Religion and Philosophy
ABOUT THE QUESTION OF THE CHURCH'S CULTURAL ROLE IN EDUCATION
Teaching religion is in our times a touchstone for the Church and for the state too. We know that religious education may suit the state and may not suit it. The same applies to the Church's activity in the area of politics. If the Church follows the state's political mainstream, she is viewed favourably by the state, whatever party is currently in power. If the Church
criticizes the official policy, she is blamed and, at worst, repressed. The state, for its own good, must tolerate a frank and honest basic religious education. A subject devoted to reading and discussing the Bible will constantly open new horizons for the young people. This is a great thing in itself, because in our time of crisis the biblical stories teach us a way of thinking which revives hope.

Prof. Vladimir Katasonov, Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow
SCIENCE, METAPHYSICS AND RELIGION IN THE MIRROR OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Education is not simply an institution in which society makes new generations familiar with its technological and moral culture. In the sphere of education, society, together with the preceding and the rising generations, must take a look at itself and present its culture as a systematic whole. The sphere of education on behalf of society is a constant examination before the collective intelligence, before the unity of human civilization. This is particu larly the case with higher education.

Dr. Alexander Belyakov, Director, Russian Centre for Turin Shroud of Christ, Moscow
THE LIMITS OF OBJECTIVE METHODS OF COGNITION OR THE OUTLINE OF A NEW METAPHYSICS
At the contemporary stage of development, physics has begun to tackle problems which have been traditionally considered to belong to the philosophers' domain: What is being? What is matter? What are cognition and knowledge? The outline of a new ontology can be described by the following statements: 'The world is logoi expressed by God outwards. Existing before God's face, the expressed logoi possess a relative independence regarding him. The logoi have an inner dimension of being and the ability to express other logoi outwards and to receive them into their being.'

Prof. Elmar Sokolov, St. Petersburg State Academy of Culture
THE EARLY CHRISTIAN FATHERS AS EDUCATORS AND TEACHERS
The life experience of the early Christians has something in common with our experience of today. We feel the approach of an epoch of global changes. Many universally accepted dogmas seem vague and contradictory. There is no real, living social idea and everywhere the 'pluralism of opinion' reigns supreme. Everywhere a lack of faith and confidence, of love and hope, is felt. The boundary between what is permitted and what is prohibited, what is legal and what is illegal, is getting more and more blurred. Such a state of things cannot
continue for a very long time. Knowledge of the pedagogical ideas of the early Church Fathers may help us overcome this spiritual crisis.

Dr. Jonathan F. Sutton, University of Leeds, England
THE PROBLEMS OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND SECULARIZATION OF SOCIETY
The article deals with three main questions: 1.) Is a secular approach to life and society essentially anti-religious or is it an expression of indifference towards religion?  2.) What follows from our answer to Question 1?  3.) In the realm of religious education how are we to develop a creative methodology enabling us to take into account sufficiently the full complexity of the phenomenon 'a secularized society'?

Prof. Natalia Sakharova, Russian State Pedagogical University, St. Petersburg
CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVES OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE HUMANITIES
The problem is, we are living in a society in which no animated and expressive words can be heard concerning Christianity and in which the culture is distorted, in particular the culture of communication. Intellectual, spiritual and moral chaos reigns supreme. This is a result of the activity of self taught, wilful impostors who are acting in an arbitrary manner without bearing any responsibility for the possible consequences of the speeches they are delivering, and the texts they are writing and disseminating.

Dr. Wendy Helleman, Moscow State University
CHRISTIAN HIGHER EDUCATION: OUR SITUATION IN HISTORY
Christian Higher Education in the context of public universities as we experience it at Moscow State University is not unlike the situation faced in secular universities in the West. There are a few Christian scholars, but they are typically more rare in the humanities than in the sciences. One must go to more specifically Christian institutions to receive a Christian education. In Russia this is more of a challenge, since little survived the years of atheistic communism which all but eradicated any kind of Christian education; the Orthodox seminaries barely managed to continue to train men for the priesthood. Today there are more options, many private colleges or institutes connected with churches. It is a good tendency in the Christian education process of contemporary Russia.

Dr. Margarita Shilkina, St.Philaret Orthodox School, Moscow
THE PROSPECTS OF TEACHING CHRISTIAN POLITICAL SCIENCE IN CHURCH SCHOOLS
A distinctive feature of the analysis of canon law as a source of Christian political science
is that it is impossible without a study of the legal norms of the state bearing on the same problems. Yet, in this case it is necessary to keep in mind that the state norms are not a source of the Christian teachings on authority; they are just an object of study within the framework of a course of political science or church history. Such confusion is very dangerous here.

Dr. Bob Goudzwaard, Free University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
PERSPECTIVES OF CHRISTIAN HIGHER EDUCATION: THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
We are all wrestling with the question of what could be and should be the contribution of Higher Education in the Russian culture of the twenty-first century, seen from a Christian perspective. In this, the well-chosen theme of our conference, there are two presuppositions present from the beginning. The first is a deep respect for cultural values as such and a clear recognition of the Russian cultural identity, which will be an undertone of my own contribution. The second is the idea that the Christian worldview really matters, at least as far as education is concerned, and perhaps especially for students who are to be educated and trained in the social sciences.

Prof. Mikhail Uvarov, St. Petersburg State University & St. Petersburg School of Religion and Philosophy
CHRISTIAN DISCOVERY OF THE HUMAN AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY: FROM METAPHYSICS TO PEDAGOGICS
The problem of pedagogical comprehension of the history of Christianity in the contemporary situation is subject to some contradictory transformations. On the one hand the Christian idea remains a pivot around which the search for the meaning of existence takes place in this spiritually devastated world, which has lost the spiritual co-ordinates of moral being. On the other hand, the conception that humanity in its history has not worked out orientations, which are more strict, definite and anthropocentric than religious values, has not been obvious for the last generations. Contemporary philosophical speculation often tends to attribute religious values to the so-called "dad's philosophy." The end of the century clarifies and brings into focus many key points of Christian understanding of the human being. Anthropodicy after "Auschwitz and the GULAG" has become the inevitable background for the religious search in the second half of the 20th century. This has happened not only because a metaphor became reality, but because the mythology of the century showed how bloodthirsty it is. The crucial problem is: is the existence of the human being in the contemporary world possible if traditional Christian values (in a broader sense­general religious values) are tested in such a terrible way? However, the reacquiring of these values (in moral and pedagogical senses) does not take place.

Dr. Evert van der Zweerde, Center for Russian Humanities Studies, University of Nijmegen, Netherlands
CHRISTIAN HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE BUILDING OF A CIVIL SOCIETY
Philosophy is neither essentially religious nor essentially anti-religious (both 'religious philosophy' and 'anti-religious philosophy' are based on a mistake in categories), but relates to religion as freely as it does to anything else. Therefore, as long as this is recognized, philosophy and religion can coexist peacefully, as is the practice in many places in higher education.

Dr. Yuri Ruban, St. Petersburg State University
TEACHING BIBLE HISTORY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF GENERAL EDUCATION
Turning to the topic of "Christianity and History," we see that the European interpretation of historical achievement is Christocen-tric in character and proceeds from the idea of the life, the teaching and the way of Jesus Christ as the central event of world history, and from the idea of the significance of Christianity and its special role in the cultural and historical development of mankind.

Prof. David A. Hoekema, Calvin College, USA
LIBERAL EDUCATION FOR A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY: WHY RELIGIOUS VOICES MUST NOT BE SILENCED
The place of religious commitment in academic discourse is both more clearly established and more deeply endangered than ever before. It is more clearly established in the sense that value-free positivism has been abandoned as an epistemological and methodological dead end, while the contextual and historical grounding and the formative role of guiding assumptions in all forms of inquiry have come to be widely  acknowledged. It is simultaneously more endangered because of a broad cultural shift in the United States and elsewhere in the West away from religion as a source of shared values and common culture in favour of an individualistic notion of personal preferences and private values, away from the notion of a transcendent and potentially unifying starting point and toward an ideal of pluralism that sometimes slips into moral and religious relativism.

Dr. Adrian A.Helleman, Moscow State University
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND RELATIONS BETWEEN CONFESSIONS AND TOWARD DIFFERENT RELIGIONS
Christian education begins at birth, in the context of a Christian family. It continues in the church, but is not restricted to it. It is more than Sunday school, as I scarcely need to remind you. It includes, therefore, all elementary and secondary Christian schools. It continues, especially, at Christian colleges and universities. Moreover, this is the reason, of course, why seminaries and spiritual academies exist. And it can take place even in the context of a classroom at a secular university, as I can testify personally. Christian education has a crucial role in breaking down the walls that divide churches or confessions from each other. Church, home, and school need to work together in this long process. I want to use myself as an example of how Christian education can accomplish this. Permit me, therefore, to describe how I became an ecumenist and to make a few suggestions of how Christian education can help to break down walls.

BOOKS
God's Renaissance Man: The life and work of Abraham Kuyper
by James E. McGoldrick; Evangelical Press, Darlington, England, UK, June 2000; ISBN 0-8523-4446-5

A journalist, a theologian, a pastor, a prime minister--few people can boast of having such dimensions to their careers! Yet
such was the remarkable life of Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920), who played a major role in helping modern Christians to develop a consistently biblical and practical world-view, not only in his native country of the Netherlands, but throughout much of the world.

All of life belongs to God. In Kuyper's own words, "No single piece of our mental world is to be hermetically sealed off from the rest, and there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: "Mine!"

James Edward McGoldrick has been a professor in the Department of History at Cedarville College in Ohio since 1973 and taught previously at John Brown University and West Virginia University. His special interests in teaching and research are British history, the Renaissance and Reformation, and the history of Christianity. He is the author of a number of books and papers on historical subjects, including articles in such periodicals as Modern Age, The Sixteenth Century Journal, Reformation Today, Westminster Theological Journal, Calvin Theological Journal, and Fides et Historia, as well as in standard reference books on historical events.

For information on purchasing the book, contact Evangelical Press, Faverdal North Industrial Estate, Darlington, DL3 0PH, England, UK; http://www.evangelical-press.org; or P&R Publishing Company, P.O. Box 817, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865, USA; http://www.prpbooks.com

The Craft of Christian Teaching: A Classroom Journey
by John Van Dyk; Dordt College Press, Sioux Center, IA, USA; ISBN 0-932914 46-2

In an engaging and readable style, the author explores what it means to teach Christianly. Each of his 18 chapters
encourages teachers to both evaluate and enhance their work in the classroom. The book discusses a range of practical issues including meeting individual students' needs, implementing various teaching strategies, and creating community in the classroom. It's purpose is to help teachers see more clearly that accepting Christ not only changes their personal lives, but also their teaching practice.
John Van Dyk is professor of education and director of the Center for Educational Services at Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa. He has conducted seminars and workshops around the world and worked with teachers at all levels in scores of schools.
For information on purchasing the book, contact Dordt College Press, 498 -- 4th Ave. NE, Sioux Center, IA 51250, USA; http://www.dordt.edu/pub/dordtpress

Reformed or Evangelical? A Question for Christian Higher Education
by Keith C. Sewell; Assoc. for Christian Higher Education in Australia, Inc., Melbourne, 2000

This paper explores from a historical viewpoint the structural differences between evangelical and reformational Christianity, with special reference to Christian higher education. It was originally prepared in connection with discussions on the future of Christian higher education in Australia. The primary orientation is therefore "Anglo-Australian." Nevertheless, the author believes that its
central argument is of general significance. Reformed or Evangelical? is part of a wider study that it is hoped will eventually appear in book form. The 35 page booklet may be ordered from ACHEA, 358 Mountain Hwy, 3152 Melbourne, Australia, for $5.00 U.S. per copy, sent by airmail.

The Gift of the Stranger: Faith, Hospitality, and Foreign Language Learning
by David I. Smith and Barbara Carvill; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2000; ISBN 0-8028-4708-0

It has become clear in recent years that reflection on foreign language education involves more than questioning which methods work best. The Gift of the Stranger carries current discussions of the value-laden nature of foreign language teaching into new
territory by probing its spiritual and moral dimensions. David Smith and Barbara Carvill explore how the Christian faith sheds light on the history, aims, content, and methods of foreign language education, and they propose a new approach to the field based on a Christian understanding of hospitality.

The book opens with a study of biblical themes relevant to the discipline-- imago dei, Babel, Pentecost, the stranger, and hospitality. A historical section presents important contributions that Christians have made to the development of foreign language instruction over the past two thousand years. On the basis of the biblical themes of "stranger" and "hospitality," the book next lays out a Christian rationale for foreign language study and discusses various practical implications of this proposed rationale. The authors also offer an analysis of textbook content, deal with the question of teaching methods, and present two methodological case studies. The volume closes with some sample curricular materials in French and German developed by Christians in the United Kingdom.

This work was supported by a grant from the Calvin Center for Christian Scholarship. The first book-length study of the role of the Christian faith in foreign language education, The Gift of the Stranger shows in a thoughtfully researched and clearly articulated manner some ways in which Christian educators can connect their faith fruitfully to foreign language study. In doing so, this pioneering work extends Christian educational discussions into an area of the curriculum that has received very little consideration up to now.

For information on purchasing the book, contact Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 255 Jefferson Avenue, SE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA.

Note: most book summaries come from the publishers' promotional material and should not be considered reviews.