Theology Roundtables
Exploring Theology
Our Theology Roundtable series
UPCOMING ROUNDTABLE EVENTS
In the Image of Our Choosing? A Christian Perspective on Gene Editing
November 14, 2021
7:30pm-9:00pm | Fellowship Hall
Join us for the Theology Roundtable “In the Image of Our Choosing? A Christian Perspective on Gene Editing.”
Our speaker is Nathan Barczi, Executive Director of Octet Collaborative, a Christian study center at MIT. Nathan has served as Associate Pastor at Christ the King Presbyterian Church since 2014, where he was awarded the John Stott award from the Creation Project at the Henry Center, a grant that supported him and his congregation in a year exploring the doctrine of creation in an age of science with eminent scientists and theologians. He is a cohort facilitator for the Boston Fellows, and a fellow of the Center for Pastor Theologians. His Christianity Today article about his work with Harvard geneticists exploring the bioethics of gene editing won an Evangelical Press Association Award. Prior to serving in full-time vocational ministry, he was an economic consultant for The Brattle Group and an assistant economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He holds a PhD in theology from the University of Nottingham and a PhD in economics from MIT. He did his undergraduate work at Stanford University in his native Silicon Valley. He lives with his wife (another Bay Area native) and three children in Somerville, Massachusetts.
PAST ROUNDTABLE EVENTS
Political Discussion
October 25, 2020
This academic year, we will be focusing on cultural issues and learning how we can have healthy, Christ-centered conversations about these topics.
Join Rob Barrett, Chief Programming and Innovation Officer for The Colossian Forum (and former PBCer) as he helps us learn how to engage in political discussion centered in Christ. This virtual event will feature presentation, Q&A, and an opportunity for a practical experience.
What Was the Reformation and Why Does It Still Matter?
November 5, 2017
October 31st marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, which started when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Echoes of that event have continued to shape our concept of God throughout the following years.
Join us as Dr. Barbara Pitkin guides us through a consideration of the Reformation and its relevance today. Dr. Pitkin is a senior lecturer of Religious Studies at Stanford University who specializes in the history of Christian thought, with a particular emphasis on the religious developments in late medieval and early modern Europe.
Created to Create: A Theology of Technology
September 10, 2017
Is the Bible anti-technology? Is God a tech startup founder? Should we embrace technology or fear it?
We live in a time of unprecedented technological and cultural change. In a few short years, we have embraced a new set of tools that have completely revolutionized the way we communicate, relate, work, and play. Are these technologies progressing humanity to the next level? Or do they signal the downfall of society as we know it?
Many of us in the Silicon Valley use and build these tools. But what is the relationship between technology and God’s intention for his creation? What does the character of God tell us about how we make and use tools? How can we use and create technology in light of a relationship with Jesus Christ?
More information available at allthingsnew.tech.
Do All Religions Lead to God? The Challenge of Modern Pluralism
April 2, 2017
The Silicon Valley is home to people of all kinds of religious backgrounds: Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and many more. A growing number of these people believe that all religions lead to God. Is that true? What does the Bible say about that? Do other religions really teach that? Laurie Schlaepfer, a professor of World Religions and a devout follower of Jesus, will guide us through these questions as we consider what it looks like to follow Jesus in a pluralistic society.
How to Be Sent: Evanglism with Matt Mikalatos
November 6, 2016
In our
Biblical Foundations for Same Sex Issues
November 15, 2015
What does the Bible say about
21st Century Christian Apologetics
October 4, 2015
How do we explain and defend the Christian faith to a changing world? What are the most compelling ways that the Gospel answers questions that our
Same-Sex Issues
October 12, 2014
Ron Sanders is the former director for Cru at Stanford and a current adjunct professor at Fuller Seminary. He led us in a discussion of the biblical, social, and political questions surrounding same-sex issues in our culture. What does the Bible say? How does that translate into social and political decisions? How should the church engage with the LGBT community?
Jesus as the Only Way
May 4, 2014
Is Jesus the only way to salvation? Do all religious paths lead to God? How is it fair that only those who believe in Christ are saved? Does Jesus even claim to be the exclusive path toward God? Everybody everywhere wants everyone to be included. How does that fit together with a God who says that only certain people are saved? Is Christianity exclusive? Led by Paul Taylor.
Hell
Mar 9, 2014
Does a loving God send people to eternal damnation? Is Hell real? Christians have understood judgment in many different ways. Some view hell as endless punishment. Others claim that the unredeemed cease to exist after death. Others deny the existence of judgment at all. We will look at the historical positions that people have held, the biblical arguments that support their positions, and the view at PBC. Led by Paul Taylor.
The Power of the Poem
Jan 26, 2014
Audio Discussion of Scripture, faith, and poetry led by Brian Morgan and John Felstiner. Brian, a pastor at Peninsula Bible Church in Cupertino, has a life-long passion for the Psalms and for restating great truths of the Bible as Christians create their own ‘poems of faith’. John Felstiner, an emeritus professor of literature at Stanford draws deeply on his roots in Judaism to reflect on issues of faith and beauty in language.
The Trinity
Sep 29, 2013
Christians worship one God who is eternal: endless, omnipotent, omniscient. Christians worship one God who is complex – three persons infinitely bathed in love. This Theology Roundtable includes a discussion of these matters. Is the doctrine of the Trinity biblical? Is it reasonable? Does it make any difference?
End Times
May 19, 2013
Our culture tells many different stories of how the world might end. During this roundtable, Paul Taylor addresses some of the ways people have interpreted the end times prophecies of the Bible, explores the history and position of PBC, and talks about what the end of the world has to do with our lives for today.
Justice and the Gospel
Feb 10, 2013
The prophets in the Old Testament longed for and promised a time when God’s justice would be experienced on the earth. The coming of Jesus inaugurated his kingdom, but injustice is still rampant in our world. How do we as Christians engage with efforts to bring justice to this world? Guest teacher, Danny Hall.
Violence in the Old Testament
Nov 4, 2012
In the Old
Creation
Sep 23, 2012
“Creation” is an immense and dynamic topic. The origin and nature of the universe are matters of concern for thinking people of all stripes – philosophers, scientists, followers of various religions, random pundits. An immense and dynamic topic indeed.
Women in Ministry
June 10, 2012
Notes Booklet, Should Women Teach Men Paper by Scott Grant.
What roles are available for women to serve in ministry and leadership? How do different groups understand the Bible’s commands? What is the practice of Peninsula Bible Church? During this roundtable, we discuss three common positions on women in ministry.
Atonement
Mar 25, 2012
How does Jesus dying on the cross save us? Are you interested in gaining a better biblical and historical understanding of the atonement? During this roundtable, we discuss three categories of atonement theories and five prominent biblical themes of the atonement.