Sanctuary Room 2
with Dr. Wesley Avram

In the spirit of our commitment to dialogue and courageous conversations at Pinnacle, Dr. Avram will lead four Wednesdays in our Project: Faith gathering and respond to a few questions that have been current among American Christians of late.  He'll get personal as well as academic, and we'll have an opportunity to interact.  Not the last word, but these gatherings should stir conversation among us all.

Is anybody going to hell? October 30/31
Recent books like Rob Bell's, Love Wins (pub info), and David Bentley Hart's, That All Should be Saved (pub info) have brought the question of our eternal destiny into view.  How should we think Hell as Christians?  Is the idea of an eternal punishment for the lost essential to Christian faith?  What if all are saved?  Is it time to rethink this?

Why, then, did Jesus die? November 6/7
Most preachers and theologians in our tradition have spoken of Jesus's death as the payment of a debt to God the Father, on our behalf.  Is this the only way to think of Christ's death?  And what about his Resurrection?  Is all about us, as individuals, or is it about society—or even the cosmos?  Let's talk, and imagine, and learn about what the church calls "atonement."   

Is the church racist? November 13/14
Discussion of race, racial justice, and racial reconciliation can be difficult.  While it has never gone away, the last few years have brought these questions to America in new ways, and also to Christ's Church.  Our history is being retold, in new ways, and the future of Christian witness reimagined.  Does this matter for us?  Let's think about it, for a few minutes, together.

Can a Muslim be an American (and other interfaith curiosities)? November 20/21
As our culture becomes more and more diverse, can we avoid the social, theological, and political questions of religious pluralism?  What does it mean to say Jesus is Lord and faithfully related to those who disagree, and who claim another sovereignty?  Is the question different for the church than it is for the nation?  Let's think on that together, too.