'That we Might be Truly Human': Looking Back at Rookmaker's Legacy... and Looking Forward - Robb Ludwick - 2018 Conference Highlights: For Glory and for Beauty - Creativity and the Christian Robb Ludwick lives and works at L’Abri Fellowship in the Netherlands with his wife and four children. Alongside rendering hospitality and mentoring L’Abri gues…

Celebrating the Wisdom of Luci Shaw and the Witness of Poetry - Sarah Chestnut - 2018 Conference Highlights: For Glory and for Beauty - Creativity and the Christian Sarah Chestnut lives and works at L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts with her husband and two children. Sarah’s poetry and creative non-fiction have appeared or are forthc…

The Sources of Tolkien's Inspiration in his Sub-Creation of Middle Earth - Jerram Barrs - 2018 Conference Highlights: For Glory and for Beauty - Creativity and the Christian Jerram Barrs retired in 2022 after 34 years of service to the Seminary. A student of the late Francis A. Schaeffer, Jerram joined the Covenant faculty in 1989 after 18 years wi…

Apollo, Dionysus and Jesus: A Brief history of Western Aesthetics - John Hodges - 2018 Conference Highlights: For Glory and for Beauty - Creativity and the Christian John Hodges has worked for over 15 years as an orchestral conductor and taught arts and cultural apologetics for over 10 years at Crichton College. He founded and directs the Center fo…

Created and Creating: A Mandate for Creativity and the Arts - Bill Edgar - 2018 Conference Highlights: For Glory and for Beauty - Creativity and the Christian William Edgar (BA, Harvard University, MDiv, Westminster Theological Seminary, DTh, Université de Genève) is proffesor of Apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. He dir…

Given that even 'spiritual giants' can burn out, this talk will look at the example of Elijah in 1 Kings 19:3-31 to discern the Three Basic Principles of Rest. InKyung Sung is the coordinator of L’Abri Fellowship Korea. He and his wife KyungOk founded the branch in 1990. They have three children. InKyung has written 'Turning my Worldview Upside Dow…

The God we encounter in the Bible is a God who asks questions. The questions God asks tend to play significant roles in moving the redemptive story forward. This lecture will explore this idea, focusing particularly on two of those questions and what they might mean for you and I today. Karl Pacholke, with his wife Jenny, is a few years into the vu…

Western Society is, to all intents and purposes, atheist. Our scientific, economic, political, and educational institutions all operate practically as if God is irrelevant. What has happened in both the sciences and humanities that has created this situation and what are the consequences? When examined closely, is there a rational case which, once …

What is Stewardship? - Dick Keyes - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally Dick Keyes is the director-emeritus of L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts, where he has been working with his wife and family since 1979. They now continue to be engaged in the work but on more of a part-time bas…

Finding Sabbath Rest in a World That Never Stops - Mary Frances Giles - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally Mary Frances Giles holds an MA in Theology from Regent College and a MS in Speech and Language Pathology form Boston University. Mary works with L'Abri Fellowship Southborough.…

The Changing Relationship of Young People to Work - Mardi Keyes - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally Mardi graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in Biblical History in 1968. Shortly after graduation, she married Dick Keyes, and in 1970, they moved to Europe to work with L’Abri. They spen…

The Spirit at Work: God and Vocation - Clarke Scheibe - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally Clarke Scheibe is the director of L'Abri Fellowship in Victoria, B.C. His wife Julia and he have been a part of L'Abri in Canada for 15 years and they are grateful to have two young children. He received a …

Singing Songs the Whole World Can Hear - Steven Garber - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally Dr. Steven Garber served at Regent College from 2017–2020 as Professor of Marketplace Theology and Leadership and as Director of Regent’s Master of Arts in Leadership, Theology, and Society. Prior to his t…

Living Life Vocationally: What the Church Must Do - Luke Bobo - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally Luke Bobo (MDiv, PhD) previously served as director of resource and curriculum development for Made to Flourish and works as an adjunct professor of contemporary culture and apologetics at Covenant …

Christian Vocation in the Sciences - Frank Stootman - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally. Frank Stootman runs L'Abri Sydney with his wife Heather. He holds a PhD in Physics. Frank was an Associate Professor at Western Sydney University (WSU). His primary scientific interests are astrophysics and …

Christian Vocation in the Humanities - John Hodges - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally John Hodges has worked for over 15 years as an orchestral conductor and taught arts and cultural apologetics for over 10 years at Crichton College. He founded and directs the Center for Western Studies, a tuto…

Created to Make a Difference - Dick Keyes - 2019 Conference Highlights: Common Grace for the Common Good - Living Life Vocationally Dick Keyes is the director-emeritus of L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts, where he has been working with his wife and family since 1979. They now continue to be engaged in the work but on more of a part-…

Ninety years ago, the renowned biblical archaeologist Nelson Gleuck surveyed the copper mines in the southern Arabah region of the Negev. He considered them to be from the period of King Solomon, based upon the Bible’s description of Solomon’s expansive ship building and his economic empire. Some years later, archaeologists debunked Glueck’s ideas,…

n this lecture, Dr. Bob Osburn invites critiques of his five-part social change model that has been developed over the past decade or more. Although the model, which will be presented in detail, was featured in an article he recently wrote for Christianity Today, the model has not yet been tested, let alone systematically applied. Is the model guil…

After speaking about the nature of philosophy as a method and way of life (the love of wisdom), we will address what is called 'Naturalism' (roughly the view that only nature exists and the natural sciences are our best or only ways of knowing reality). Reasons for and against strict and broad or expansive forms of naturalism will be assessed. All …

When you hear the word "genocide" what comes to mind? Likely an event of mass killing: perhaps 'the Armenians' (WWI) or Stalin starving out Ukraine (1932-33); extermination camps under National Socialism; or Pol Pot's 'killing fields' (Cambodia, 1975-79); or Rwanda (July 1994). Now, questions arise concerning the tactics and intent in Russia's war …

In our broken world, how can we design and build places that demonstrate God’s redeeming work on earth? We will explore how God invites us, as co-creators, to participate in redemptive placemaking - the art of creating places that extol the dignity of being human and foster relationships for community flourishing. You will discover the ways that co…

Francis Schaeffer on Cultural Engagement - Dan Guinn - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment Dan Guinn is the founder of Francis Schaeffer Studies, a research service providing online resources to the Francis Schaeffer and L'Abri Communities, with the goal of making Dr. Schaeffer's thought and teachings …

Swords & Plowshares: Living Christianity in a Time of war - Tim Padgett - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment Timothy D. Padgett (PhD) is the Theologian-in-Residence with the Colson Center. His focus is on cultural engagement, living out the Christian worldview, and the way Christians argue for diverse…

The Novelty of White Supremacy: A Modernist Conceit Disguised as an Ancient Creed - Tim Padgett - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment Timothy D. Padgett (PhD) is the Theologian-in-Residence with the Colson Center. His focus is on cultural engagement, living out the Christian worldview, and the way Chri…

Seeking the Welfare of the City: A Biblical View of Citizenship - Doug Groothuis - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment Doug Groothuis is a Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary. He received a PhD and a BS from the University of Oregon, and an MA in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin–Madis…

This talk will provide an overview of the modern resurgence of Paganism, and its origins in the West's individual and corporate identity crisis. In particular, why it appears to provide solutions to a loss of self for teenagers, disconnection from the natural world, and a sense of disembodiment. We will explore this phenomenon in our lives and the …

Many men find themselves fighting a war on two fronts. The material changes of the modern era (with its industrial, technological and now digital revolutions) have combined with the world-view shift to secularism to alienate men from work, others and even themselves. More recently, masculinity itself has been decried as ‘toxic’ and consequently a s…

The Christian Bible includes four gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But what about the others? The idea of lost, suppressed, and secretive gospels has captured the public imagination, inspiring best-selling novels and breathless documentaries. The true story of these extra-canonical gospels may be less sensational than History Channel conspira…

'Some Things Seem Better Left Unsaid' - Controversial Speech and the Special Challenge of the Imprecatory Psalms - Mark Ryan - June 7th - Friday Night Lecture Things ‘better left unsaid’ typically refers to unpleasant comments or opinions that risk angering others and creating undue trouble for the speaker. Some place the Psalms containing curses i…

A World Safe for Diversity: Freedom to be Faithful in a World of Exploding Diversity - Os Guinness - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment Os Guinness is an author and social critic. Great-great-great grandson of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer, he was born in China in World War Two where his parents …

The West in Search of Meaning: Oral Book Reviews - Marvin Padgett - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment Marvin Padgett is a book business professional who has served as the Editorial Director for Crossway Books in Wheaton, Illinois. He previously managed the bookstore at L'Abri in Huémoz, Switzerland i…

Christians, Religious Liberty and Loving our Political Adversaries - Doug Groothuis - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment Doug Groothuis is a Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary. He received a PhD and a BS from the University of Oregon, and an MA in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin–Ma…

Carpe Diem Redeemed - Os Guinness - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment Os Guinness is an author and social critic. Great-great-great grandson of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer, he was born in China in World War Two where his parents were medical missionaries. A witness to the climax of the Chinese…

Thy Kingdom Come: Is Social Justice the End Goal of Christianity? - Clarke Scheibe - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment Clarke Scheibe is the director of L'Abri Fellowship in Victoria, B.C. His wife Julia and he have been a part of L'Abri in Canada for 15 years and they are grateful to have two young …

Healing Political Polarization in America: Can Christians Help? - Dick Keyes - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment Dick Keyes is the director-emeritus of L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts, where he has been working with his wife and family since 1979. They now continue to be engaged in t…

'I Feel Therefore I Am' - Exploring the Affective Self - Jim Paul - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment Jim Paul is the director of L’Abri Fellowship in Greatham, UK, where he has worked together with his wife Merran for the past 20 years. They have two adult sons. Before L’Abri he worked in London as …

Humanism: The History of A seminal Idea - John Hodges - 2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment John Hodges has worked for over 15 years as an orchestral conductor and taught arts and cultural apologetics for over 10 years at Crichton College. He founded and directs the Center for Western Studies, a tutori…

Last Call for Liberty: How America's Genius for Freedom has become its Greatest Threat - Os Guinness -2020 Conference Highlights: For a Time Such As This - Grasping Our Cultural Moment Os Guinness is an author and social critic. Great-great-great grandson of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer, he was born in China in World War Two where his parents…

The Difficulty with the Love of God - Clarke Scheibe - March 29th - Friday Night Lecture Click for slides. People often struggle to understand the love of God because it is not being expressed in God's people. Difficulties arise because Christians are judgmental or because Christians make Love into an ideal, not as arising from the personal, holy C…

Remember the Lord, your God: Reflections on Memory and Faith - Lili Reichow - March 22nd - Friday Night Lecture Click for slides How often we forget who God is, what He has done, and what He has promised to those who love Him. To be able to remember the Lord seems essential to a healthy Christian life. In this talk, we will reflect on how memory an…

Modernity's Social Imagination: the Birth of the Social Sciences - Josué Reichow - March 16th - Friday Night Lecture Slides to Follow In this lecture we explore how the social sciences came to exist both as a response to the changes of the modern world as well as a powerful force in creating it. We will also reflect on how the social sciences creat…

Intellectual Rountable: A Survey and Critique of Today's Countercultural Thinking - Mike Sugimoto - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity Mike Sugimoto is Professor of Asian Studies at Pepperdine University with a focus on cinema, sociology and philosophy. The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" …

The Secularization of Time - Guilherme de Carvalho - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity Click for Slides Guilherme de Carvalho is the Director of L'Abri Fellowship Brazil. He studied theology at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie in São Paulo, Brazil (bachelor), Faculdade Teológica Batista de São Paulo (Th.M.), Universidade Metodista …

Getting Social Justice Right: How Do We Truly Help Our Less-Privileged Neighbors? - Bob Osburn - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity Click for Slides Bob Osburn has a PhD in international education from the University of Minnesota (2005), where he also was an adjunct lecturer for seven years in the Department of Organizational Leadership…

What is Critical Race Theory - Doug Groothuis - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity Click for Handout Dr. Doug Groothuis holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy (University of Oregon, 1993) and is Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary where he heads the Christian Apologetics Master’s degree program. He is the author of nineteen books, beginning…

Of Athens and Jerusalem - John Hodges - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity Click for Slides John Hodges (currently the director of the Center for Western Studies) is a conductor and composer, holding degrees in Music from the University of Maryland, and Indiana University. He served as Music Director for various symphony orchestras and …

A Christian Response to Human Rights Ideology - Guilherme de Carvalho - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity Click for Slides Guilherme de Carvalho is the Director of L'Abri Fellowship Brazil. He studied theology at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie in São Paulo, Brazil (bachelor), Faculdade Teológica Batista de São Paulo (Th.M.), Univ…

The Failure of Liberalism to Stop Totalitarianism - Clarke Scheibe - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity Click for Slides Clarke Scheibe grew up in Memphis, TN. He graduated in 1998 with a Bachelors of Liberal Arts (University of Mississippi), with a Creative Writing emphasis. He moved to Canada in 2000 and graduated with a MDiv (Regent …

Critique of the Modern Self - Andy Patton - 2022 Conference Highlights: Image and Identity Andy Patton worked at English L'Abri for several years before taking over as director of Operations at the Rabbit Room in Nashville. The 2022 Rochester L'Abri Conference "Image and Identity in a Culture of Confusion" takes the general theme of 'Identity Forma…