Oil, Earth, Books, and Holy Spirit

Theological libraries like Bridwell continue to benefit from both natural resources and the environment, while needing to adapt to the harshness of what nature itself brings. A holistic vision, distilled in the particular climates, topographies, and physical geographies of Texas, for example, reflects both the concerns and hopes about the general stewardship and sustainability of natural resources in our work. Reflecting on historical legacies will benefit our attempts to envision a better future and healthier planet. In the last few years, the focus on environmental sustainability has grown along with more critical roles in renewable energy. As theological institutions, then, it will become more pressing to evaluate both questions about what our ties are to the past, and what visions there are for the future. This paper will examine the ambiguities of environmental legacies while discussing what roles theological schools and libraries have in strategizing for coming generations.

Seventy-Five Years of Racial Ethnic Diversity in Atla

Some of the events of the past year have resulted in theological institutions assessing their own racial ethnic diversity and making plans for increasing that diversity. This year Atla celebrates seventy-five years of existence. This session will reflect back over the past 75 years and note what has been done. The presentation given at the ATLA Annual Conference in 2011, Sixty-Five Years of Racial Ethnic Diversity in ATLA will be the basis for the session. At the conclusion of the 2011 presentation, the vision of the future was of an association which reflected the general population in terms of percentage of racial ethnic persons. The session will chronicle events from the last 10 years, update data, and see how close to that vision the association has come. Areas of possible growth will also be noted.

SCT: Theology today in Quebec: A time of transition

In 2015, three Quebec theological institutions undertook an institutional transformational process to address a long-term decline. The profile of Quebec theology was thus reassessed, both institutionally and in its understanding of its status, plan and future. This is true not only for the three institutions involved, but also for the entire community of university-level theologians and institutions. In this article, I will begin by connecting these transformations to the founding period of Quebec theology. I will then describe the restructuring that took place from 2015 to 2017 and explain its immediate impact. Comparing Quebec these institutional shifts to a debate about the situation theologians’ liberty with respect to Church magisterium in Austria (2011), I will emphasize the end of a fundamental tension between theologians and Church leadership in Quebec’s context, and the new problem that has replaced it in the context of the secular Academy. I will conclude by presenting some outcomes of the new configuration in three Quebec universities.

Bulletin of the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies. Bibliographical Review. Part 4: 1999-2007

На рубеже веков, как кажется, в изучении Септуагинты происходит «собирание крох». Успехи в источниковедении, грамматике, лексикографии, лексикологии, текстологии, применении новых теорий перевода - парадоксальным образом привели не к выходу на широкие темы, ради которых когда-то в теологических институциях предпринимались шаги в сторону углублённого изучения всех этих дисциплин, но к концентрации на мельчайших вопросах, даже вполне убедительное разрешение которых в отношении к проблемам более общего плана (хотя тоже самим по себе частным), как правило, имеет лишь гипотетическое значение. Такая ситуация позволяет отчасти описать науку о Септуагинте в её зрелой стадии как «башню из слоновой кости», хотя, разумеется, она продолжала готовить специалистов высокого класса и увеличивать знание не только количественно, но и качественно. Можно сказать, что наука вступила в фазу старости и свойственного ей разочарования в постановке романтических целей, вообще в целесообразности как таковой, когда движение жизни хотя и продолжается, но только по инерции. Для богословски заинтересованного ума такая наука представляет собой материал в чистом виде и едва ли готова выступить в качестве собеседника. At the turn of the century the Septuagint research seems to be turned to picking up the crumbs. The progress in source studies, grammatics, lexicography and lexicology, textology, application of new translation theories, paradoxically didn’t lead to the expansion of the formulation of research tasks, although this expansion was meant by theological institutions that once took steps to deepen the study in these fields. Instead, there has been prevailed a meticulous insight into the details, that, even being soluted completely convincing, in relation to the problems of a more general plan (although also in themselves particular), as a rule, has but a hypothetical significance. Such a situation allows us to characterize the Septuagint studies in this period, at least in the main part, as an «ivory tower», despite the continued training of high-class specialists and the increase in knowledge not only quantitative, but also qualitative. It can be said that science has entered a phase of old age with its typical disappointment in romantical goals and in the teleology as such, when the movement of life continues only by virtue of momentum. For the mind interested in theology, a science of this kind, prominent as it is, can only be a pure material and hardly ready to act as an interlocutor.

Supporting Students at a Distance

This paper looks at the experience of Union School of Theology, and specifically the library service in supporting distance students studying at undergraduate, post graduate and research level. Consideration is given to the challenges of resource provision, copyright and information literacy. The case study explores solutions developed through practice and experience, notes the benefits of structures and technologies that engage the students, and considers lessons learned from the particular model adopted. The conclusion emphasises the necessity of equivalence of student experience whether on, or off campus. Emphasis is placed on the role of librarians and teaching faculty in theological institutions as partners in the development and equipping of students as life-long learners.

Theological Libraries Serving Immigrant Communities

As theological institutions begin to reach out more to immigrant communities through programs and degrees aimed at these groups, libraries will need to understand how best to serve the research and academic needs of these students. This may mean non-English resources, culturally relevant resources, and staffing changes. The presenter provided basic information and group divided into four smaller discussion groups.

ATS Women in Leadership: Celebrating Twenty Years

A publication dedicated to the leadership of women in theological schools, Editor Mary H. Young (Director of Leadership Education for The Association of Theological Schools) brings together essays discussing past and present research findings from the Association’s Women in Leadership initiative, as well as writings reflecting personal perspectives, experiences, and expertise to enhance the work and leadership of women in theological institutions.

PANGGILAN KRISTIANI, GEREJA, FILSAFAT DAN PANCASILA

In this paper the author reflects on the vocation of Catholic places for the study of philosophy and theology. Believing the gospel, Christians are called to give witness to its redeeming power. But almost from the very beginning Christians felt the need to understand what they believe. From this need rose theology and philosophy. Protestantism, enlightenment and secularism posed new challenges. Aware of them the Catholic Church, since the Council of Trent, obliges her priests to study philosophy and theology. The author then suggests that not only future priests, but also religious sisters, brothers and lay people should get a solid philosophical and theological formation. Our teaching of philosophy should be open also to non-Catholics and non-Christians. Our philosophical and theological institutions must not be inward looking, but enter into the intellectual discourse of the whole society. Turning to Indonesia the author shows that state philosophy Pancasila poses an intellectual challenge for Catholic philosophers they should take up. As a closing note the author points to new challenges the Catholic Church faces after the Second Vatican Council. Indonesian Catholic philosophers and theologians should take an active part in facing them.