Common Places

A keynote address delivered at the Spring 2023 Regional Convivium by Dr. Harry Poe entitled "The Allegory of Love and the Launching of the Career of C. S. Lewis." Dr. Poe is the Charles Colson University Professor of Faith & Culture at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. He has written and edited several books, however his book "The Inklings of Oxford: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Their Friends," was of special interest to this Convivium.

A lecture given at the 2023 Spring Convivium by Dr. Donald Williams entitled "Jurassic Jubilee: Dinosaurs and the Revivification of our Literary Legacy." Dr. Williams is the retired Professor of English at Taccoa Falls College. In keeping with the conference theme, “The Inklings and the Great Conversation: Friendship through Literature,” Dr. Williams presents a defense of a traditional hermeneutic vs various iterations of deconstruction.

A lecture given at the 2023 Spring Convivium by Mr. Mark Olivero entitled "Something to Talk About: An Introduction to the Great Conversation & Its Affinity for Great Ideas." The theme for the 2023 Spring Convivium was “The Inklings and the Great Conversation: Friendship through Literature.” Mark is the organizer for this annual convivium on literature. In this talk, Mark presents a framework for returning "ad fontes" (to the sources) in the study of literature and the wisdom of doing so.

Nathan Johnson, Provost of Davenant Hall, interviews Charles Carman on his upcoming courses, the importance of knowing ancient languages, and the exciting research being done in Arabic and Syriac Christianity. To register for classes or begin a degree at Davenant Hall, please visit Davenanthall.com

Nathan Johnson, Provost of Davenant Hall, interviews Jordan Steffaniak on his upcoming courses, the relevance of philosophy for theology, and how studying the great texts of the Christian tradition is a historically Baptist endeavor. To register for Jordan Steffaniak's course on Baptist History, please visit https://davenanthall.com/product/baptist-history-i-europe/ To register for classes or begin a degree at Davenant Hall, please visit Davenanthall.com

Nathan Johnson, Provost of Davenant Hall, interviews Dr. Michael Lynch on his upcoming courses, the importance of reading early modern theology, and why it's important to wrestle with controversial ideas. To register for his upcoming course on Richard Baxter's Political Theology, please visit https://davenanthall.com/product/richard-baxters-political-theology/ To register for classes or begin a degree at Davenant Hall, please visit Davenanthall.com

Nathan Johnson, Provost of Davenant Hall, interviews Dr. Joseph Minich on his upcoming courses, the unique challenges of being a Christian in the late modern world, and how to approach theology as a whole person for the sake of all of human life. To register for classes or begin a degree at Davenant Hall, please visit Davenanthall.com To register for Dr. Minich's upcoming fall course Approaches to Defending the Faith, please visit https://davenanthall.com/product/approaches-to-defending-the-faith-2/ To purchase Dr. Minich's new book Bulwarks of Unbelief, please visit https://lexhampress.com/product/229474/bulwarks-of-unbelief-atheism-and-divine-absence-in-a-secular-...

Nathan Johnson, Provost of Davenant Hall, interviews Teaching Fellow Tim Jacobs on his upcoming courses, the relevance of philosophy for theology, and the importance of ethics and moral theology for the thoughtful Christian. To register for classes or begin a degree at Davenant Hall, please visit our website: Davenanthall.com

Nathan Johnson, Provost of Davenant Hall, interviews Dr. Alastair Roberts on his upcoming courses, Biblical typology, and the importance of listening and attending to the voice of Scripture. To register for classes or begin a degree at Davenant Hall, please visit Davenanthall.com To register for Dr. Robert's upcoming course on John and Revelation, please visit https://davenanthall.com/product/john-and-revelation/ To purchase Dr. Robert's 20-lecture course on an introduction to Biblical Wisdom, please visit https://davenantinstitute.org/biblical-wisdom-lectures

Nathan Johnson, Provost of Davenant Hall, interviews Professor Matthew Hoskin on his upcoming courses, ancient Christian theology, and the importance of knowing the philosophy, history, and literature of cultures of the great theologians of the past. To register for classes or begin a degree program at Davenant Hall, please visit Davenanthall.com To register for Professor Hoskin's upcoming course Augustine the Preacher, please visit https://davenanthall.com/product/augustine-preacher/

Nathan Johnson, Provost of Davenant Hall, interviews Professor Ryan Hurd about his upcoming courses at Davenant Hall, Reformed Scholasticism, Thomas Aquinas, and the love and mercy of God. To learn more about Professor Hurd's courses, and to register, please visit: Thomas Aquinas Seminar I: The Sentences https://davenanthall.com/product/thomas-aquinas-seminar-i-the-sentences/ Master of the Sacred Page: Senses of Holy Scripture https://davenanthall.com/product/senses-of-holy-scripture/

A lecture with Q&A entitled "Italy's Forgotten Reformation" by Dr. Chris Castaldo. To the surprise of many, Italy, the seat of Roman Catholicism, underwent a Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century that reverberated throughout the country. From 1511 until 1542, home-grown movements of gospel renewal coalesced with the teaching of northern Protestant Reformers to produce a host of Italian preachers, commentators, theologians, and committed laypeople who believed that the authority of Scripture and the doctrine of justification were the leading edge of Christian identity and calling. This dynamic movement in Italy transformed segments of the Roman church, on both the lay level and in the upper echelons of the curia, until it was stamped out by the Roman Inquisition. In this lecture Dr. Chris Castaldo offers an introduction to the chief exponents, contributions, and enduring lessons of this now forgotten episode of church history. Chris Castaldo serves as lead pastor of NEW COVENANT CHURCH in Napervill

A presentation given at the Fall 2022 Carolinas Regional Convivium entitled "The Place of the Human Body in Natural Law" by Dr. Eduardo Echeverria.

The keynote presentation given at the Fall 2022 Carolinas Regional Convivium entitled "Natural Law and Protestant Social Thought" by Dr. Jordan J. Ballor. Jordan J. Ballor directs the research agenda of the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy (CRCD), which includes oversight of research publications as well as pursuit of his own scholarship, popular speaking, and writing. He has previously held research positions at the Acton Institute and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and has doctorates in Reformation history from the University of Zurich and in moral theology from Calvin Theological Seminary.

A presentation given at the Fall 2022 Carolinas Regional Convivium entitled "Law, Justice and International Order: Wisdom from Thucydides" by Dr. Nathan Johnson

A lecture with Q&A by Dr. Jason Lepojärvi entitled "C.S. Lewis and the Personal Opinion Fallacy." Perhaps now more than ever, authors can become targets of critics who mistake the views expressed by their characters, plot, or atmosphere for views held by the authors themselves. Authors then begin to censor themselves, fearing that the opinions expressed in their art will be equated with their own. The end result is a bland, homogenous world of fiction, lacking in both diversity of perspective and vigor of expression. In this lecture, Dr. Jason Lepojärvi reflects on this particular form of literary misreading and its contribution to other literary maladies. This form of misreading is closely related to what C. S. Lewis and E.M.W. Tillyard called “The Personal Heresy” and what W. K. Wimsatt and M. C. Beardsley called “The Intentional Fallacy,” but is distinct from both. Dr. Lepojärvi presents an argument based on Lewis’s writing which can serve as a possible solution to this pervasive literary fallacy. The

A lecture with Q&A by Dr. Andrew Messmer entitled "Spain's Forgotten Reformation." The Spanish Reformation has been almost completely forgotten, including by many 16th century specialists. Yet its roots preceded Luther, and it secretly attracted scores of top-level Spanish clergymen and academics across the country. It was insistent on equally stressing orthodoxy and orthopraxy. Had the Spanish Inquisition not snuffed it out, it may have been the most promising Reformation of all. In this lecture, Dr. Andrew Messmer introduces the major figures and questions of the Spanish Reformation’s first 100 years. What did the Spanish Reformers believe? Why was the Spanish Reformation unsuccessful? What would a Spanish Church look like today? These questions will be examined, along with key Reformers such as Juan de Valdés, Constantino de la Fuente, Casiodoro de Reina, and others. Andrew Messmer (Ph.D., Evangelische Theologische Faculteit) is Academic Dean of Seville Theological Seminary (Spain); Associated Professo

A lecture with Q&A given by visiting Davenant Hall Teaching Fellow, Dr. Matt Hoskins. In the fifth century, the Church decisively rejected Nestorianism―the teaching that Jesus Christ is comprised of two persons hitched together, one human and one divine. This rejection was shared by Church Fathers writing across the Mediterranean in different languages, such as John Cassian in Latin, Shenoute of Atripe in Coptic, and Mark the Monk in Greek. Far from being a dry doctrinal dispute, the rejection of Nestorianism was vital for the preservation of the Gospel. In this lecture, Dr. Matthew Hoskin demonstrates how, despite their diverse tongues and contexts, Latin, Coptic, and Greek authors were united in their rejection of Nestorianism through a shared concern for its negative impact on spiritual life. All knew that only a true union of God and man in the person of Christ can bring good news and spiritual fruit to the personal lives of Christians. Dr Matthew Hoskin (PhD, University of Edinburgh) teaches ancient

A debate between Jonathan Leeman and Brad Littlejohn on "Religious Liberty and the Common Good," hosted by Colorado Christian University (www.ccu.edu). Christianity in America faces dire threats from two directions. On the one hand, unfriendly government bureaucrats and downright hostile woke activists are tightening the screws on Christians’ freedom of worship, expression, and conscience. At the same time, churches themselves are not immune to the profound crisis of authority that has engulfed our public life, and the reflexive “me and my rights” individualism that has undermined the very concept of institutional norms and the common good. How can we stand up for authentic religious liberty in an age of license and moral chaos? And on what basis should we advocate in the public square for policies that protect the church? Different Protestant traditions have offered sharply different understandings of the relationship between individual conscience, the institutional church, and the responsibility of civil

A Q&A discussion featuring Protestant Social Teaching Contributors Brad Littlejohn, Mark LiVecche, and Jake Meador discussing their respective chapters at the Protestant Social Teaching launch event, hosted by the Institute on Religion and Democracy in Washington D.C. A full recording of the event featuring individual remarks from each speaker can be found here: https://youtu.be/Ea3PvhAJADw