Friday Morning Courses

Dr. Frederick Aquino

Professor of Systematic Theology

We live in a world with unprecedented (and quicker) access to vast quantities of information. In one sense, we feel more connected through social media and various technological advances. At the tap of a finger, the requested pieces of information are readily available. In another sense,we feel overwhelmed by the noiseof social media, news outlets, and the relentless stream of facts and opinions. An important challenge involves learning how to cut through such noise and differentiate between peripheral and salient pieces of information.This course will explore how the Christian virtue of discernment helps us think about and respond to such a challenge.

Rev. Mark C. Grafenreed

Ph.D. Candidate in Religion and Culture, Graduate Program in Religious Studies at SMU

Thermometers and thermostats are invaluable instruments, especially during toasty, Texas summers! However, thermometers, which record temperatures, and thermostats, which regulate them, can be problematic when they are inoperable or ineffective. The same is true concerning the Christian Church! This workshop examines the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and explores whether today’s Christian Church is a thermometer that is an “archdefender of the status quo” or a thermostat that “transforms the mores of society.”

Dr. Theodore Walker, Jr.

Associate Professor of Ethics and Society

We will do theological and ethical studies of Matthew 5:43-48, Matthew 22:34-40, and Luke 4:14-19 (NRSV), and we will rehearse saying these passages aloud together. We will learn some of the theological and ethical content of selected biblical passages. We will learn to appreciate methodical-disciplined-supererogatory (Wesleyan) bible study, including bible rehearsal.