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A collaboration among North Park Theological Seminary and partner international schools visited ancient Greek sites in January, including the Greek amphitheater in Epidaurus.
North Park Theological Seminary in Greece
CHICAGO (February 4, 2014) — There are three ideal spots onstage at the Greek amphitheater in Epidaurus. It is one of the best-preserved theaters, built in the fourth century B.C., and its pitch-perfect acoustics have not been able to be replicated with modern technology.
A group of students and faculty traveled to the amphitheater last month and spread out in the audience around circular stone bench seats.
The tour guide asked if anyone wanted to sing, hoping to show off the acoustics of the theater. The class immediately volunteered three people, including Nilwona Nowlin, a North Park Seminary student who will earn her master of arts in Christian formation and master of nonprofit administration in May. Nilwona hesitated as she had a cold, but finally gave in, and stepped to one of the three perfect spots and sang a rendition of “Amazing Grace.”
“Normally when you sing on a stage you have to think about projecting and all of the muscles that go into it,” Nilwona said, “but I didn’t have to force anything and people all the way in the back could hear clearly.”
One of the people in the back was Nilwona’s teacher, , associate professor of New Testament at North Park Theological Seminary. “We were stunned about how advanced they were back then in terms of technology and it made the ancient world that much more real. It made the world of Acts come alive.”
From January 3 through 11, Nilwona and Dr. Lee journeyed to Greece along with 15 students and two additional faculty members from the Seminary for a Greece and Early Christianity course. It was collaboration with IFFEC, the International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches. Joining North Park were 16 international participants from IFFEEC schools in Sweden, Norway, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, China, and Brazil.
“We got to converse with our sister churches, and hear what’s happening in their ministry,” Dr. Lee said. The group gathered at night for worship and prayer led by North Park’s Dr. Carol Noren, Wesley Nelson Professor of Homiletics. “We heard the challenges the churches are having, and had a renewed sense of communion among the diverse group.”
Students prepared for the trip with a series of readings on Greco-Roman history, religion, and culture, as well as study of Acts and Paul's letters to the Corinthians. The Greek Bible Institute in Athens hosted the group, who stayed in dorms and spent the first day in seminars preparing for the week.
But most of the trip was reserved for traveling around to significant sites in early Christianity, including the Roman Forum in Athens, the Parthenon and Acropolis, Epidaurus, Naflplion, Delphi, and Corinth.
One of the first sites the group visited was Areopagus, known to many as Mars Hill, the site where Paul delivered a sermon to the Stoics and Epicureans recorded in Acts 17. , North Park’s Paul W. Brandel Professor of New Testament Studies, had a student read the sermon aloud. They heard the words of Paul, “The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands.” In the background stood the Parthenon, the impressive Greek temple and center of Athenian worship.
“It was a really great moment for all of us when we could see the Parthenon,” Dr. Lee said. “We could see the temple of Nike, and here we could see with our mind's eye Paul pointing directly to the temple and saying: 'God does not live in shrines made by human hands.'”
“Now when I approach the Bible, I have this culture and these sites in mind,” said Nilwona Nowlin, who with the class visited sites including the Roman Forum in Athens, the Parthenon and Acropolis, Corinth, and Erechtheion, a Greek temple (above).
Nilwona added, “Now when I approach the Bible, I have this culture and these sites in mind.” She talked about visiting locations of athletic competitions, and being reminded of Paul’s words of “running the race” and “finishing the course.” Paul used that language to speak directly to the people and their culture. “Seeing this helps not just as I’m studying the Bible, but also how I’m communicating it to other people,” Nilwona said. “I came home asking what are cultural examples I can use as I’m communicating.”
“I didn’t get these kinds of opportunities growing up,” Nilwona said. “Experiencing these kinds of things allows me to take these stories back to my community and encourage young people to want to do these kind of things and want to travel and experience other parts of the world.”
North Park Theological Seminary’s commitment to developing women and men as faithful ministers of the Gospel is enhanced through travel learning. Yearly trips around the world to places like South America, Europe, and the Middle East allow students to experience a variety of cultures and engage scripture and theology from new perspectives.
“A lot of what people experience most of the time in Seminary is very cognitive,” said Dr. Lee, who has been . “They read, they go to class, and that is a tremendous way to learn. But sometimes there are insights born from being there that cannot be born from just being in the classroom.”
University Commemorates Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Rev. Dr. Willie Jennings, associate professor at Duke University, spoke during Monday's worship service.
Rev. Dr. Willie Jennings asserted that living in King's legacy means to unmask and speak truth to power
CHICAGO (January 21, 2014) — Rev. Dr. Willie Jennings, associate professor of theology and black church studies at Duke Divinity School, told an audience in Anderson Chapel on Monday that the world is in desperate need of religious and Christian intellectuals.
“By definition a Christian intellectual is an activist intellectual,” Dr. Jennings said. “It is a person who has the courage to unmask and speak truth to power. Our goal is to change the world because we serve a God who has changed it.”
Dr. Jennings’ message was part of 萝莉社’s annual worship and service day celebrating the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Jennings admonished the smoothed and polished symbol of Dr. King etched into stone monuments, and told the audience to reclaim the legacy of a man rooted as a “black Baptist preacher of the Church and of the South” who “carved his voice out of suffering and out of pain.”
“If the civil rights movement taught us anything,” Dr. Jennings added, “it is that fear normalizes oppression. It normalizes the absurd. And right now in this country we are normalizing the absurd.” Citing issues of racial injustice, economic disparity, and health deprivation, Dr. Jennings said he can no longer ignore that this country from its founding has been addicted to greed and violence. The only question that remains is whether we are going to challenge that addiction.
A number of voices reflected on Dr. King’s message of justice during Monday’s service, from the North Park Seminary Gospel Choir to a group of young people from Second Baptist Church and Beth Emet The Free Synagogue in Evanston. That group recently journeyed on together, a six-day trip to major Civil Rights sites in the south, reflecting on issues of race and privilege. During Monday’s service the group related their journey to the call of Isaiah 58 to “loose the bonds of injustice.”
Other faculty, students, and area community members shared reflections on what Dr. King means for their vision of justice, including Randa Kuzies, a Muslim leader from . She shared excerpts from Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” emphasizing that time is neutral, and can be used either constructively or destructively.
Later Monday afternoon, , director of the and assistant professor of at North Park, continued the discussion of what Dr. King’s legacy means today with an interfaith and intercultural discussion panel. Members of , Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders, along with area youth discussed issues of race, religion, and gender.
Workshops and webinars for nonprofit professionals now open for registration
CHICAGO (January 16, 2014) — Career paths for nonprofit professionals, fundraising to fuel social change, recharging volunteer programs, project management, program evaluation, and budgeting are just a few of the exciting topics to be covered in the upcoming spring workshops and webinars presented by the at 萝莉社.
Workshops and webinars take place between January 29 and April 23, and are a valuable resource for nonprofit professionals in the greater Chicago area. Industry experts, including representatives from Heartland Alliance, LinkedIn, and Silk Road Rising, will present on a variety of timely topics relevant to management and leadership of nonprofit organizations. Past participants have praised Axelson Center workshops for their outstanding, informative and relevant content, as well as their incredible value, calling them “a cost-effective method of staff training” and “a great reminder of what it takes to be successful in this [nonprofit] business.”
Half-day workshop registration fees are $80; full-day fees are $160. Members of YNPN Chicago, Donors Forum, United Way and several other affiliate groups are eligible for registration discounts. 萝莉社 students, alumni, and participants affiliated with organizations with budgets under $1 million are also eligible for discounts. Registration closes at noon Central Time the day prior to the event.
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The Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at 萝莉社 is the source for informative and engaging nonprofit professional development in the Chicago region. Through regular workshops, webinars, and an , the Axelson Center delivers a superior educational experience for nonprofit managers, leaders, and frontline staff, covering a vast array of topics from program evaluation to strategic planning, and communications to financial management. The valuable information presented through these programs enhances the impact of both the nonprofit sector and its professional staff. Visit for more information, including a full schedule of upcoming events.
Chemistry Department Receives $17,000 Grant for Two Instruments with Biomedical and Food Applications
“We wanted to give our students the most modern experience possible in the lab and give them the hands-on experience they’ll need for graduate school and jobs in the industry,” said Dr. Anne Vázquez, assistant professor of chemistry, of the new equpiment that will soon arrive for students.
New equipment funded by the Max Goldenberg Foundation will allow students to use advanced analytical techniques in classes and research
CHICAGO (January 3, 2014) — The Max Goldenberg Foundation has awarded a $17,000 grant to the 萝莉社 Department for two state-of-the-art instruments that will allow students to use advanced analytical techniques in laboratory work and research, which will better prepare them for future careers in the field.
“We wanted to give our students the most modern experience possible in the lab and give them the hands-on experience they’ll need for graduate school and jobs in the industry,” said , assistant professor of chemistry. “Students will use the equipment multiple times throughout their college career and will integrate the instruments into their undergraduate research experience because we want to give our students the best opportunities available.”
With biomedical applications that include the ability to detect cancer, the Agiltron PeakSeeker Raman Spectrometer is an important instrument in the health sciences. It is used to identify substances, and will enable students to monitor the progress of chemical reactions and observe how these reactions become products. Starting sophomore year, chemistry majors will gain experience with the equipment in a variety of courses, including analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, and physical chemistry, as well as through faculty and student-led research.
The —which is used to measure changes in energy, including calories in foods—will be incorporated into research and several courses as well, including general chemistry, physical chemistry, and others. This equipment is notable for its ability combine both bomb and solution calorimetry and will help faculty to better connect what students are learning in lectures to what they are doing in the lab, Professor Vázquez said.
The Max Goldenberg Foundation has funded other , including Lab Quest hand-held data acquisition PDAs, reflectance spectrometer, flash chromatography system, and a compact NMR spectrometer. “They’ve always been generous and made a difference in our students’ education,” Professor Vázquez said of the foundation, which supports educational, religious, and medical groups.
The department expects to receive and include the $9,000 raman spectrometer and the $8,000 combination calorimeter into classes and research during the spring semester. The equipment will then move to the new , which is scheduled to open in Fall 2014. Ultimately the addition of the instruments will help the chemistry department improve the student lab experience and prepare them for work after graduation.
“A benefit of being at a liberal arts college is that our students get hands-on experience and use the instrumentation themselves, so when they get to graduate school and start a job, they won’t be intimidated by the equipment,” Professor Vázquez said. “That’s something we really value.”
University Art Professor Uses Public Spaces to Create Artistic Pieces
Tim Lowly works on "Bower" on the third floor of Brandel Library. He plans to take the painting to at least two exhibitions this year.
Brandel Library to host exhibition by University art faculty
CHICAGO (February 18, 2013) — is preparing an exhibition of his art pieces this spring, which includes a large piece he's painting on a plywood frame mounted on a wall on the third floor of 萝莉社's . With permission from the library staff, Lowly chose the library location because he needed a wall big enough to hold his creation, "Bower," and because it seemed fitting in his role as the University's artist-in-residence.
"What that has meant is just being present to students as a professional artist in addition to being a teacher," said Lowly, assistant professor of art. "It's intentional so that the making of art becomes 'present,' so that people just walking by can see how a work of art comes into being." Lowly's creative work in public places such as the Carlson Art Gallery, , and now, Brandel Library, has resulted in opportunities for conversation with students, faculty, and staff. In this case, some have inquired about "Bower," while he paints. They often describe to him what the painting means to them, Lowly said.
"Bower" is an artistic depiction of Lowly's daughter, Temma, a frequent focus of his work. The larger-than-life image of her, with head bowed, is the result of a photograph with a texture overlay. Temma, 27, lives with physical and mental impairments.
As he looked at the photographic image he created, Lowly said he wondered how it would look if it were a 10-foot tall painting. "It becomes really powerful for me because you have this person who is utterly humble, and she's bowing to you," he said. The size of the piece also tends to make viewers think about scale, the size of life, and the close proximity of the painting's subject, he added.
Lowly started his artistic creation in the gallery last summer before relocating it to the library where he has worked on it since. In March, he will take "Bower" to an exhibition at the College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Mo. This fall, it will be part of a large, one-person exhibition at the , Sioux Falls, S.D., Lowly said.
Sally Anderson, Brandel Library director, said she was happy to make it possible for Lowly to create the painting in the library for all to see. "Other artists have displayed artwork in the library, but we've not had someone actually working on a piece in the library," she said. "We see this as part of the library's mission."
Art faculty exhibition to open February 22
When he began working on his art piece in Brandel Library, Lowly asked if art faculty could display original pieces on the library's walls, Anderson said. Currently, the library displays art pieces in the second and third floor gallery areas, she said.
Beginning February 22, Brandel Library will display about 20 original pieces throughout the building, the creations of seven University faculty members: Kristen Althoff, Deb Hendriksma-Anderson, Josh Ippel, Tim Van Laar, , , and .
"It's really exciting for students who are studying here to see original work. They will walk down the library hallway, and see something unexpected," said Joanna Wilkinson, the library's technical services and digitization coordinator. Wilkinson is responsible for art installations in the library.
The faculty art exhibition will remain in the library through the spring semester. A reception to open the exhibition will be held on the first floor of Brandel Library from 4:30 to 5:30 pm on Friday, February 22.
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
Nyvall at 150: The Founding President's Enduring Impact at North Park
Alumnus Dr. Scott Erickson will present a lecture on the legacy of 萝莉社's founding president David Nyvall on Thursday, October 10.
Dr. Scott Erickson to Give Lecture on University President David Nyvall
CHICAGO (September 25, 2013)—In honor of the 150th anniversary of the birth of early leader and founding 萝莉社 president David Nyvall (1863–1946), University alumnus and leading Nyvall scholar Dr. Scott Erickson C'89 S'93 will present a lecture on the leadership role Nyvall played at the University, and how his influence continues to shape its mission and culture.
Presented by the and the Zenos E. Hawkinson Covenant Heritage Fund, Erickson’s lecture, "," will also explore the ways in which Nyvall's strong character and resolve helped him withstand external pressures to conform to the religious and cultural landscape. This ensured the University would endure and, in turn, inspire others to leadership and “the life of the mind and heart,” according to Erickson.
The presentation is free and open to the public, and will be held on Thursday, October 10, at 6:00 pm in the University’s Hamming Hall. Erickson’s lecture coincides with the opening of “David Nyvall: 150 Years Young,” a special exhibit on display during the 2013–14 academic year in the lower level gallery of . A light reception in the gallery will follow the lecture.
Erickson is head of school at the Phillips Brooks School in Menlo Park, Calif. An Episcopal priest, Erickson earned his undergraduate degree in music at 萝莉社 and a master of divinity from North Park Theological Seminary, followed by a post-doctoral program at Harvard Divinity School.
Erickson’s doctoral dissertation at Uppsala University, Sweden, focuses on David Nyvall and draws on voluminous primary sources housed at the F.M. Johnson Archives and Special Collections.
Memorial Service for Darlene Kelley Planned for Thursday, December 12
Dear friends:
North Park Theological Seminary and University mourn the death of alumna Darlene Kelley, a 2012 master of divinity graduate. Darlene hailed from the Boston area and began studying at North Park in 2008. While a student, she was involved with University Ministries working with commuter and transfer students to increase their sense of community belonging. She also worked with the Collaboratory for Intercultural Learning, participating in their events and leading workshops for the Student Diversity Leadership Conference.
Darlene’s life and death remind us that life is fragile and requires great care. It also reminds us that we have suffered the losses of other students in recent years. As we remember the loss of these friends, we also recall that the gospel calls us to a faith beyond what we can see, and to a hope that reaches beyond the finality of death. May God grant us grace in this season of mourning, and may God grant peace to the memory of Darlene Kelley.
A memorial service to honor Darlene’s life will be held Thursday, December 12, at 7:00 pm in Isaacson Chapel, North Park Theological Seminary. A coffee reception will follow in Olsson Lounge.
Dave Kersten, Dean of North Park Theological Seminary
萝莉社 Professor Working in International Bible Translation Project
Recordings for the Bible translation project are being produced at this recording studio in Nagpur, India. (Photo provided by Dr. Rajkumar Boaz Johnson.)
Project seeks to translate Bible into common language, original poetry form
CHICAGO (January 21, 2013) — A 萝莉社 professor is working with a team of people to create a version of the Christian Bible written in —a common Indian language—and express it in a poetic form so it can be sung. , professor of , used part of a sabbatical in 2011 to begin translating the Bible. The translation in poems, "seeks to be faithful to how the text is intended to be sung," he said.
Johnson, a native of India, developed an interest in translating the Bible into poems during his doctoral studies, when he read original biblical texts, including ancient interpretations found in the and interpretations before the time of Christ. He learned that the ancient biblical texts were poems—nearly all of the Bible except for . " seeks to understand the poetry, and bring that into English," Johnson said. "Unfortunately the later translations of the Bible into English have lost the poems."
In addition to the translation and poetic expression, recordings have been made of the first five chapters of , which describe the creation story and God's initial dealings with humanity, and first five chapters of the Gospel of John, an account of the public ministry of Jesus, Johnson explained. "We're trying to do is what the biblical texts originally intended," Johnson said. "Prose was not originally conceived in the early church. In its original form, the gospels are songs, and were sung by the early church."
Johnson, who travels often to India, has researched tribal societies in India and lived among them. He chose to translate into their language because they worship using poems, he said. "Poets or village bards sing songs, and the people respond. They've been doing this in worship for a long, long time," he said.
Collaborators in this unusual Bible translation project include , who co-founded , an international organization that advocates for lower-caste people living in India. The project's purpose is to bring the Bible to millions of people who have no access to it because of language barriers, he said. "They don't have a book of their own," Sardar said in a telephone interview from Delhi. "The language is not the same." Sardar explained that most lower-caste people don't understand the higher-caste Indian language in which the Bible has been published previously. But they do understand the poetic language of the Bible written in Hindi.
Sardar said that when he met Johnson, they each learned the other had concluded the need to translate the Bible and put it into its original poetic expression. "It was like a meeting of the minds, a "God thing." It was the right time, and the right message. God has baptized us with this project," he said.
"Now is the time to get the whole Bible in both the language of the people and in the language of poetry," Sardar added. "People love to have this book. We can hardly keep up with the sales."
In addition to recording biblical poems in Hindi, Johnson said he hopes to publish the poems in English. He is also working with students to turn the poems into music familiar to them, such as rap. "I think this a project for the future of the church. Young people want to use their own theologies. This is a way to do it, to give them texts of the Bible in a genre that was originally intended."
Use @npunews to . For further information or resources, contact John Brooks, Director of Media Relations and News, or at (773) 244-5522. Learn more .
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University President Addresses Student Recruitment, Planning, New Construction
Construction on the Johnson Center is in full swing. The new building is expected to be ready in fall 2014.
David Parkyn welcomes University community to spring semester
CHICAGO (January 30, 2013) — 萝莉社 faculty and staff returned to the campus for the spring semester amid a strengthened effort to recruit students for future years, a long-range institutional planning process, and sounds of new construction as the foundation is prepared for the .
Faculty and staff gathered January 25 for worship, and , University president, provided updates on campus initiatives. "Being together at the beginning of the spring semester reminds us of our common purpose, and I trust renews within each of us our common commitment to this purpose," he said.
The University welcomed 105 new undergraduate students for the spring semester, up from 91 new undergraduate students in 2012. Retention of returning students was also strong for the spring, Parkyn reported. For the upcoming academic year, the number of undergraduate applications is high, and this spring, North Park will host several . Parkyn urged faculty and staff to help in recruiting students and "warmly welcome each one."
The North Park president also addressed other topics:
Strategic planning continues: In January and February, Parkyn said he will meet with 20 groups of faculty and staff to discuss the strategic and long-term direction for the University. Planning documents will be revised and combined with information learned through a planning process underway with , a higher education consulting firm.
Continued fundraising: Staff with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations is working on concluding aspects of , a comprehensive fundraising effort, and developing a robust post-campaign effort, Parkyn said. "Our donors are optimistic about North Park’s future, and for this we are deeply thankful," he said.
New construction in full swing: Parkyn noted that center of the campus is noisy and filled with construction activity at the Johnson Center building site. Regular communication will be provided to North Park community with updates on building progress, he said. The building is expected to be ready for use in Fall 2014.
Campus leadership transition: Parkyn announced that , vice president of student development and dean of students, will leave the University in mid-February to assume a new role in the Office of Student Affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The president said he has appointed Elizabeth Snezek, assistant dean of student development, as interim dean of students through the end of the academic year.
New faculty and staff who joined the University community for the spring semester were introduced:
Janet Cullen, visiting assistant professor, nursing and biology
Professor Nnenna Okore Featured in Sculpture Magazine
Nnenna Okore, associate professor of art
Artist discusses her goal to "engage the viewer visually and provoke questions"
CHICAGO (September 3, 2013) — , associate professor of art, is , a publication of the International Sculpture Center. In the piece, "Political by Nature," Okore discusses her process and approach to creating, her use of a wide range of materials, and her subtle approach to issues of poverty, social class, status, and wealth through her work.
Okore began teaching at 萝莉社 in 2005, and returned this year after a sabbatical leave spent at the University of Lagos in Nigeria.
about Sculpture magazine and where to purchase the print edition.
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