Greater Alaska Theological Education Scheduled for Sept. 16-17 in Anchorage

The conference, which will take place at St. John United Methodist Church, will consist of a Friday-evening lecture and Saturday workshops presented by Perkins professors Jaime Clark-Soles and Hugo Magallanes.

Perkins School of Theology, in conjunction with the Alaska United Methodist Conference, is hosting Greater Alaska Theological Education (GATE) on Sept. 16-17 in Anchorage, Alaska. 

The conference, which will take place at St. John United Methodist Church, will consist of a Friday-evening lecture and Saturday workshops presented by Dr. Jaime Clark-Soles, Professor of New Testament at Perkins, and Dr. Hugo Magallanes, Associate Professor of Christianity and Cultures and Director of the Center for the Study of Latino/a Christianity and Religions at Perkins.

Friday’s lecture, titled “Called to Action: From Word to Deeds,” will focus on the books of Luke and Acts – two books in the New Testament that provide a framework for responding to current social concerns and define our moral responsibility as faithful followers of Christ. We all have at least some vague notion that, as Christians, we are summoned by God to engage the concerns and needs of our communities. But the question remains: how do we respond to that summons effectively in our own current context?

Clark-Soles and Magallanes each will then present Saturday workshops, described below:

Clark-Soles – Who is She? Who are We?
Many women appear in the Bible. Some we know well; others, we probably don’t. Some are human beings; others are symbolic. Some are ordinary, some are extraordinary – but all are remarkable. Each biblical woman conveys something we need to know: about our faith tradition, our God, ourselves, and more. Together, we will look at some of these biblical figures as we seek to know and experience God more fully.

Magallanes – Social Holiness: Exploring our Wesleyan Roots
John Wesley’s theology and ministry provide an important historical model for responding to the needs of the poor and other marginalized groups in church and society. The study of Wesley, the founder of modern Methodism, will provide helpful tools to develop an identity of solidarity with the poor and responses to poverty-related issues. This workshop will offer a model from a Wesleyan perspective, yet it will be accessible for anyone who desires to integrate social justice and solidarity with the poor as an integral part of faith formation.
 

For more information: https://www.smu.edu/Perkins/PublicPrograms/LaySchools/Alaska/September-2016

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Perkins School of Theology, founded in 1911, is one of five official University-related schools of theology of The United Methodist Church. Degree programs include the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Ministry, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Pastoral Music as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with The Graduate Program in Religious Studies at SMU’s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.