The Wycliffe Blog - Vestigia Dei
Vestigia Dei – is a Latin term meaning “traces of God.” As a theological term it is associated with natural theology – that is, the view that there are vestiges of God within creation. We’ve chosen this term as the title of the Wycliffe College blog because our hope is that through these writings, readers might glimpse evidences for God as our writers interact with the wider world.
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Wycliffe graduate leads international outreach ministryBy Connie Chan
The following story was written prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. We recently caught up with Steven, who reports that the ministry it describes has continued via video conference. In fact, he has seen it flourish. New participants have started joining online, some from out of the province, and some from out of the country who hope to learn English with a group of Canadians. During this... |
Wed, July 22, 2020 |
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Words: The Power of Life and DeathBy Sileen Phillips In the wake of anti-Black racism protests around the globe, people have been questioning the public statues and other works of art that surround us for the statements they make, overt or otherwise. In this blog post, Wycliffe student Sileen Phillips responds to news of a call to redesign one of the Queen’s highest honours, saying that the values it communicates are the epitome of evil.
There is a... |
Mon, June 29, 2020 |
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The importance of allyshipBy Brittany Hudson Brittany Hudson is pursuing a Master of Theological Studies in Urban Community Development at Wycliffe College. She is also a community member of L'Arche Toronto. Passionate about justice-seeking, equality, and African-Canadian History, in her free time she plays the ukulele, guitar, and sings.
Allyship is about listening. Listening should never be confused with silence. Listening to Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) voices is an... |
Tue, June 09, 2020 |
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The church: the matrix of change - Part 2By Matthew Waterman This is part two of Matthew Waterman's reflections on the subject of anti-black racism and the church. Read part one here. Matthew graduated with his Master of Divinity from Wycliffe College in 2020.
Today I want to write about a few specific issues that may be obstacles to lasting change in the matter of anti-black racism in our churches. I do not claim to have all the answers... |
Mon, June 08, 2020 |
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The church: the matrix of changeBy Matthew Waterman In the wake of events in Minneapolis, Wycliffe College Principal Stephen Andrews reached out to some of Wycliffe's black students to ask them how they are doing. One student, Matthew Waterman (who graduated from the Master of Divinity program at Wycliffe in 2020) took the time to jot down his thoughts, and he has given Wycliffe permission to share a portion of his reflections here. Matthew writes:
"As for... |
Fri, June 05, 2020 |
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Not the End of the World: On Reading Revelation in a Time of PlagueBy Joseph Mangina Dr. Joseph Mangina wrote the following piece for his parish, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and agreed to share it here.
Disease, death, social lockdown, global depression: for many people, the experience of the novel coronavirus feels like the end of something—maybe even the end of the world as we know it. It is not surprising that the thoughts of many Christians have turned to the book of Revelation, also known as the... |
Fri, May 08, 2020 |
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Abba! Father!By Stephen Chester In the last few weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has introduced a new and deep anxiety and uncertainty into our lives. All kind of features of our daily lives that we formerly could rely upon have been radically altered and we have no idea about what the future holds. In reality, of course, those last two sentences are total nonsense. As very serious as it is, and as devastating and heartbreaking... |
Mon, April 13, 2020 |
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Faith in the Face of AdversityBy Marion Taylor The biblical prophet Habakkuk lived during the troubled last decades of Israel’s southern kingdom. “The Chaldeans [also called Babylonians] that fierce and impetuous nation” threatened to destroy God’s people. They would eventually triumph over Judah in 605 BC and control them for the next 65 years (Habakkuk 1:6). Habakkuk was confused by what he was witnessing and, like Job, he questioned God’s justice: O Lord, how long shall I cry for... |
Mon, April 06, 2020 |
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A Call to Prayer in Times like TheseBy Peter Robinson In the midst of this present crisis one of the greatest gifts the church has for the world is prayer. Not prayer as a way of retreating from, or turning away from, the world, but prayer as means of being more present to the world in the midst of this crisis. In prayer, in worship, we begin with who we are; God’s people seeking to understand how to live out of God’s... |
Mon, March 30, 2020 |
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A Christian Response and Witness in the time of COVID-19By Annette Brownlee On Friday, March 13, 2020—just before the University sent out its directive moving all classes online—several students said to me over the course of the day, “I’ve never been through something like this.” The current global pandemic is unprecedented in the experience of almost everyone living. There have been, to date, greater death tolls (the 1918 flu pandemic killed 50 million worldwide, the 2009 swine flu pandemic killed 150,000 to 575,400 worldwide).... |
Wed, March 18, 2020 |
