I know most of our authors and readers live outside the Columbia, MO area, but I wanna highlight some interesting public forums coming up in the next few weeks.

Greg Boyd at Woodcrest - January 12, 6:30 PM

Join us this week for author and guest speaker Greg Boyd “Helter Skelter to Hyper Disciple.” For those of you who are still trying to put the logical pieces together regarding the reliability of the claims of Christ, Greg will be sharing more of his personal journey through unbelief and the hurdles he had to overcome intellectually in coming to faith in Christ.

Theology Weekend Feb. 1-3

Tom Schreiner is visiting Columbia in a few weeks to engage in series of talks and debates on the person and work of Jesus. Friday there is a debate with a Unitarian Minister and guest from the local Mosque. Saturday there is an informal Q and A with him at the Cherry Street Artisan. The weekend concludes with two lectures, one on the person of Jesus at the Tiger Ballroom and one on the work of Jesus at Theology at The Forge and Vine.

Robert Wuthnow “The Global Reach of American Christianity” Monday, 14 April 2008, 7:00 pm Stotler Lounge, Memorial Union

This is more of a religious studies lecture about the Christian community than a lecture coming out of the Christian community, but that does not mean it is not worth listening to. He will be addressing his latest book, America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity.

Globalization, defined as the flow of people, goods, information, and other resources across national boundaries, is not new, but has increased dramatically in volume and density in the past twenty years. The United States is one of the most powerfully and extensively involved countries in the global political economy. Are American churches part of the story? Is their influence in other countries spreading as a result of globalization? Are they shaping Americans’ attitudes toward hunger and poverty, foreign aid, and military involvement? Although the effects of globalization on the domestic configuration of American Christianity has been considered at great length, hardly any attention has been given to these questions about the wider role of American Christianity outside of the United States.