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2023 Bernhard M. Christensen Symposium

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The Purpose Gap

Dr. Patrick Reyes, Dean of Auburn Seminary

The Christensen Symposium

The Christensen Symposium and the Christensen Center for Vocation were both established to honor the legacy of Dr. Christensen, the 8th president of Augsburg University who served from 1938-1962. His legacy was one of critical inquiry and genuine hospitality. We have drawn these lessons from that legacy which still shape our work.

  • Christian faith liberates minds and lives
  • Diversity strengthens vital communities
  • Inter-faith friendships enrich learning
  • The love of Christ draws us to God
  • We are called to service in the world

It is my hope that you will hear echoes of Dr. Christensen’s lessons in Dr. Reyes’ presentation.

Dr. Patrick Reyes

Image of Dr. Patrick Reyes.Dr. Patrick Reyes currently serves as the Dean of Auburn Seminary in New York City.

He is a Chicano writer, theologian, and executive leader and the award-winning author of The Purpose Gap and Nobody Cries When We Die. Prior to his current position he was the Senior Director of Learning Design for the Lilly Endowment’s Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) where he provided strategy and direction for their diverse programs, grants, and teams supporting the next generation of leaders. In addition, he led the historic fellowships supporting scholars of color, the Institutional Doctoral Network, and partnerships in theological and higher education.

He is a peer among public theologians and deeply respected among faith and justice leaders and funders. He is the current Board President of the Religious Education Association and serves as the Co-Dean of the Freedom Seminary for the Children’s Defense Fund, offering an immersive experience for diverse seminary students from across the country to engage and cultivate prophetic voices with communities on the margins.

Patrick provides leadership on several boards in theological and higher education, publications, and the nonprofit sector, supporting the next generation of Black, Indigenous, and Chicano spiritual and cultural leaders. In the last decade, he has been recognized for his service and scholarship by Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Boston University, Claremont School of Theology, Drew University, Children’s Defense Fund, Hispanic Theological Initiative, Hispanic Youth Leadership Academy, and others.

Patrick was also recently inducted into the Morehouse College MLK Jr. Collegium of Scholars. He lives in New Mexico, where he and his family embrace the cultural and religious traditions and communities they have inherited. Continue reading “2023 Bernhard M. Christensen Symposium” →

The Christensen Symposium Was a Success!

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September 22nd was the annual Bernhard M. Christensen Symposium. Jeremy Myers shared a talk called “From Nowhere to Now Here”. In it, he encourages us all to see vocation as something that roots us in the present moment for the sake of the neighbor. If you missed it or want to listen to it again check it out below.

Here are some of our favorite quotes from the talk:

  • “It’s not a journey from point A to point B, where you have to leave this place to go to that place. Instead I want to invite you into a journey that’s really more about becoming rooted deeply in the place where we already find ourselves.”
  • “Vocation is ultimately not about you it’s about the space that exists between you and your neighbor.”
  • It is “the quest of inquiry to figure out who our neighbor is and what it is our neighbor needs from us to thrive. It’s not a journey where you need to go on a quest to find some vocation that’s hidden out there in the future from you. It’s an invitation into the right here and the right now. That vocation is something that saves us from the nowhere plants us firmly right here with one another in this moment of time to do this good work that we’ve been given to do today. and we get to do that together and I think that’s pretty great.”

 

One Wild and Precious Life – Innerstanding Vocation by Geoffrey Gill

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This is an exploration of an unfolding relationship with vocation. It all started back in 2008 during my freshman year at Augsburg. That’s when I was introduced to vocation. That’s when my life took a drastic turn and I tapped into something that woke me up and gave me a sense of purpose. 
While recording this video we explored the Christensen Symposium with Jeremy Myers and then we talked to current students and a faculty member about their thoughts around vocation and being a neighbor. I was able to weave all these different ideas together, over 14 years of exploring, to really innerstand* what vocation means to me. My hope is that this short video will spark something for you and that you will innerstand* your vocation is happening right now, right here in this very moment.
*(innerstand: knowing something as an experience; where one is able to make a personal connection, Not just a concept.

 

You are invited: “From Nowhere to Now Here” Christensen Symposium 2022

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Jeremy Myers in front of a group of people in the chapel teaching. FROM NOWHERE TO NOW HERE

Jeremy Myers, PhD, Bernhard M. Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation, Augsburg University

Join us for this year’s Christensen Symposium where we will dig deeper into the topics of vocation and public church.

Thursday, September 22
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Foss Center, Hoversten Chapel

The pandemic, rampant racism, unfettered injustices, environmental degradation, inflation – these are a few sources of the overwhelming sense of despair in our lives. We are anxious about our future. We desperately seek meaning, purpose, justice, and the common good but they seem to be nowhere in sight. Nowhere. But there is hope and potential for change if we can focus on the here and now. All we are promised is the here and now, and it is where we are called to live our lives. Now. Here.

Jeremy Myers is the Bernhard M. Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation and the Executive Director of the Christensen Center for Vocation at Augsburg University. Myers earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota and his master’s and PhD from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He researches, writes, teaches, and organizes around the topics of vocation and public church. In addition to many articles and chapters, he is the author of Liberating Youth from Adolescence published by Fortress Press and is also a sought-after speaker. He has secured millions of dollars in grants to support the work of the Christensen Center for Vocation at Augsburg.

The Significance of Presence

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Written by Dr. Jeremy Myers, Executive Director of Augsburg’s Christensen Center for Vocation

headshot of Brian Bantum

On Tuesday Oct 5, 2021, Dr. Brian Bantum gave a lecture entitled “All Things are New: The Language of Our Life in the Face of Empire” at our 2021 Bernhard M. Christensen Symposium. Dr. Bantum is the Neil F. And Ila A. Fisher Professor of Theology at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL. He writes, speaks, and teaches on identity, racial imagination, creating spaces of justice, and the intersection of theology and embodiment for audiences around the United States.

He is a contributing editor of The Christian Century and is the author of “Redeeming Mulatto: A Theology of Race and Christian Hybridity,” “The Death of Race: Building a New Christianity in a Racial  World,”  and  “Choosing Us: Marriage and Mutual Flourishing in a World of Difference,” which he co-authored with his spouse, Gail Song Bantum. You can view a recording of his talk here.

Continue reading “The Significance of Presence” →

Join us for the Bernhard M. Christensen Symposium

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Augsburg University’s Christensen Symposium will feature the esteemed Dr. Brian Bantum next week, Oct. 5 from 11:00am-12:00pm. Please join us either in the Hoversten Chapel at Augsburg or via livestream (register to attend online through this link.) His talk is titled, “All Things Are New: The Language of Our Life in the Face of Empire.”
Brian Bantum, PhD, writes, speaks, and teaches on identity, racial imagination, creating spaces of justice, and the intersection of theology and embodiment for audiences around the United States. He is a  contributing editor of The Christian Century and is the author of “Redeeming Mulatto: A Theology of Race and Christian Hybridity,” “The Death of Race: Building a New Christianity in a Racial  World,”  and  “Choosing Us: Marriage and Mutual Flourishing in a World of Difference,” which he co-authored with his spouse, Gail Song Bantum.

2019 Christensen Symposium

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Headshot photos of Dr. Hamdy and Bishop Younan next to presentation title "Suffering and Hope in the Midst of Conflict"Thursday, October 3
11 AM – 12 PM
Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center

Speakers:

  • Hamdy El-Sawaf, founder and psychotherapist at the Family Counseling Center and imam of Masjid Al-Iman in Minneapolis
  • Munib Younan, retired bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and former president of the Lutheran World Federation

Hamdy El-Sawaf and Munib Younan will share personal experiences and their religious faith perspectives on hope, reconciliation, and resiliency in the midst of suffering and struggles that often are intensified by religious convictions and differences.

About the Christensen Symposium:

Each year, the Christensen Symposium provides the opportunity to explore and apply the lessons rooted in former Augsburg President Bernhard M. Christensen’s legacy:

  • Christian faith liberates minds and lives.
  • Diversity strengthens vital communities.
  • Interfaith friendships enrich learning.
  • The love of Christ draws us to God.
  • We are called to service in the world.

The 2019 Christensen Symposium is co-sponsored by the Christensen Center for Vocation and the newly created Interfaith at Augsburg: An Institute to Promote Interreligious Leadership.

Note: This session may be audio recorded. If you would like to be alerted as soon as the audio is available, please email ccv@augsburg.edu

For requests related to accommodations at the Symposium, email events@augsburg.edu or call 612-330-1104.

2018 Christensen Symposium with Rahuldeep Gill

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October 3, 2018

Morning Event

Christensen Symposium Address by Rahuldeep Gill
Who Are “We?” A Sikh Perspective on Vocation, Justice and Death

10:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M.
Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center
625 22nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454

Rahuldeep Singh Gill, PhD; Associate Professor, Department of Religion; Campus Interfaith Strategist, Division of Mission and Identity at California Lutheran University

Afternoon Event

Open conversation with Rahuldeep Gill, facilitated by Fardosa Hassan and Ole Schenk
Igniting hope in un-hopeful times

2:00 P.M. – 3:30 P.M.
Student Lounge, Christensen Center
720 22nd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454

Rahuldeep GillAbout the speaker

Rahuldeep Gill, Ph.D., is a sought-after Speaker, Author, and Igniter for social change, whose life goal is to develop effective and heartful leaders with broad perspectives to drive innovations. Through his lectures and workshops he works to build pluralism and cross-cultural relations to inspire connected communities on campus, in the workplace, and in the marketplace.

He recently published his first book, Drinking from Love’s Cup, with Oxford University Press, and he is currently writing two more books about leadership and pluralism. He is a tenured professor and Campus Interfaith Strategist at California Lutheran University, and is the visiting professor of Sikh Studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He has twice been voted Cal Lutheran’s Diversity Professor of the Year and lives in Los Angeles with his family.

About the Christensen Symposium:

Each year, the Christensen Symposium provides the opportunity to explore and apply the lessons rooted in former Augsburg President Bernard M. Christensen’s legacy, which include:

  • Christian faith liberates minds and lives.
  • Diversity strengthens vital communities.
  • Interfaith friendships enrich learning.
  • The love of Christ draws us to God.
  • We are called to service in the world.

Learn more on the Augsburg convocation series site.

Note: These sessions will be audio recorded. If you would like to be alerted as soon as the audio is available, please email ccv@augsburg.edu

Bishop Elizabeth Eaton to speak at 2017 Christensen Symposium

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Bishop Elizabeth A Eaton2017 Christensen Symposium: Address by Bishop Eaton and #decolonizeLutheranism community panel

Thursday, September 21
Augsburg University

Morning Event
Christensen Symposium Address by Bishop Eaton
Interfaith Friendships: How Difference Can Bring Us Together

11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Hoversten Chapel, 625 22nd Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55454

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton will speak at Augsburg University’s annual Christensen Symposium Thursday, September 21. Bishop Eaton’s address, “Interfaith Friendships: How Difference Can Bring Us Together,” will explore Lutheran identity and the ongoing Reformation in the 21st century.

To mark the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation, Augsburg is hosting a series of events this fall. As the first event in this series, Bishop Eaton’s address will touch on how “interfaith friendships enrich learning.” This theme is one of five lessons tightly connected with the work of former Augsburg President Bernard M. Christensen. Each year, the Christensen Symposium provides the opportunity to explore and apply the lessons rooted in Christensen’s legacy, which include:

  • Christian faith liberates minds and lives.
  • Diversity strengthens vital communities.
  • Interfaith friendships enrich learning.
  • The love of Christ draws us to God.
  • We are called to service in the world.

About the speaker

Elected as the ELCA’s fourth presiding bishop at the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton earned a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Music Education from the College of Wooster. Eaton also represents the ELCA in a wide range of ecumenical and interfaith settings. She serves on the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA Governing Board and Development Committee, Religions for Peace USA Council of Presidents, and Lutheran World Federation Council. At gatherings, Bishop Eaton often shares her four emphases for the ELCA: We are church; We are Lutheran; We are church together; We are church for the sake of the world. These four emphases are fundamental to identifying who the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is.

Afternoon Event
#DecolonizeLutheranism Community Panel with Bishop Eaton
2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Hoversten Chapel, 625 22nd Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55454

Panelists:

  • Jessica Davis, Christian Educator and #decolonizeLutheranism Chaplain
  • Rev. Lura Groen, Pastor and #decolonizeLutheranism Chaplain
  • Francisco Herrera, Ph. D candidate at LSTC and Convener of #decolonizeLutheranism
  • Rev. Angela Shannon, Dean of Student Life at Luther Seminary
  • Kelly Sherman-Conroy, Native American Theologian, Educator, Speaker, and Mentor

Through a panel presentation and conversation, Bishop Eaton will join representatives of #DecolonizeLutheranism in exploring Christensen’s second lesson, “Diversity strengthens vital communities.” The #DecolonizeLutheranism grassroots movement challenges long-held patterns of white power and privilege in the ELCA and exclusivity associated with stereotypes regarding what it means to be Lutheran. This reforming movement has 11 specific goals for the ELCA.

The topic for Bishop Eaton’s address and the focus of the panel conversation speak to the rich and increasing diversity of the Augsburg community; the priorities reflected in Augsburg’s mission, vision, and values; the urban and global contexts that shape Augsburg’s vocation; and Augsburg’s deep grounding in, and vibrant relationship with, the Lutheran Church. Join us for this day of challenging conversations as together we envision what it means to be neighbor in a richly diverse world.

Please Note:

  • We regret this event was scheduled on Rosh Hashanah. Prayers for God’s blessings on Jews throughout the world during their high holy days. 
  • These sessions will be audio recorded. If you would like to be alerted as soon as the audio is available, please email ccv@augsburg.edu

 

 

500th Anniversary of the Reformation

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HONORING LUTHER’S LEGACYMartin Luther

To mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Augsburg is hosting a series of events this fall.

 

Bishop Elizabeth A Eaton Christensen Symposium: Bishop Elizabeth Eaton

September 21, 2017
Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center

This year’s Bernhard M. Christensen Symposium speaker is Reverend Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Morning Event
Christensen Symposium Address by Bishop Eaton
Interfaith Friendships: How Difference Can Bring Us Together
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Afternoon Event
#DecolonizeLutheranism Community Panel with Bishop Eaton
2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Learn more about the 2017 Christensen Symposium

Heritage Day: Mary LoweMary Lowe, Associate Professor of Religion

Martin Luther on the Body, Our Bodies, and the Body of Creation

October 24, 2017
7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center

As part of the Reformation series, Mary Lowe, associate professor of Religion at Augsburg University, will give an evening lecture followed by discussion and a reception.

Martin Luther wrote, “There are three elements in a human, the body, the soul, and the spirit.” Many of today’s complex issues involve our bodies and the body of creation: climate change, gender and sexuality, abuse, and deforestation, etc. In Augsburg’s 2017 Heritage Lecture, Prof. Lowe will introduce Luther’s perspectives on bodies and creation and examine how—even today—his theology can help us better understand and address these embodied challenges.

Fine Arts Convocation: The Rose Ensemble

November 2, 2017
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center

Award-winning musical group The Rose Ensemble will present “Welcome the People: The Musical Legacy of the Reformation.”

Learn More about the Fine Arts Convocation

Advent Vespers: “Welcome, Noble Guest,”

December 1-2, 2017

This year’s theme, “Welcome, Noble Guest,” is inspired by Martin Luther’s hymn “From Heaven Above.”

Learn More and Reserve Tickets