Trinity Hosts Bonhoeffer Seminar on April 16 in Deerfield

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School welcomes Jordan J. Ballor of the Acton Institute, as he presents "A Survey of Bonhoeffer's Social Ethics" on Wednesday, April 16, from 10-11:30 am, in the Waybright Center on the Deerfield campus.

The community is invited to hear Dr. Ballor as he provides an introduction and orientation to the social ethics of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran pastor and theologian, particularly with regard to his mature doctrine of divine mandates, consisting of family, work, church, and government. Dr. Ballor will explore the relationship between the personal and the social, as Bonhoeffer's social thought is rooted in his understanding of the doctrine of vocation and "vicarious representative action." Bonhoeffer's social thought provides a dynamic and compelling vision of human social life.

On the preceding evening, April 15th, from 7-8:30 pm, Dr. Ballor will speak on the topic of "Why Theology and Economics Need Each Other." In this talk, he will explain how theologians have often dismissed economics as inherently heretical or, at the very least, highly suspect, and how economists have often forgotten the humble beginnings of their discipline. He believes that both disciplines should renew their commitment to one another for their mutual benefit. Join us in this lecture that will explore the background of the current split between theology and economics, the dynamics of its contemporary expression, and particular promising points of reconciliation going forward.

Both events are free and open to the public. The series is sponsored by the Carl F.H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, located at 2065 Half Day Road in Deerfield.