Alumn E-News - Spring 2008

Ron and Sugar with their son Aaron and daughter-in-law Leah in Ron's hospital room.

Ron Nydam, Professor of Pastoral Care, began chemotherapy for the fight against leukemia on February 5. He wrote this on his care page:

"...Please keep me and my family in your prayers over the next very critical weeks. I am hopeful but apprehensive too. God never promised total protection from such things as this; we take our turns with human suffering. This is my turn. But God does promise to be with us while we suffer...usually God does that through people like you."

To register for automatic updates go to: www.carepages.com (the page name is rjnydam)

In January the CTS community celebrated what may become a new tradition at Calvin Theological Seminary—the awarding of the “Lord Plantinga’s Cup” to the winning team of a seminary-sponsored hockey tournament.

Adorning the wall of a basement hallway in Calvin College’s Fieldhouse are several photos of hockey-playing Calvin students, dating back to the seventies. Some of these photos contain seminarians. The history of hockey at Calvin College and Seminary reflects the Canadian heritage of many of its students. Without their “migration” Calvin may never have developed a team. One of the all-time best goalies for Calvin’s club hockey team was seminarian Don Weinberg. Classics professor George Harris coached for several years. Although the College and Seminary have since become separate entities, their mutual interest in ice hockey is one way their relationship is sustained....

Read more of this article in the Spring 2008 FORUM

See more pictures of hockey on the Sem pond in January 2008 Kerux

Students, faculty, and staff gathered in March for Dies Natalis, the seminary’s annual birthday celebration – 132 years to date. Dies Natalis, a historic day in the seminary community, is celebrated with good-humored faculty parodies and Reformed theological humor that only seminarians can create, but all can celebrate. Student-prepared skits included the Ten Hoor Report, Weima’s World, Relics Roadshow, A Seminarian Who is Licensed to Preach without Passing the Bible Comp, and of course, the annual giving of awards. For those of you who created these awards, the tradition is continued and was given as follows...

Dean Deppe best-dressed award: annually awarded to that member of the faculty who know how to make What Not to Wear’s Stacy and Clinton proud. This year’s recipient, Professor Mariano Avila, knows, nay lives, the virtue of the professorial sweater vest. No one wears corduroy quite like him.

Tree-slayer award: Prof. Pieter Tuit for his cavalier use of paper, contributing to Al Gore’s triumphant proclamation of an Inconvenient Truth. Here's another inconvenient truth -- students don't read handouts not accounted for by workload policy.

New this year! For every Peter, there is a Paul and even, sometimes, a Mary. For every peanut butter there is a jelly. For every Jim there is a Pam. And so, just as we celebrate the flagrant disregard of creation’s resources, a more liberal faction of this seminary community has petitioned for a new award. The Go-Green Award given to Professor Michael Williams for the creation of online Hebrew.

Send Your Congratulations: Mariano Avila, Pieter Tuit and Michael Williams.

Heidi De Jonge, Pastor for Discernment at Calvin Theological Seminary, invites you to join other discerners in the practice of spiritual discernment by reading and commenting on her blog and by accessing the resources available on the web pages of the discernment office.

These tools may be of use to you in your own vocational journey, but if you know of a person in your church or ministry who is discerning whether or not they are called to ministry, please be sure to let them know about these stories, book recommendations, and ministry experience ideas. Or encourage them to attend a Discerning Your Calling event.

We’d like to offer you our most loved audio resource on our lecture archive!

In March of 2003, Dr. Wright expounded on Paul’s entire letter to the Romans in three sessions and gave a number of preaching or teaching themes for each section. Close to 200 students, pastors, and teachers from a variety of churches and institutions enjoyed Dr. Wright’s presentations, and were encouraged to hear an internationally known biblical scholar who preaches on a regular basis in his own congregation.

Listen to N.T. Wright’s lectures from March 2003

For each quarter of the academic year (fall, winter, spring) President Plantinga chooses a book to be read and discussed by the entire seminary community – students, staff, and faculty. Strout participated in the Festival of Faith and Writing, held on campus in April.

Listen to our conversation with the author on April 18, 2008

Find past Book of the Quarter Selections