9 Lectures in a Row, or, The Day I Revolted Against the Desk Chair

Rev. Dr. John S. Mbiti, “Grandfather of African Theology”:

“We are full of “book theology” but we need to get it out to the people. We need theological engineers.”

Professor Esther Mombo, “Queen Mother of African Theology”:

“Gender-based violence is the one thing women around the world have in common… We are bringing light to the invisible voices [of women of color]... We need to bring that God into the public square.”

Dr. Vasile Octavian Mihoc:

“We no longer need the spatial proximity of others in order to communicate and learn from them…but to do that, we need to move beyond binary hermeneutical lenses.”

Fr Evangelos Evanson Mwaura Thiani:

“Liturgy after the liturgy”

Dr. Septemmy Lakawa:

“Trauma is a collective sign of religious engagement…the language of silence.”

“The healing arts provide new ways of restoration and interreligious dialogue, but are marginalized and excluded from academic circles.”

“Missiology of Wound- Trauma challenges us to ask different God questions

1.     Dislocation of God Images

2.     Complex-ifying martyrdom as multidimensional trauma

3.     Interrogation Christian leader’s assertion of divine authority; develop new language to speak to the depth of wound

4.     Construction of new images of mission”

From a Romanian peer:

“Democracy is not a guarantee that people get freedom.”

Rev. Dr. Nelson Waithe:

"Spiritual Intelligence...is a sense of deeper meaning and purpose, stepping in, but also stepping out of the way to allow others to grow. It is listening and accompanying others on the journey, and the foundation of leadership. It is putting our soul in command."

Tuvaluan Leader:

"God made a promise to never again destroy the world. But did Noah make the same promise? No. Climate change is a human-made crisis and it is up to us to stop it. This is a justice issue. We did not industrialize the world but we will be the ones to lose our country in just a few years. We just want to be Tuvaluans."

Dr Manoj Kurian:

"This region was inhabited by our ancestors. This is the region where all human beings came from."

"We measure wealth by destruction."

"We should be more humble, less anthroprocentric. All of creation was made in God's image; God was not made in human's image."