Sunday Forum

When & Where

Sundays, September through May 
9:45 – 10:45 am
Shepherd of the Valley (Chapel)
No registration necessary

Listen to previously recorded presentations from 2023-24.
Listen to previously recorded presentations from 2022-23.
Listen to previously recorded presentations from 2021-22.

What to Expect

During the months of September – May, people of all ages are invited to hear professors, teachers, and members of our congregation present topics connected to our faith. There is time set aside for questions at the end of the presentation.

Join the group to learn about upcoming Sunday Forum presentations.

2023-24 Schedule

Tammy Walhof was one of three people representing the ELCA in Dubai (3 more reps were online).

What was the experience like? Why are the ELCA and faith partners from around the world engaged in the United Nations climate work, including participation in the annual COP meetings? What should we all learn from that experience and how should we follow up as churches and advocates? Tammy will answer these questions and much more. JOIN US!!

Tammy Walhof is the Director of Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota. She enjoys hiking and birdwatching. She has worked, lived, and traveled throughout Latin America and been to five African countries, where she learned a great deal about the impacts of our actions on others. In 2022, Tammy and her brother (a forester) went to Iceland, to better understand the impacts of climate change on Arctic regions, and in November Tammy was in Dubai for COP28. Tammy has several decades of advocacy experience through Bread for the World, and Lutheran Advocacy-MN.

We often hear the word ‘stewardship’ used in church contexts in two different ways: either related to how we faithfully use and engage with money, or how we faithfully ‘steward’ and engage with Earth. The premise of EcoFaith brings these spheres together–as Psalm 24:1 proclaims: “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein!” Our everyday decisions as a part of Earth matter–how can we faithfully broaden our notion of stewardship to be more enveloping and practical?

Alex Theship-Rosales uses he/him/his pronouns and is a senior at Luther Seminary in St. Paul–and is totally inspired by EcoFaith! The gift of faith from Christ compels us to live lives of compassion connection to our environments–meaning everyone (rather than every ‘thing’) which surrounds us in different spaces on Earth. Alex has a BA in Environmental Studies with a humanities focus from Gustavus Adolphus College, has studied climate policy and Māori perspectives in Aotearoa (New Zealand), and is currently pursuing ordination as a Deacon in the ELCA through the Minneapolis Area Synod. When not studying or working at his seminary internship site in Dawson, Minnesota, you’ll find Alex cross country running or skiing, hanging with his partner Sarah, painting, practicing his euphonium, cooking plant-based meals, reading, or simply laying in a random field someplace. He is so grateful for the chance to be with you this April to engage in an EcoFaith conversation!

For over a thousand years, this amazing building has been at the intersection of politics, religion, and culture. Known for its remarkable engineering, it has been widely influential in both the Christian and Islamic traditions. This presentation looks closely at Hagia Sophia’s design, construction, materials, decoration, and acoustics—and especially at its changing use over time.

Kristin Anderson is a Professor of Art at Augsburg University in Minneapolis. Her courses include art history and architectural history surveys as well as more specialized offerings such as American Art, Scandinavian Art, and Women and Art. She also teaches a popular course, The Designed Environment, about the architectural and urban history of the Twin Cities.

A graduate of Oberlin College, Kristin has master’s degrees in art history (University of Minnesota) and church history (Luther Seminary) as well as a PhD in American Art, Architecture, and Popular Culture from the University of Minnesota.

The story of the prodigal son has been a popular choice for artists and patrons. Some chose to depict the prodigal’s bawdy behavior and wanton spending, while others emphasized the poverty and hardship that resulted from his dissolute life. Rembrandt’s famous painting shows the prodigal’s return and his father’s welcome in a deeply moving portrayal of love and forgiveness. In this presentation, we will focus on the painting in the context of Rembrandt’s life and career, learning how it stands apart from more typical treatments of the story.

Kristin Anderson is a Professor of Art at Augsburg University in Minneapolis. Her courses include art history and architectural history surveys as well as more specialized offerings such as American Art, Scandinavian Art, and Women and Art. She also teaches a popular course, The Designed Environment, about the architectural and urban history of the Twin Cities.

A graduate of Oberlin College, Kristin has master’s degrees in art history (University of Minnesota) and church history (Luther Seminary) as well as a PhD in American Art, Architecture, and Popular Culture from the University of Minnesota.

The cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris has been famous throughout the centuries as a religious center, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, a place of coronations, and as a tourist attraction, among other things. Sadly, it was heavily damaged in a devastating fire in 2019. This presentation will focus on the building’s site, its importance as an example of the French Gothic style, the restoration plans of the 19th century, and current efforts to bring the building back to life after the 2019 fire.

Kristin Anderson is a Professor of Art at Augsburg University in Minneapolis. Her courses include art history and architectural history surveys as well as more specialized offerings such as American Art, Scandinavian Art, and Women and Art. She also teaches a popular course, The Designed Environment, about the architectural and urban history of the Twin Cities.

A graduate of Oberlin College, Kristin has master’s degrees in art history (University of Minnesota) and church history (Luther Seminary) as well as a PhD in American Art, Architecture, and Popular Culture from the University of Minnesota.

Share this page:

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Join our email list

Join our email list

Text here

Join our email list
Text here
Join our email list
Text here