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. 

Portrait of George Lindbeck

George A. Lindbeck, 1923-2018

By Wycliffe College Blog

Some of us are fortunate to have one or more teachers in our lives whose influence on us is significant and memorable.  In this blog post, Wycliffe Professor of Systematic Theology, Joseph Mangina writes about one  of his own such teachers, professor George A. Lindbeck.

 

While a student at Yale Divinity School in the late 1970’s, I took a required course on the history of medieval and...

Tue, January 23, 2018

A tool for flourishing ministry - the Wellness Project

Q&A with Wanda Malcolm

The Wellness Project @ Wycliffe aims to assist those—of all denominations—who engage in Christian ministry to gain a deeper understanding of their job-related stresses, and of the things that help them flourish in ministry. A long-term study and assessment tool, the Project is about better understanding the ups and downs of ministry life. Initiated by Wycliffe Professor of Pastoral Psychology, Wanda Malcolm, the Project launched...

Tue, January 16, 2018

Hope for a threatened world

By Ann Jervis

A recent magazine article offers reasons why Donald Trump is President Trump.

The author’s thesis is that America has given way to magical thinking, a willingness to believe, which in his view, precludes thinking and reason. He analyzes such thinking on the parts of the political and cultural left and right. Locating the roots of the left’s anti-rationalism in the 60’s,...

Tue, January 09, 2018

The anguish of mental illness

By Ephraim Radner

Scripture knows about mental illness and its anguish. The great David, God’s anointed, agonized under the emotional dissolution of his mentor Saul—anger, paranoia, melancholy, self-hatred. David’s life was disrupted and even endangered as a result over many years. But most importantly, David lost in Saul’s illness one of his most beloved protectors and a home in which he had come to find friendship and encouragement....

Tue, December 05, 2017

A Conversation with Oliver O’Donovan

Wycliffe College holds a special place in the heart of world-renowned theologian and Christian ethicist, Oliver O’Donovan. He met his wife here 40 years ago; the couple was married in Founders’ Chapel and held their reception on the College grounds. Communications director Patricia Paddey sat with O’Donovan (during his recent visit to the College to teach a course) and recorded their conversation.

Q:  You first taught at Wycliffe in...

Tue, November 28, 2017

A Wycliffe “fixture” says farewell

After 20 years, Wycliffe Business Director Peter Patterson is retiring at the end of this term. Peter’s leadership, expertise, and integrity have been integral to the success of the College; so has his example of humility, discipleship, and faithfulness to his calling. He has never taken a paycheque from Wycliffe, a fact he describes as “evidence of God’s blessing, that God provided some margin,” allowing him and his...

Wed, November 15, 2017

Into the messy places

By: Annette Brownlee

Since The New York Times first published allegations of sexual harassment against Harvey Weinstein by Rose McGowan, Ashely Judd, and others, it seems that each day another big name or names are added to the list of those similarly accused. Hollywood, professional sports, politics. The names are big.

What is easily lost with these headlines is the report that came out in October about employees of...

Tue, November 14, 2017

Introducing Canada’s Newest Bishop-Elect

Arctic priest and Wycliffe College graduate, the Rev. David Lehmann (W94) has been elected bishop of the diocese of Caledonia. Communications director Patricia Paddey spoke to him recently about his faith, his October 25 election, and his hopes for the future.

Q:  Tell us about your earliest awareness of God in your life.

DL: I wasn’t raised as a cradle Anglican. I had limited exposure to church life. But every...

Thu, November 02, 2017

The Rev. David Clark, pictured in June 2017 at the site of the Auschwitz II (Birkenau) concentration camp

The Holocaust, Religious Leadership, and Contemporary Ethics: a Wycliffe Student’s Journey to Germany and Poland

By David Clark

The Rev. David Clark, pictured in June 2017 at the site of the Auschwitz II (Birkenau) concentration camp

This summer, as a Fellow with “Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics” (FASPE), I travelled to Germany and Poland to study the history of the Holocaust and to explore contemporary professional ethics. As FASPE explains, the program provides “business, journalism, law, medical, and seminary students with a 12-day trip...

Tue, October 31, 2017

Judy Paulsen with two other colleauges

Different ways of doing church

By Wycliffe College Blog

Late last month in Sussex, England, Wycliffe’s Professor of Evangelism Judy Paulsen attended an international learning community on Fresh Expressions—a movement that explores different ways of doing church. (Judy is pictured at far left with the other members of the Canadian team, Mark Dunwoody, and Susan Bell. Missing: Rob Dalgleish who was taking the photo.)

The gathering drew together eight multi-denominational teams from Canada, the United States, the United...

Thu, October 19, 2017