Religion Commons^™

A Remarkable Journey Of Faith And Perseverance, John Zimmerman

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Ten months ago, Colin Jambekar was sitting through chemotherapy treatments that lasted up to seven hours a day while trying to keep pace with a demanding civil engineering course load.

On May 9, 2026, he walked across the commencement stage at Calvin University as a college graduate, cancer survivor, and conference champion student-athlete.

A Protestant Response To The Pope’S Magnifica Humanitas On Ai, Derek Schuurman

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Pope Leo XIV released his first papal encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on May 25, a roughly 42,000-word document outlining a Catholic response to recent developments in AI. I had been eagerly anticipating this encyclical and spent much of the release day poring over the text. While there have been other Christian efforts to release statements about AI, this is the first comprehensive statement from the Catholic Church. What follows is a summary of the document, followed by my own response.

A Faith And Technology Resource Hub: Building The Christian Engineer’S Bookshelf, Gayle Ermer, Derek Schuurman

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

A wealth of material related to the interactions between faith and technology has been generated over time to help Christian engineers reflect on and evaluate their work and technology development more generally. However, there is currently no central location where this large variety of resources can easily be accessed. This paper will describe the process of developing a faith and technology resource hub. The vision for the hub is that it will include a comprehensive searchable directory of resources addressing faith and technology, as well as a browsable, organized, curated, and annotated set of webpages containing links to particularly important …

Reformational Thought In Three Universities, Derek Schuurman

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

My grandparents, together with other post-WWII Dutch immigrants animated by Kuyperian thinking, immediately began building Christian schools in their new land of Canada. Eventually, they also built Christian universities. Redeemer College was established in 1981, just down the road from the Christian day schools my grandparents helped build.

Learning To Read In Color, Jennifer Fortosis

CTS Student Publications and Creative Works

Over the past five years, I received an unexpected gift that came at an unlikely time. I had stepped away from my role as a worship director to be home with my growing family. When the opportunity to study theology arose, I said yes—one of the costliest “yeses” of my life. Completing the master of divinity at Calvin University demanded much from me and my family, but God’s provision met us at every step.

The “How” Of Christian Scholar’S Review: Addressing Two Academic “Integration” Problems, Matthew D. Lundberg

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Over the past two weeks, my colleagues Margaret Diddams and Perry Glanzer have articulated the mission of Christian Scholar’s Review by considering the “why” and “what” of the journal. In this blog post, I will explore the “how” question—how CSR approaches its mission. (As you might expect, the “how” overlaps considerably with the “what” and “why.”) How does CSR do its work? By taking on two distinct but related “integration” challenges that face Christian scholars and Christian academic institutions.

A Letter To The Future, Derek Schuurman

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

In 2100, our technology will be different, but our basic questions about life, meaning and evil will remain unchanged.

Community Of Open Hands: Reimagining The Classroom Through Beauty, Eunsub Cho

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

One of the boldest decisions that I have ever made as an educator was taking twenty-four middle school students on a camping trip at the end of the school year. We had made our way through a couple of months of astronomy and what better way to conclude the project than to celebrate our learning by gazing at the celestial bodies with our own eyes! My time in the Midwest should have informed me that this was a naive plan, as Michigan skies have a mind of their own. Despite detailed planning, it started drizzling by the time our tents …

Bot-Theology: Inviting, Prosperous, And (In)Authentic Community, Daniel Jesse

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The paper analyzes the theology, emotions, and community formation of the bots who post on YouTube and the people who respond to them. The paper finds that the bots’ theology is evangelical, charismatic, and prosperity-oriented. The paper also finds that the people who respond to the bots are sincere, supportive, and expressive, and that they create a virtual community of faith that is joyful, hopeful, and trusting. The paper suggests that virtual gatherings of Christians need more scholarly attention and that more research is needed on the emotional formation and theological implications of these online interactions.

Making Sense Of And Responding To The Good And Bad Within Psychology: Common Grace And Antithesis As Tools For Psychology, Tyler Greenway, Cory B. Wilson

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

As psychologists and students of psychology make sense of and respond to the good and bad within human behavior and its study, theological tools benefit their discernment. This paper presents two Neocalvinist theological concepts — common grace and antithesis — as tools for psychologists. These concepts help psychologists recognize God’s common gifts to humanity while also identifying what must be corrected. Such applications benefit psychologists in clinical cases and as they consider theoretical frameworks. When used together, these tools encourage us to anticipate both the true, good, and beautiful things in the world and the need at times for redirection. …

Week 6: “I Believe In The Holy Spirit...”, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Week 2: “…In God, The Father Almighty, Creator Of Heaven And Earth.”, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Week 4: “He Suffered Under Pontius Pilate, Was Crucified, Died, And Was Buried; He Descended To Hell.”, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Week 5: “The Third Day He Rose Again From The Dead. He Ascended To Heaven And Is Seated At The Right Hand Of God The Father Almighty. From There He Will Come To Judge The Living And The Dead”, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Week 3: “...In Jesus Christ, His Only Son, Our Lord, Who Was Conceived By The Holy Spirit And Born Of The Virgin Mary”, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Week 7: “I Believe In...The Holy Catholic Church, The Communion Of Saints...”, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Week 1: “I Believe...”, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Week 8: “I Believe In...The Forgiveness Of Sins, The Resurrection Of The Body, And The Life Everlasting. Amen”, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

The Faith We Share: A Study Of The Apostles, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

God And Nature, Kent Ratajeski

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The modern definition of a museum doesn’t capture the institution’s history. The etymology of the word “museum” is from the Greek μουσεῖον (mouseion), an altar or temple dedicated to the Muses, the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. It seems that from their earliest days, museums had a strong religious basis: they were originally places of worship set apart for study and the arts, and “the avenues of acquisition and exhibition were often intertwined with sacred purposes” (2). Later, even during ancient times, and increasingly with the advent of the Enlightenment and the rise of secular …

Flourishing Together, Kate Strater

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Our churches are incomplete without the presence, gifts, and friendship of people with disabilities and their families. Yet many congregations still struggle to gather and worship in ways that welcome these indispensable members. How can our churches become communities of belonging and full participation for people of all abilities? How might we flourish together as one body? More than 100 people convened at Calvin Theological Seminary on the evening of June 25 for a unique “community conversation” on disability and the church. The purpose of the gathering was to explore together how churches throughout the region might become more accessible …

Spiritual And Religious Lay Community Support For Informal Caregivers Of Adults At The End Of Life: A Literature Review, Rachel Lenko

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

• Informal caregivers of adults at the end of life often experience significant physical, psychological, and economic burden because of their caregiving and bereavement (Schulz et al., 2003; Skantharajah et al., 2022) 
• Prior evidence suggests that spirituality and/or religiosity contribute to positive religious coping and improved adjustment to bereavement (Damianakis et al., 2012; Stelzer et al., 2020) 
• Spiritual and religious communities often provide practical and social, in additional to spiritual/religious, support to their members 
• There is limited evidence describing practical and social support from spiritual/religious lay communities for informal caregivers of patients in the terminal phase of a disease

Ai And A Possible Renaissance For Christian Higher Education, Derek Schuurman

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The early Greeks saw the essence of education as Paideia: the process of forming a whole person into an ideal citizen. They emphasized the formation of virtues like prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance in preparation for active citizenship. In Plato’s Republic, we read that “The object of education is to teach us to love what is beautiful,” which involves the shaping of desire.¹ For the Greeks, the purpose of education was training in virtue.

Advent Season And God’S Unchanging Purposes, Isaias D'Oleo-Ochoa

CTS Student Publications and Creative Works

Christian Advent, or Adventus, is the four-week period before Christmas in the Christian liturgical year. Each week encompasses one of the following themes: hope, peace, joy, and love. The Advent season serves as a remembrance of Christ’s incarnation, inviting us to reflect on God’s promises of liberation and salvation. I find a powerful connection between Advent and God’s unchanging purposes since the Advent season is not only about remembrance but also about expectation. We expect Christ’s return. Considering this, I see Advent as a great time to meditate on God’s purposes, which help us prepare our hearts for Christ.

Charity Begins With Zoning Reforms, Mark D. Bjelland

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

When my family moved to Michigan over a decade ago, we were looking for something more than a three-bedroom house in our price range. We wanted a place of beauty, refreshment, and welcome for our children and guests. As newcomers to the state, we took the location seriously. Our previous house lost value due to its small-town setting, so we worried about future property values. As an urban geographer, I mapped changes in demographics and housing prices and created bike and bus travel-time maps from work and schools.

A Life Less Difficult, Jennifer L. Holberg

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Last week I had the opportunity to speak on a faculty panel to our university’s Board of Trustees. Our topic: shared governance. Perhaps your eyes are already glazing over. So, before you scroll away, I want to reassure you that that won’t be the focus of today’s contribution.

A Personal Devil: Another Legacy Of The Reformation, Isaias D'Oleo-Ochoa

CTS Student Publications and Creative Works

Although the topic of the Devil and the Powers was popular in 16th-century Europe, the Reformers briefly discussed the Devil and the origin of evil. Despite the limited discussion, I appreciate the Reformation’s emphasis in presenting the Devil and the Powers as personal beings, whom God initially created good but later got corrupted. I invite readers to remember on Reformation Day the role that the Reformers played in clarifying the figure of the Devil and the Powers, putting aside the popular myths and legends.

Religious, Spiritual, And Cultural Influences Of Dysphagia In The Usa, Emily J. Helder, Elizabeth Oommen, Natalie Bekmetjev, Abigail Mosher, Laura Schipper, Stacia Hoeksema, Katie Georges, Maddie Willemstein, Anna Bierma, Emily Cameron

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Dysphagia, difficulty with swallowing, affects approximately 16% of US adults and can result from conditions such as stroke, neurodegenerative conditions, and cancer. Despite growing emphasis on the intersection of religion/spirituality (R/S) and health, little research has examined these connections in dysphagia. This qualitative study explored the impact of dysphagia on engagement in R/S rituals and communities and access to cultural food traditions. It also examined ways that R/S beliefs shaped coping practices in persons with dysphagia and their caregivers. Data were gathered through focus group sessions as a part of an interprofessional support group. Participants’ dysphagia symptoms were caused by …

The Reformation’S Legacy Continues Shaping Latin America, Isaias D'Oleo-Ochoa

CTS Student Publications and Creative Works

Five hundred years after Luther’s 95 theses, the Latin American society recognizes Protestantism as an important socio-cultural and religious movement that has significantly benefited the Hispanic culture. Fostering religious diversity and speech freedom was one of the major contributions that Protestantism brought to Latin America.

Teaching Science And Technology As Stewardship Of God’S Creation, Fred Haan

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Took place on 9/24/25 at Sekolah Pelita Harapan, Lippo Village in Jakarta, Indonesia. The event was called Integration of Faith and Learning in K-12 Education.