This weekend is the National Student Dialogue Conference 2007 presented by Standing Together. This post isn’t an announcement (if it were, it isn’t much notice), as much as it is an expression that I wish I could be there to hear the presentations.
However, I am encouraged by the fact that such an event is taking place and I hope to enjoy the fruits of such a dialogue. Hopefully, audio recordings of the sessions might be made available.
Friday, October 19th
Session One
A Historical Review Of Evangelical / Mormon Relations: After 177 years what have we learned from our past interactions?
With Dr. Craig Hazen & Dr. Grant Underwood
Session Two
Missional Principles and Guidelines for Interfaith Dialogue
With Dr. Robert Millet & Dr. Doug McConnell
Saturday, October 20th
Session Three
The Legitimacy of Mormon/Evangelical Dialogue, and Should We Even be talking?
With Dr. Truman Madsen & Dr William Heersink
Session Four
Spiritual Formation and Interfaith Dialogue
With Dr. Richard Bennett & Dr. Jerry Root
Session Five
The Role of Grace & Works As It Relates To Doctrine & Tradition
With Dr. Craig Blomberg & Dr. Camille Fronk
I’m actually attending the conference and am playing a part in one of the panel discussions. Yes, the conference is being recorded though I think it will be only available in audio formats. I feel that yesterday went very well. The lectures yesterday (in particular Dr. McConnell and Dr. Millet) really defended the basis of LDS/Evangelical discussions. It should provide lots of good material to discuss once the recording comes out.
Great to hear from you Jake. I hope you enjoy the conference! Let me know how it goes. Glad to know it is being recorded.
Aquinas, I just posted my own summary reflections on the conference here:
http://johnwmorehead.blogspot.com/2007/10/summary-reflections-on-national-student.html
Interested readers might also want to contact Standing Together to order a copy of the plenary sessions on CD.
I wanted to post a few short thoughts on my experience at the conference. It was definitely a seminal event in that it attempted to bring LDS and Evangelical students and professors together under the same roof and if only for that alone I think it was a success. I loved Jerry Root’s and Doug McConnell’s comments but would do them injustice to try and replicate them. I felt that most everyone really enjoyed (or at least appreciated) Craig Blomberg and Camille Olsen’s discussion of grace and works. I unfortunately had to leave during their Q&A but I was in the hall and could hear the applause and laughter.
One thing that I came away from the conference with was a feeling that the LDS speakers tended to focus on the inclusion of LDS in the broader Christian world while the Evangelical speakers seemed to address the doctrinal concerns they faced with LDS theology. To me it seemed like (in general) each group had different concerns. The LDS wanted validation that they might very well be saved (i.e. Christians) while the Evangelicals expressed concern over what they rightly perceive to be very big doctrinal differences. Personally I felt both concerns are valid but not however mutually exclusive.
Another thought from the conference was that I felt the LDS once more spent their time on the defensive. I think the LDS often have a goal to be accepted as normal Christians but for me that misses the mark. I wouldn’t be LDS if I didn’t believe that traditional Christianity has some serious flaws in their theology which LDS teachings could remedy. That’s not meant to be impertinent, just a statement of belief. However, my experience is that we are sometimes prone to apologize or justify truth rather than declare it.
The last point I’ll make is that there was definitely a disparity in the presence and participation of evangelical and LDS attendees. I’m not sure if this was a publicity or a willingness problem but I felt the LDS were at times very underrepresented. This ,I think, was unfortunate.
I realize that the majority of my comments were somewhat critical and for that I apologize. I really do feel that the event was a success and took a great step in developing LDS and Evangelical dialogue. I suppose I was also just struck by what areas we, the LDS, still need to develop in these discussions.
Jake, thanks for the additional comments. It just makes me wish I had been there more! I also feel that the mere existence of this event could be seen as a success. I haven’t heard the panels yet so I can’t really comment on the substance of the conference. But as to LDS-Evangelical dialogue in general, I do think LDS can be on the defensive at times. I have mixed feeling about that. On the one hand I want to be sympathetic to those who have been accosted and have had extremely negative experiences with those disrespectful of the faith, which I personally may not have experienced. On the other hand, I think there is a time when we need to move pass this phase, and realize that we aren’t dialoging with every single person of another faith, but only those who are willing to dialogue with us.
I like Millet’s approach to this question. He basically recognizes that many distinctions that traditional Christians have about what constitutes a Christian historically have merit. On the other hand, he argues that to say Mormons are not Christian can cause those who know nothing of Mormonism to conclude this must mean that they do not believe in Christ. I think that is a reasonable approach. It accepts that there are historical differences but also argues that in practice such a definition can have the undesirable effect of misrepresentation. This too I think Evangelicals can understand, especially given the long history of LDS feeling misrepresented.
I see two sets of dialogue which are needed. The first set is the dialogue between LDS and Evangelicals. The second set is the dialogue occurring among Evangelicals about how to dialogue with LDS, and the dialogue occurring among LDS about how to dialogue with Evangelicals. Both sets are critical and both sets of dialogues can be extremely frustrating. Obviously I have observed a great deal of friction among Evangelicals who disagree on how to dialogue with LDS. However, I have observed various viewpoints among LDS which come out in their comments and discussions with other faiths. I’m interested to know and I hope you share with me more about those areas you feel LDS can work on in these discussions. Perhaps this is a topic we should discuss more.