23rd September

Breaking through the Iron Cage: Debunking modernity’s conceptual idols

Josué Reichow, L’Abri worker

The German sociologist Max Weber used the term ‘iron cage’ to describe the modern project, founded on control and rationality. Modernity brought us a series of ideas that conceptualize reality as if we live in a closed universe (as Francis Schaeffer put it), where there is no real meaning and significance. This lecture will present some of modernity’s main concepts, challenging them from a Christian perspective. 

30th September

Imaginative Discipleship: How imagination reveals and shapes our hearts

Caleb Woodbridge, English Scholar & InterVarsity Press Editor

How does the renewal of our imaginations shape our Christian life and witness? How do we cultivate the renewal of our imaginations by the Spirit through the Word, for life in the world? This lecture explores the nature of the imagination and how it connects to the biblical theme of the heart, the importance of imaginative renewal for our discipleship, and suggests some steps we can take to help participate in God's redemption of our imaginations.

7th October

Deep Hospitality

Marsh Moyle, L’Abri Associate 

Trust is the glue of a healthy social life. This lecture will reflect on how trust grows and how questions of identity disrupt the process.

14th October

Commitment: The joys of loving something in particular

Joel Barricklow, L’Abri Worker

In a culture that encourages us to explore and keep our options open, we've forgotten the joys to be found in radical acts of commitment to particular things–whether that be people, places, vocations, or even to a particular idea of the good life. We'll examine some of the 'great committers' in history–most notably, God–and see what we can learn about the joys (and costs) of true commitment.

21st October

Towards a Christian Psychopathology 

Dick Goodwin, Educator and Counselor

What's wrong with us? Until we have a true view of this we will not be able to adequately address the issues and struggles in ourselves and others. Many answers are reductionistic and fail to grapple with the totality of reality. Once understood, we are then better placed to consider what help will look like.

28th October

TBD

Peter Merz, L’Abri Worker 

4th November

Defending Pluralism vs. Nurturing Solidarity? Speaking from Faith Without Destroying Society

Dr. Jonathan Chaplin, Fellow of Wesley House, Cambridge and a member of the Cambridge University Divinity Faculty.

Christians rightly argue for the legal protection of plural political visions and excessive regulatory bureaucratic constraints on both personal and institutional religious freedom. They do this pursuant to a theologically well-grounded commitment to religious toleration and a limited state. But how does this championing of pluralism relate to our equally compelling duty of solidarity with our fellow citizens, facing common human challenges and possibilities, needing cooperative action, and with whom we share the image of God? In an age when many claim religious grounds for extreme political positions, how can we defend religious pluralism without destroying society itself?

11th November

BOOK LAUNCH: Smuggling Jesus Back Into the Church

Andrew Fellows, former L’Abri worker 

Join us for a launch of Andrew Fellows’ new book, Smuggling Jesus Back Into the Church, released 20th October. Andrew shows readers how secularism has reshaped church culture, changing the way many Christians and churches live and worship without being noticed. Both provocative and practical, he challenges Christians to live with radical Christ-like distinctiveness that requires both reformation by the church and revival by the Holy Spirit.

18th November

Three Theories of Everything

Ellis Potter, Pastor in Lausanne, former L’Abri worker

The Bible describes reality in a unique way. All other worldviews are fundamentally different from the Biblical one, although many details can be the same. This lecture looks at the similarities and differences between Monism, Dualism and Trinitarianism and works to bring clarity concerning many questions and confusions. 

25th November

What Mammon Want

Phillip Johnston, Hope Church, former L’Abri worker

Jesus Christ famously spoke about Mammon, an Aramaic word that usually meant 'money' or 'wealth'. His teaching was stark: 'You cannot serve both God and Mammon' (Matthew 6:24). This lecture will explore these words of Jesus within their context in the Sermon on the Mount in order to sketch a picture of Mammon as a personal, spiritual power that is actively in conflict with God.