Roundtable Discussions

The Roundtable is a two or three times a semester discussion group where graduate students, local professionals, and professors gather to explore the implications of Christian teachings and practices for all spheres of life. We aim to answer questions such as:

How do I do what I do as a Christian?
How ought a Christian think about a particular topic?

All members of the Cornell and Ithaca community are welcome to attend these free events. The Roundtable is co-sponsored by Graduate Christian Fellowship and Chesterton House Centre for Christian Studies, and is funded in part by GPSAFC.

Have something to say? Let us know.

Fall 2009 Schedule

Saturday, September 19th, the Roundtable is hosting Denis Haack

About our Topic
Images of Humanness in a Technological World: Classic Questions, Classic Sci Fi Films

Three science fiction films were made almost exactly a decade and a half apart: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Blade Runner (1982), and The Matrix (1999). Each raises important questions about what it means to live in a world of technology. We'll watch clips from all three films, identify the questions each film raises, note how the issues change over time, and reflect on them in a conversation together.

Our Speaker
Denis Haack
is the Director of Ransom Fellowship, and editor of Critique. Formerly Denis served as a pastor and area director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Denis is the author of The Rest of Success: What the World Didn?t Tell You About Having It All and has written articles for such journals as: Reformation & Revival Journal; Eternity; Covenant; and World.

Details:
Denis Haack-Images of Humanness in a Technological World: Classic Questions, Classic Sci Fi Films
Time: 7:00pm, Saturday, September 19th
Place: Lewis Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall

Saturday, November 7th, the Roundtable is hosting Dr. Shirley Mullen

About our Topic
The New Quest for Meaning, Value and Spirituality in the 21st Century Academy

"Spirituality" and "Values" are fashionable topics these days in higher education circles--perhaps in the wake of 9/11 and the recent financial crisis. While these discussions are primarily taking place at conferences of deans and presidents, rather than at disciplinary professional meetings, the fact that they are occurring at all raises interesting questions. What do they say about our culture? about the academy? about the perceived role of higher education in preparing future leaders of our society? To what extent do they reflect a reaction to the modern Western separation of "knowledge" from the categories of faith and values? To what extent are these discussions welcome to those who long for a return to the classical ideal of the academy as home to all Truth, Beauty and Goodness?

Our Speaker
Dr. Shirley Mullen
is President of Houghton College.

Details:
Dr. Shirley Mullen-The New Quest for Meaning, Value and Spirituality in the 21st Century Academy
Time: 7:00pm, Saturday, November 7th
Place: Lewis Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall

Roundtable E-Mail List

For people who would like to receive e-mail reminders of upcoming Roundtable events, but not participate in the main GCF listserve, there is a special Roundtable listserve. Communication on this listserve is limited to a couple of announcements monthly before each Roundtable. To join, send the following in the body of an email to listproc@cornell.edu:

subscribe GRAD-IV-ROUNDTABLE-L emailaddress Firstname Lastname

Contact

Previous Semesters

See the schedule from previous semesters here.

Last updated September 7, 2009 by Stephen Hicks
Please address comments and suggestions to Steve Hicks (sdh33©REMOVE THIS PHRASE·co rn e ll ·edu )