We are pleased to announce the Henry Center Public Lectures and Events for this academic year. The following six lectures are free and open to the public, and will be hosted exclusively online. Registration is required.

Each lecture will be followed by a panel discussion featuring the other speakers from this year’s events. Join us for the truly unique opportunity to listen in on an interdisciplinary dialogue among leading theologians, biblical scholars, and philosophers, as they discuss the goodness of creation and the natural and moral orders.

God saw that it was Good: Uniting the Natural and Moral Order

Discussion on the doctrine of creation has commonly centered on specific empirical questions in Genesis (e.g., age of the earth, diversity of animals, physical continuity of species). So much so that the author’s recurring refrain, “God saw that it was good,” is often overlooked. The goodness of creation is a central assertion of Genesis 1 and the whole of Scripture. On the one hand, it is directly tied to the goodness of God; on the other hand, it is set against sin and evil. But what does it mean to call creation and the created order good? Can the moral claim of goodness say anything about the natural order? Might it challenge the seemingly artificial dichotomy that our age has set up between the “natural” and “moral” order? And, if so, what alternative might we find for re-uniting these currently divided “orders”? Year two will bring biblical and theological considerations into constructive dialogue with insights from disciplines such as social and moral psychology, biology, sociology, and cognitive science.

Fall Semester

Christopher Wright, October 8
“The Goodness, the Goal, and the Glory of Creation” | Learn More

Christian Miller, November 12
“Falling Short and Becoming Virtuous: Insights from Psychology, Philosophy, and Christianity” | Learn More

Eleonore Stump, December 10
“Suffering and Flourishing” | Learn More

Spring Semester

Paul Nedelisky, January 21
“The Myth of the Fact/Value Gap: How the Natural Fits Into the Good” | Learn More

Max Lee, February 25
“Paul and the Pursuit of Pleasure” | Learn More

Oliver O’Donovan, April 15
“Good, Doing Good, and the Goods” | Learn More

Spring Theology Conference

The Goodness of Creation and Human Responsibility

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary | Wake Forest, NC, February 18–20, 2021 | Learn More

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 To learn about new events or changes in the schedule throughout the year, follow henrycenter.org or subscribe to our newsletter.