GENERAL OVERVIEW
If one were to peruse recent theological collections on the doctrine of creation, two things become readily apparent: First, the breadth of sources is conspicuously thin. Second, of what resources are available, many are a response to intellectual challenges pressed upon traditional modes of thought by the advancement of modern science.
The modern doctrine of creation has too often vacillated between a complete accommodation to the received standards of modern science on the one hand, or a rejection of the findings of science as having any bearing on the claims of theology on the other. In this conference, our nine speakers will explore how the diverse concerns and questions raised by modern science appear within a range of theologians, from Warfield and Schleiermacher to von Balthasar and T. F. Torrance.
Quick Facts
- $75 Regular Admission
- $25 Student Admission
- Meals Included
- Located on TEDS’s Campus
- February 2–3, 2018
- Seating Is Limited.
Speakers
![]() |
Kevin Hector University of Chicago Friedrich Schleiermacher |
![]() |
Brad Gundlach Trinity International University B. B. Warfield |
![]() |
Fred Sanders Biola University William Burt Pope |
![]() |
Katherine Sonderegger Virginia Theological Seminary Karl Barth |
![]() |
D. Stephen Long Southern Methodist University Hans Urs von Balthasar |
![]() |
Kevin Vanhoozer Trinity Evangelical Divinity School T. F. Torrance |
![]() |
Christoph Schwöbel University of Tübingen Wolfhart Pannenberg |
![]() |
Stephen N. Williams Union Theological College John Polkinghorne |
![]() |
Murray Rae University of Otago Colin Gunton |
Conference Schedule
The conference begins at 8:30am on Friday morning, Feb 2, and ends at 12:00pm on Saturday afternoon. Lunch and dinner as well as Saturday breakfast will be provided.
FRIDAY
Conference Check-in (opens at 7:30 am)
Friday Morning Session (8:30-12:30)
8:30am Kevin Hector, “Freedom, Necessity, and the Love of God: Schleiermacher on Creation”
9:45am Bradley Gundlach, “B. B. Warfield on Evolution and Theology”
11:00am Fred Sanders, “Another World: William Burt Pope on Primary and Secondary Creation”
12:00pm Q&A with Hector, Gundlach, and Sanders
Lunch (12:30 pm)
Friday Afternoon Session (1:30-5:30)
1:30pm Katherine Sonderegger, “Karl Barth on Human Dignity in a Natural World”
2:45pm D. Stephen Long, “‘From Mirror to Window:’ Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Reflections on Theology, Modern Science, and Creation”
4:00pm Kevin Vanhoozer, “T. F. Torrance’s Kataphysical Poetics: How the Incarnation Relates (Theological) Science to (Scientific) Theology in the Doctrine of Creation, with special reference to General Relativity”
5:00pm Q&A with Sonderegger, Long, and Vanhoozer
Dinner (5:30 pm)
SATURDAY
Continental Breakfast (begins at 7:30 am)
Saturday Morning Session (8:30-12:30)
8:30am Christoph Schwöbel, “Nature, Contingency and the Spirit: A Conversation with Wolfhart Pannenberg”
9:45am Stephen N. Williams, “John Polkinghorne on the Doctrine of Creation”
11:00am Murray Rae, “Creation by the Triune God: Colin Gunton’s Account of the Doctrine of Creation”
12:00pm Q&A with Schwöbel, Williams, and Rae
Quick Facts
- Registration Required
- Meals Included
- Located on TEDS’s Campus
- February 2–3, 2018
Conference Evaluation
Quick Facts
- Registration Required
- Meals Included
- Located on TEDS’s Campus
- February 2–3, 2018
In concert with this event Sapientia is publishing an eleven part series examining theologians who won’t be covered in the conference. By doing so we hope to both contextualize the conference presentations as well as draw attention to some of the lesser known figures that have shaped contemporary theological reflection.
Schedule
A Modern Creature: Introducing a Conversation
Geoffrey Fulkerson and Joel Chopp, The Henry Center
Søren Kierkegaard | The Real Beauty of Creation: A Kierkegaardian Account
Andrew Torrance, University of St Andrews
Robert Jenson | Robert Jenson’s Story of Creation
Stephen John Wright, Nazarene Theological College, Manchester
Herman Bavinck | Herman Bavinck as a Man of Science
John Bolt, Calvin Theological Seminary
Eberhard Jüngel | A More Natural Theology: Eberhard Jüngel on the Relationship between the Doctrine of Creation and Christology
R. David Nelson, Baker Academic & Brazos Press
Adolf Schlatter | Creation and Science under Jesus’ Rule: Perspectives from Adolf Schlatter (Feb 14)
Robert Yarbrough, Covenant Theological Seminary
Jon Levenson | The Tapestry of Creation: Jon Levenson on Creation and Omnipotence (Feb 21)
John Hilber, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary
Rudolf Bultmann | Myth, Science, and Hermeneutics: Rudolf Bultmann on Creation (Feb 28)
Joshua Jipp, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Dietrich Bonhoeffer | Christ at the Center of Creation: Bonhoeffer and the “God of the Gaps” (Mar 7)
Jeff Hardin, University of Wisconsin
Kathryn Tanner | How We Say What We Say about God and Creation (Mar 14)
Myk Habets, Carey Baptist College, New Zealand
Oliver O’Donovan | The Ends of Science in Oliver O’Donovan’s Doctrine of Creation (Mar 21)
Matthew Arbo, Oklahoma Baptist University
Jürgen Moltmann | Tradition Modified: Moltmann’s Contemporary Doctrine of Creation (Mar 28)
Stephen N. Williams, Union Theological College, Belfast

TRAVEL
The conference will begin at 8:00am on Friday, February 2nd, and conclude at 12:00pm on Saturday, February 3rd.
Conference participants will receive a discounted rate at LaQuinta Inn and Suites, located adjacent to the TEDS campus. Below is further information about lodging and travel.
Venue
The Conference will take place in the Waybright Conference Center, on the campus of Trinity International University (Deerfield, Illinois), from February 2-3, 2018.
Lodging
There are many hotels in the Deerfield / Bannockburn / Lincolnshire area, and here are a few of our favorites. Please book as early as possible, and make sure to ask if they offer a Trinity rate when you call to make your reservation.
LaQuinta Inn & Suites
2000 S. Lakeside Drive
Bannockburn, IL 60015
0.2 miles/37 seconds from campus (within walking distance)
Reservations: 847.317.7300
Homewood Suites
10 Westminster Way
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
0.8 miles/4 minutes from campus
Reservations: 847.945.9300
Marriott Suites Deerfield
2 Parkway North
Deerfield, IL 60015
3.8 miles/8 minutes from campus
Reservations: 847.405.9666
Hampton Inn & Suites Lincolnshire
1400 Milwaukee Avenue
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
4.1 miles/8 minutes from campus
Reservations: 847.478.1400
Driving Information
The event will be located in Waybright Conference Center at Trinity International University. Trinity’s address is located at 2065 Half Day Road in Deerfield, IL.
Quick Facts
- Fly to ORD
- Book flights before registering
- Business-casual
CONTACT US
If you have any questions or feedback about the conference, or would simply like to talk with someone in person, please do not hesitate to contact us.
847-317-8066
If your inquiry is specifically related to conference logistics, please email Joel Chopp at [email protected]
Quick Facts
- Registration Required
- Meals Included
- Located on TEDS’s Campus
- February 2–3, 2018
This event is made possible through the support of a grant from Templeton Religion Trust. The opinions expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Templeton Religion Trust.
Featured Resource
Michael Murray
Bookkeeping: Reconciling God’s Words & Works
Historically the Church has faced numerous moral, philosophical, and spiritual challenges to majority or even consensus interpretations of Scripture. Evolution is regarded by many not only as a significant challenge to orthodoxy but even as decisive evidence favoring naturalism and atheism. . .