The Day of Common Learning is a campus in-service day during which faculty, staff and students have the opportunity to participate together in a learning community outside our traditional classrooms.

The day will begin on Wednesday, October 24th, with a public keynote address by Dr. Jürgen Moltmann, Emeritus Professor of Theology at the University of Tübingen.  Click [here] to view Moltmann Moments on iTunes U! (3 short video clips produced by the Office of University Ministries.)

In the afternoon, the Center for Scholarship and Faculty Development will hold two concurrent one-hour sessions of forums, seminars and panel presentations, led by faculty, staff and students, and open to the public.

For directions to SPU  and building locations please click [here].

Keynote Address: "The Vital Power of Hope"
Speaker: Dr. Jürgen Moltmann
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Royal Brougham Pavilion

About Dr. Moltmann:

Since the publication of Theology of Hope in 1964, Moltmann has established himself as one of the world's leading protestant theologians. His personal journey of hope began with a Christian conversion experience while he was a German prisoner of war during World War II. His subsequent lifelong work in theology has led to numerous books, articles, and awards. The central themes of his work include a theology of hope, a theology of the cross, and a theology of the Trinity. In 1967, Moltmann was appointed as professor of systematic theology at the University of Tübingen in Germany. He is now emeritus professor of theology at Tübingen. 

For a complete bibliography click [here].

Afternoon Seminars

Wednesday, October 24th, 2007

1-1:50 pm & 2-2:50 pm

Hope: Open/Closed

Roger Feldman, Professor of Art

Katie Kresser, Assistant Professor of Art

Laura Lasworth, Professor of Art

Christen Mattix, Assistant Professor of Art

Karen Gutowsky, Associate Professor of Art

SPU Art Center Gallery, 3 West Cremona

In honor of Jürgen Moltmann’s pioneering work, the SPU Art Center Gallery has mounted an art exhibition by SPU faculty on the theme of hope. In this session, faculty artists will discuss the importance of hope in art and will comment on some of the works included in the exhibit. “Hope: Open/Closed” will be open to the public through October 26, 2007. Gallery hours are 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday.

Hope in the Unseen: Book Review and Discussion

Christie Eppler, Associate Professor of School Counseling

Peterson Hall 303

Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey From the Inner City to the Ivy League, by Ron Suskind, recounts the true story of Cedric Jennings, a talented black teenager struggling to succeed in one of the worst public high schools in Washington, D.C. The narrative follows Jennings as he graduates from high school and goes to the brave new world of Brown University. After an overview and summary of the book, Dr. Christie Eppler will lead a discussion on how we can provide hope to students who are transitioning into the SPU community from various backgrounds.

The Psychology of Hope

Lynette Bikos, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of Research

Lauren Shepherd, Doctoral Student

Demaray Hall 258

Recent work in positive psychology has identified that people who thrive in life often possess the personality-related variable of hope. The most commonly accepted definition and analysis of the hope construct was established by C.R. Snyder from the University of Kansas. Through both theory and the evidence of significant empirical study, Snyder defines hope as motivation (willpower) and agency (waypower). This workshop will distinguish hope from other positive psychology constructs, take the HOPE scale and interpret the results, summarize the benefits of having hope, and look at ways to strengthen hope in our own lives.

Darkness on the Edge of Town: The Gospel of Hope According to Bruce Springsteen 

Jeff Keuss, Associate Professor of Christian ministry

Library Seminar Room

Singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen is one of the few voices in American popular music that offers diversity to both his audience and the genre in a truly American way. This seminar will look at how Springsteen’s Catholic heritage re-imagines the virtue of hope throughout his musical career — from his New Jersey working class tales of lost hope to his topical commentaries on hope amidst violence from Vietnam and 9/11.

All Is Not Yet Well: How Our Vision of the Future Inspires Action Here and Now

Bob Zurinsky, Assistant Director of the Center for Worship

Demaray Hall 254

Professing and affirming hope for the future does not mean we can sit back in complacency in the present. This session explores some of the ways in which hope and action are integrally related, and how a Christian vision of the end of the story affects the way we live out our own stories today.

Education and Hope: Diversity and the Future of the Public School Classroom

Matthew Okun, Internship Supervisor for the School of Education

Nyaradzo Mvududu, Assistant Professor of Education

Peterson Hall 201

Educators seem to be eternal optimists. We teach so that we can "touch the future."  We believe in the goodness of our students, and we work to enhance those qualities. We look at all of the current problems in the world and dream about a world without war and hunger. And we have faith in the fact that as individuals we can make a difference. In this roundtable discussion, we will examine how to have a positive effect on our students. If we focus on acceptance of diversity and in teaching tolerance in our classrooms, can we make a "small step" toward a more peaceful world? How might we make a "giant leap" toward the dream that Martin Luther King Jr. introduced into our reality almost four decades ago?

Remembering the Future: The Legacy of Moltmann’s Theology of Hope

Doug Koskela, Assistant Professor of Theology

Peterson Hall 302

After Jürgen Moltmann’s Theology of Hope appeared in English in 1967, a headline on the cover of the New York Times read, “‘God Is Dead’ Doctrine Losing Ground to ‘Theology of Hope.’” That headline only begins to capture the monumental impact of Moltmann’s groundbreaking work. For much of the 20th century, the doctrine of Christian hope (eschatology) received little sustained attention in academic theology. Moltmann set out to recover this fundamental dimension of Christian doctrine in a relevant way — and with astonishing success. His book explores the entire Christian faith from the perspective of a hope that is grounded in the resurrection of Jesus and open to the in-breaking Kingdom of God. In this presentation, Dr. Doug Koskela discusses the theological context of Theology of Hope, its key ideas, and its continuing significance 40 years later.

Hip, Hype, or Hope? Understanding Underlying Tendencies in the Culture We Engage

William Woodward, Professor of History

Science Building 112

One subtle but distinguishing attitude underlying 21st-century American culture is a simmering anger. From road rage to gangsta rap, from political talk-show venom to hate speech, our media and our social interchange seethe with resentments and thwarted dreams — driven by a celebrity culture bent on selling instant solutions. This session suggests concrete explanations in recent history for Americans’ growing frustration (and self-doubt, its corollary). We then will look to C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce (and music based on it) for clues to how Christians can, as people of the Light and the Real, speak hope to hostility. Participants will be asked to share from their own thinking and experience about how to engage this cultural tendency.

Effective Science Teaching as a Vehicle of Hope: Toward the Elimination of Color and Socioeconomic Barriers in Science Learning

Stamatis Vokos, Professor of Physics

Kathryn Show, Science Curriculum Consultant for Seattle Public Schools

Otto Miller Hall 138

Swift scientific and technological advances require 21st-century citizens to have robust content knowledge, flexible problem-solving skills, effective communication skills, and sophisticated habits of mind. Yet national statistics show that ethnically diverse students or students of low socioeconomic status are less likely to develop basic science literacy skills by the time they graduate from high school, if they graduate at all. There is a ray of hope: School districts with strong leadership in science, effective curriculum, appropriate support for teachers, and longstanding community partnerships can become national models of effectiveness in science achievement for all students. This interactive presentation will examine national data and use Seattle as an example of a complex urban school system that is working hard to eliminate the achievement gap in science.

Suffering and Hope: Incredible Stories Learned From Patients

Erla Champ-Gibson, Instructor of Nursing

Vicki Aaberg, Instructor of Nursing

Heidi Monroe, Instructor of Nursing

Demaray Hall 261

Three nursing faculty members share real-life stories about encountering hope through being present with people in times of suffering. The perspectives shared will come from a variety of health care arenas.

What Does the Bible Say About Hope?

Don Peter, Associate Professor of Engineering

Weter Hall 202

In this “back-to-basics” forum, we will review the Bible passages on hope, starting with the familiar and moving toward the not-so-familiar. We will look at what the text says and as a group seek to distill the essential message(s) through individual paraphrase and group synthesis. The goal is for participants to reflect personally on the text and then share their insights.  

Experimental Theology: The Key to Science and Wisdom?

Bruce Baker, Executive in Residence for the School of Business and Economics

Ken Himma, Associate Professor of Philosophy

McKenna Hall 117

What do science and faith have to say to each other? In his book, Science and Wisdom, Jürgen Moltmann says, “It is essential … to develop a theologia experimentalis, an experimental theology which, together with the modern world, faces up to the experimentum veritatis, the experiment of truth.” Here is a grand challenge for our university: How do we excel in the teaching and practice of experimental theology? What does this mean for our faith? And how do we live into the hope that our faith will seek wisdom in dialog with every branch of science? This discussion will explore the interplay of science and faith, plus seek practical advice for a university that desires to excel in both.

“We Gotta Get Outta Here” — How Tolkien, Lewis, and L’Engle Help Us Hope

Jeffrey Overstreet, Communications Specialist in University Communications

Otto Miller Hall 118

Aslan knew it. Gandalf knew it. Peter Pan knew it. And you knew it “once upon a time.” Faith takes imagination. And fairy tales — whether they’re written for children (Harry Potter) or grownups (The Golden Compass) — give us what Tolkien called "a piercing glimpse of joy” that “rends the very web of story.” But wait a minute … Aren’t fairy tales just for kids? Should we be embarrassed for having copies of Winnie the Pooh, The Hobbit, Watership Down, or The Princess Bride on our bookshelves? Should we be reading about witches and monsters, or venturing into “Pan’s Labyrinth”? Jeffrey Overstreet, author of Through a Screen Darkly and the new fantasy novel, Auralia’s Colors, talks about the rewards — and dangers — of growing up with wizards.

Eliminating Extreme Poverty in Our Lifetime: Impossible Dream or Attainable Goal?

Lisa Donegan, Instructor of International Business

Panel of local anti-poverty workers

McKenna Hall 118

According to Jeffrey Sachs in The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time, extreme poverty can be eliminated worldwide by 2025. Is he a delusional ivory-tower theorist or a pragmatic policy visionary? What is extreme poverty and what are its sources and solutions? Where do we stand in reaching the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals? What are local groups doing in fighting global poverty? What can you do? Join Dr. Lisa Donegan and a panel of locally based workers in discussing their efforts to alleviate global poverty and disease.

Hope in the Health Care Professions

Cindy Fitch, Associate Professor of Biology; Session Moderator

Alisa Brossoit, Tamila Garbuz, Lindsay Holladay, Karen Callahan, Kelly Rafailov, Katie King, Jake Sharp, Jessica Carlson, Stephanie Irwin, Jena Goodman, Jordan Zingerman, student panelists for session one

Steve Krager, Luke Davies, Houston Lui, Karen Callahan, Ali Dugger, Jennifer Lawrence, Hanna Oltean, Megan Wrightman, Ashley Whalen, Anna Scheglov, student panelists for session two

Demaray Hall 150

SPU students aspiring to enter the health care field will hold a panel discussion about the hope they have for providing a healing touch in a health care vocation. The panelists will describe their sense of hope for the future in medicine and other health care fields. They will share how they believe they can combine their faith, their talents, and their aspirations to make the world a healthier and better place. Time will be available for a general discussion on global health care concerns and ideas that SPU students have about continuing to stay involved in such initiatives.

Is There Any Hope in Politics?

Reed Davis, Professor of Political Science

Otto Miller Hall 119

Many Christians are uncomfortable with the thought of pursuing social change in the political arena because the pursuit and exercise of power so often seem to be at odds with New Testament teachings on love and radical discipleship. By reviewing some of the crucial New Testament passages on leadership and politics and hearing some personal "success stories" about what has (and has not) been accomplished through collective political action, participants will be confronted with the "good news" about justice and political stewardship. 

Hope Extended: SPU’s 46th Theatre Season

George A. Scranton, Professor of Theatre

Andrew Ryder, Associate Professor of Theatre

Elizabeth Kent, Student Panelist

Otto Miller Hall 109

This panel will discuss some of the implications of comic theory and a theology of hope, and then explore those implications as they relate to the three mainstage comedies of the SPU Theatre Department’s 46th season of shows: The Loman Family Picnic by Donald Margulies; Honk!, a musical comedy by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe; and the classic American comedy You Can’t Take It With You by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman.

Stories of Hope Through Reconciliation Ministry

Tali Hairston, Director of The John Perkins Center

Otto Miller Hall 245

It seems that most of the time all we hear about is one calamity and tragedy after another. With violence and justice issues filling our TV screens, many of us never get to hear the amazing stories of hope emerging from the people of SPU. Come hear stories from students, staff, and faculty of how hope is growing through reconciliation ministry.