Seminar: Reading Scripture with Eastern Eyes – February 29, 2020
Scripture was written into pre-Enlightenment Middle-Eastern and Greco-Roman cultures, i.e. cultures quite different from our post-Enlightenment Western one. On February 29, 2020, we held a seminar on how to read the Bible through an Honor–Shame lens. Taught by Jackson Wu, author of Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes: Honor and Shame in Paul’s Message and Mission (2019).
Right-click here to download the entire day
Five Sessions:
1. Honor & Shame in the Bible
2. Applying an Honor-Shame Gospel for the Sake of Missions
3. Behaving vs Believing or Belonging and Boasting?
4. The Gospel Saves God’s “Face”
5. Hope Does Not Put Us to Shame
Two Evenings with Andrew White, November 2019
Andrew White is an Anglican minister based in England. He has spent much of the past 20 years working on peace and reconciliation in the Middle East. He was Director of the International Centre for Reconciliation, Coventry Cathedral (1998-2005), during which time he convened Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious and political leaders in the Holy Land to issue the Alexandria Declaration (2002) committing to peace and an end to violence; and established the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (2005). He was vicar of St George’s Church, Baghdad (2005-2014), and as a result is often called the Vicar of Baghdad. He now serves as Ambassador to Jerusalem Middle East Reconciliation International (Jerusalem MERIT), which works in Jerusalem and Jordan.
the work of reconciliation and forgiveness
Anxiety Forum – November 4, 2018
Qualified counselors from the Christian Counseling Center, led by Janie Sacks MFT, discuss how anxiety affects us at various stages of life from childhood to young adulthood and throughout our later years plus help us know how to support others. We also consider how Silicon Valley culture, technology and idolizing busyness impacts us.
| right-click here to download the recording | |
| Presentation Slides |
Forum: Religion & Violence – March 18, 2018
The command to devote Jericho and its inhabitants to the Lord for destruction raises troubling questions about religion and violence. Jews, Christians and Muslims have all used the violent texts of their Scriptures to justify violent acts. How should we read these violent texts? Is such violence ever justified? Can the sword be combined with the cross? Is there an inconsistency between God in the Old Testament and God in the New Testament? Did God inflict violence on his own Son? These are some of the questions that were addressed in a talk by Bernard Bell, followed by Q&A.
| right-click here to download the recording | |
| Handout |
Forum: Islam – August 6, 2017
Islamic terrorists and Muslim refugees continue to fill our news. Islam is one of the three Abrahamic faiths along with Judaism and Christianity. What is Islam? What do Muslims believe and practice? Is violence an intrinsic part of Islam? Should we be afraid of our Muslim neighbors? As part of our summer series on Galatians, and in conjunction with his sermon that day on Hagar and Ishmael (Gal 4:21-31), Bernard Bell gave a talk on Islam, followed by a question and answer panel discussion with PBCC Pastor, Shawn Reese and Rod Cardoza of Abrahamic Alliance International.
| Handout |
Forum: Israel and the Church – July 16, 2017
“There is neither Jew nor Greek…for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Gal 3:28-29). Writing to the Galatians, Paul was adamant that Jew and Gentile are united in Christ Jesus without distinction, over against the “agitators” who insisted that the Gentile believers must become Jews. Paul saw that Israel’s story had reached its climax in Jesus, and that, in Christ, Gentiles have been grafted into Abraham’s story. What are the implications of this union of Jew and Gentile in Christ for our understanding of Israel and the Church? As part of our summer series on Galatians, Bernard Bell gave a talk on this topic, followed by a question and answer panel discussion with Shawn Reese and Steve Belton.
| Handout |
Sex and the Brain Seminar – June 5, 2016
In our sexually super-charged society, our culture is constantly bombarding us with sexual input and sexualized information. This may cause us to behave in unhealthy ways in this area of our lives. But, did you know that sexually compulsive behaviors hijack the brain, which in turn alter your relationship with God, self, and others? This seminar addresses how pornography, for instance, impacts your brain chemistry, creating a need to act in ways that may be contrary to your values and morals and hurtful to those closest to you. Often, the secrets you carry from “acting out” generate feelings of shame and guilt. “What if my parents, spouse, partner, Pastor found out?” The Good News is, your brain can heal, and your relationships can thrive again! Whether for yourself, your spouse, your kids or your friends, this seminar is packed full of helpful information and tools to bring freedom from a bondage that so many experience today.
Although we were not permitted to tape the seminar, we will have the slides available. Email Shawn if you would like a copy of the slides. Here is a link to the handouts.
Forum: Gender and Sexuality – January 2016
Two of the most talked about events of 2015 were the June Supreme Court ruling affirming same sex marriage and Bruce Jenner’s high-profile transition to Caitlyn Jenner. What are we to make of these two events as Christians? How are we to think about gender and sexuality from a Biblical point of view? Bernard Bell shares a Biblical framework on gender and sexuality, followed by a question and answer panel discussion with Shawn Reese, Kathy Woodward, Arthur Halliday and Brian Morgan.
| Handout | Slides | Recording |
It’s About Life: A Biblical Journey with Rikk Watts – August 2015
Rikk E. Watts is Professor of New Testament at Regent College, Vancouver, BC
download the handout for Rikk’s talks
| Talks at PBCC August 9-11: | |
| Sunday, August 9 at 8:30 and 10:30 am What is Creation? Understanding creation as God’s palace-temple. |
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| Sunday, August 9, 7:00-9:00 pm Who Are We? Humanity created in God’s image, and the God in whose image we are made. | |
| Monday, August 10, 7:00-9:00 pm Who Was Israel? God’s “first-born son” and the beginning of a new humanity. | |
| Tuesday, August 11 7:00-9:00 pm Who is Jesus? God setting things right through his “only begotten Son.” |
John Stackhouse – August 2013
John Stackhouse is Sangwoo Youtong Chee Professor, Theology & Culture at Regent College, Vancouver BC, Canada
Regent Audio: Talks and classes by John Stackhouse at Regent College
John Stackhouse’s website
| Talks at PBCC August 11-13: |
| Sermon on Sunday August 11th: Is Dawkins Right? Are Christians Dumb, Delusional or Dangerous? |
| Sunday Evening: Buddha, Krishna, Laozi, Jesus: What’s the Difference and What Difference Does it Make? |
| Monday Evening: Christianity is Bad Because it is Against Science and Because it is Responsible for Science: Uh, What? |
| Tuesday Evening: Why Are Christians Against Sexual Freedom? |
Select bibliography:
Making the Best of It: Following Christ in the Real World (OUP, 2008)
Can God Be Trusted? Faith and the Challenge of Evil, 2d ed. (IVP, 2008)
Humble Apologetics: Defending the Faith Today (OUP, 2006)
Finally Feminist: A Pragmatic Understanding of Gender (Baker Academic, 2005)
No Other Gods Before Me? Evangelicals and the Challenge of World Religions (Baker Academic, 2001)