For many years now I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to teach a course on the Church Fathers. In January, the day will finally arrive. I’ve recently finished drafting my syllabus for the course I’ll be offering in the winter term entitled: “Theologians of the Church: Reading with the Fathers.” The course will consist of a combination of lectures and seminars around primary readings from the Fathers. You can read the course description below. As there are many students who come from Mennonite and evangelical traditions where the Church Fathers are either ignored or perhaps even looked upon with suspicion, it seemed important to cast the description in an apologetic key. Continue reading Reading with the Fathers
All posts by Robert Dean
Back in Toronto: Upcoming CSPH Conference
I am going to be back in Toronto on the weekend of September 29 to present a paper at the Canadian Society of Presbyterian History annual conference at Knox College. The subject of my paper is the curious case of J.J.A. Proudfoot, the son of the distinguished 19th century Southwestern Ontario Presbyterian church planter William Proudfoot. Continue reading Back in Toronto: Upcoming CSPH Conference
Tertullian on Patience
“Patience outfits faith, guides peace, assists love, equips humility, waits for penitence, seals confession, keeps the flesh in check, preserves the spirit, bridles the tongue, restrains the hands, tramples temptation underfoot, removes what causes us to stumble, brings martyrdom to perfection; Continue reading Tertullian on Patience
The Spirit of Early Christian Thought
I’m in the midst of reviewing some resources for a course I’m going to be offering on the Church Fathers in the winter and came across this quote from the introduction to Robert Wilken’s wonderful book The Spirit of Early Christian Thought that resonates with Robyn’s and Don’s comments on my previous post: Continue reading The Spirit of Early Christian Thought
Providence Media Release
Providence Theological Seminary has recently issued a media release highlighting my addition to the faculty. The release can be read here.
Bonhoeffer and the Canadian “Values Test”
A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by Olivia Lavallee, a student at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, about Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s views on church and state for an article she was writing about the controversial “Attestation” required by the Canadian federal government on summer grant applications. You can read the full article here.