Theology Day

…A list of their problems looks a lot like ours today: division, socio-economic tension, and social upheaval. Where, in such times, can we look for hope? In this presentation, we will utilize what we know about the ancient city to help bring Paul’s letter alive for us today.

Micah Kiel is an Associate Professor of Theology at Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict. He holds a M.Div. and a Ph.D. (New Testament) from Princeton Theological Seminary. Kiel is the author of “Be Transformed: A Biblical Journey Toward a More Just World (Liturgical Press, 2024), Reading the Bible in the Age of Francis (Wipe and Stock, 2019), Apocalyptic Ecology: The Book of Revelation, The Earth, and the Future (2017), and authored several journal articles. He teaches primarily on the New Testament, ecological hermeneutics, and interpreting Scripture.

…Yet change is inevitable. What does hope mean when things look dark? Where can we find anchors during turbulent times?

Noreen Herzfeld is the Director of Benedictine Spirituality and the Environment. She holds degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Theology from The Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. Herzfeld is the author of The Artifice of Intelligence: Divine and Human Relationship in a Robotic World (Fortress, 2023), In Our Image: Artificial Intelligence and the Human Spirit (Fortress, 2002), Technology and Religion: Remaining Human in a Co-Created World (Templeton, 2009), and co-editor of Encountering AI: Ethical and Anthropological Investigations (Pickwick, 2024), Religious and Cultural Implications of Technology-Mediated Relationships in a Post-Pandemic World (Lexington, 2023) and Religion and the New Technologies (MDPI, 2017). Herzfeld is also a senior research associate at the Institute for Philosophical and Religious Studies, Koper, Slovenia.

…Jesus Christ is our living and blessed hope. He is the ark that shelters us amid the storms of life. He is the anchor that steadies our souls in the shifting seas of uncertainty. Most profoundly, our lives draw meaning and purpose from his life, suffering, death, and triumphant resurrection. This presentation explores what it means to surrender our hearts, minds, and bodies to the transforming power of hope, which shelters, secures, and sends us forth to act in the name of God’s love.

Fr. William Orbih is an Assistant Professor of Theology and Rector of the Seminary at Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary, Collegeville, Minnesota. He has a doctorate in theology from the University of Notre Dame. His research focuses on intercultural and comparative theology, the history and mission of the church, African literature, and political thought.

…The Church is called to be a pilgrim church, and we are to be a pilgrim people. In exploring what makes pilgrimage such an evocative symbol, we will look at pilgrimage as it is presented in the Bible, practiced in the tradition, and has appeared in the arts. As a religious phenomenon that is not limited to Christianity, we will also look at the place and places of pilgrimage in other faith traditions to further understand the power and pervasiveness of this practice. Whether it is a setting out or turning in, the theology, practice, and symbol of pilgrimage continues to inspire persons of faith around the world.

Chris Conway is the Director of Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning and an associate professor in the Department of Theology at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s and The Saint John’s University School of Theology and Seminary. He completed his doctoral studies at Boston College in comparative theology, and his areas of research include spiritual practices and devotional traditions in Christianity and Hinduism.