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www.labri.org/swiss Swiss Blog – New book: LIVING APOCALYPSE POSTS and Reflections for the Week April, 2008 Newsletter We want to give you an idea of what has been going on at Swiss L’Abri since our last newsletter. The winter term was destined to be unique because so many students wanted to stay for an additional term. Consequently, we were often exceeding our capacity to accommodate everyone. The students ranged from young to middle-aged adults who were either Christians…or agnostics…or maybe even atheists, and they were further distinguished by nationality, educational levels, interests and temperaments. This diversity created a multi-layered community experience for everyone at L’Abri and fostered a broad exchange of ideas about Christianity’s truthfulness and relevance to our lives. In this vein, I recently came across Dr. D. Michael Lindsay’s new book Faith in the Halls of Power where he states that “Evangelicals are also trying to raise the intellectual stature of the next generation of leaders: students and recent college graduates. The best example of this is the L’Abri Fellowship. L’Abri was established by Francis Schaeffer as a place where students could contemplate existential questions in an intellectually and spiritually “safe place” as well as practice Christian living in the company of other believers.” In thinking about this statement, I thought it might be enlightening to interview some of our current students in order to have a clearer understanding of what draws people to L’Abri. So, recently we had a “round-table discussion” with a group of helpers to hear how their experience here has altered their perspective of the reality of Christianity. But, before commenting on their remarks I’d like to paint a picture of what the lecture program was like, because this framed many of our conversations with the students. The lectures this term provided the catalyst for thoughtful, provocative discussion. Dr. Donald Bruce has had a distinguished career in both science and theology and has been a representative for the Church of Scotland in the area of ethics and technology for the past fifteen years. He lectured on the environmental crisis, as well as nanotechnology, highlighting the many ethical challenges we face. His visit coincided with the Calvin College group that studies every January for college credit. These students added a great dimension to the community and they were missed when they had to leave. Thomas presented a series of lectures on the hiddenness of God that generated hours of conversation. Many students are haunted by the lack of a sense of presence of God in their lives. Skillfully explaining what is involved in being “intellectually virtuous” and how this relates to the topic spawned a lot of interest among the students. Richard’s lectures also provoked a great deal of interest by presenting material that is highly relevant to their lives. His various lectures dealing with topics like doubt and authenticity were well received and carried the conversation further. Greg’s many years of academic investigation is always in evidence when he lectures. He is currently writing on the topic of “imagination” and gave a series of lectures tracing the philosophical history of this subject and its relevance to our lives today. His new book Living Apocalypse: A Revelation Reader and A Guide for the Perplexed should be out in May. Karryn complemented his imagination series with an art presentation on the romantic period which coincided with Greg’s lecture on Coleridge and Wordsworth. Karryn also traveled to the English L’Abri to present a lecture on “A Spirituality of Embodiment.” Dr. Bryan Follis and family spent a week with us, and Bryan provided a timely presentation on Francis Schaeffer. He had written a book on Dr. Schaeffer and the students were fascinated by the details of how Schaeffer was able to face his own crisis in belief and become a strong force in support of the truth of Christianity. Bryan, who is an Anglican minister, also conducted a chapel service that was greatly appreciated by everyone, particularly by a group of college students visiting from Columbia Bible College who were able to participate in the service with him. Another guest speaker this term was Dr. Robert Newman. He was here during the Easter season and focused on the nature and reliability of the Gospels. A visitor to L’Abri, Calvin College Prof. James K. A. Smith, came with his family for a week. Jamie’s lectures on science and theology were timely as they dove-tailed with my lectures on naturalism. He presented a general view of the kind of discussions taking place in this arena, and I took a closer look at some of the main players in the discussion, focusing on Richard Dawkins and his recent best-seller The God Delusion. What comes through loud and clear is that theistic belief systems are being profoundly challenged in the 21st century by an aggressive group of elite academic atheists. This brings me back to the “round-table discussion” with the helpers. How did multiple terms at L’Abri impact their lives? We noticed a common thread among some of the helpers. Their natural leadership qualities had propelled them into leadership roles in their churches and various campus ministries and jobs. Because they were inadvertently defined as Christian role models, they were unable to voice or even admit to themselves that questions about Christianity were looming just below the surface. For most of these students, the L’Abri experience was the first time that they felt free to openly express their questions and concerns in a Christian setting. These concerns were layered with spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and practical considerations. Through tutorials, intense study, discussions and lectures, the students realized they were rethinking their questions, as they became more conversant with the current discussions taking place in Christian circles. Their confidence was boosted by exposure to Christians actively engaging their Christian belief system within the various disciplines. This was transformative to these students as they began to grasp the dynamic nature of the Christian faith and its truthfulness. Let me highlight the comments of two helpers that reflect to some degree the unity and diversity of our community. One helper noted that in his college experience, a lecture on a topic like epistemology was merely academic, while at L’Abri, not only were his studies in epistemology intellectually stimulating, but it was framed in a wider living Christian context where it had transformative power for him. Another helper came to L’Abri unsure of his faith and during his time here recognized that in reality he was an agnostic. As one of the younger students here, he expressed that he has “grown and matured so much.” He loved being around people who he was able to respect who also believed in the Truth that Christianity embraces. Both of these examples underscore the importance of a viable Christian community that deals openly and honestly with each other. In my time at L’Abri, I have been struck by the realization of how diverse the students are that pass through this community and yet how similar they are as they face-off against their own personal issues and the prevailing winds of our culture. Each student represents a unique situation that they are coming from, and each has their own set of questions and interests that deserve our individual attention within the context of community. All of which underscores the necessity of a work like L’Abri. Without the continuous guiding hand of the Lord on this work and our constant reliance on His provision, the task of the workers would not be possible. Yours in Christ’s service, George Dr. George R. Diepstra ***All address changes and requests for the Swiss Newsletter and Prayer letter should be sent to our Swiss address or by email to swissmailings@labri.org. ***Tax-free receipts for gifts meant specifically for the work of the Swiss branch are available from Switzerland when the gifts are sent either to Huémoz or to the Rochester address with a note specifying its designation for Swiss L’Abri. *** Swiss Address: L’Abri Fellowship, Chalet Bellevue, 1884 Huémoz, Canton de Vaud, Switzerland . *** U.S. Address: L’Abri Fellowship, 1465 12th Avenue N.E. , Rochester , MN . 55906, USA .
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