The Ridley Institute

On the latest episode of The Ridley Podcast, join Sam Fornecker for a chat with Dani Treweek, founding director of the Single Minded ministry and adjunct teacher at Moore Theological College, about the Christian vision of singleness. Dani's recent book on the subject—The Meaning of Singleness: Retrieving an Eschatological Vision for the Contemporary Church (IVP Academic, 2023)—assesses the Church's frequent failure to walk well alongside single people, and argues that the full belonging of single people in the Church must begin with a renewal of the Church's eschatological vision. Listen at
https://bit.ly/48ss1Ys

Travel with the Rev’d Dr. Sam Fornecker, October 18-26, 2024, for Monarchs and Martyrs: An Anglican Reformation Tour. Along with fellowship and fun, our time together will include explorations of key sites of the English Reformation including Oxford, Cambridge, Salisbury, and London, where the English reformers memorialized the Gospel, both by their preaching and by their deaths for the name of Jesus.

Total cost is $5249 with a $500 deposit required to reserve your spot by June 1, 2024.

Sam will be in the foyer of the Ministry Center between services on Sunday, October 8 to answer any questions.

For more information and to register, visit our website at StAndrews.Church, https://bit.ly/48tteyT

There is still time to register for our next Ridley class, Encountering Jesus through the Gospel of Mark, beginning Tuesday, September 19, 6:15 pm - 8:30 pm.

Join us for this six week course that will dive deep into several key passages in Mark as rich resources for learning what it means to follow Jesus today. For more information or to register visit https://bit.ly/48dzxqb or contact Tina Sease ([email protected] or 843.284.4316).

On the next episode of the Ridley Podcast, join Sam Fornecker for a conversation with Paul Louis Metzger, professor of Christian theology and theology of culture at Multnomah University and Seminary, about the role of personhood in Christian ethics. This chat focuses on Paul's remarkable book, More than Things: A Personalist Ethics for a Throwaway Culture (IVP Academic, 2023). The "reader's guide" mentioned in the episode can be found at https://bit.ly/3PvIZOo For a teaser of Sam and Paul's conversation, see https://bit.ly/3PqNzNM , timestamp 4:35.
Listen to the episode at https://bit.ly/44LI4xs

Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? Stephen Tong on the Edwardian Reformation (1547–1553)

Season 3 of The Ridley Podcast kicks off with Steve Tong, History Master at Sydney Grammar School in Sydney, Australia. Drawing on Steve's new book, Building the Church of England: The Book of Common Prayer and the Edwardian Reformation (Brill, 2023), this episode looks at how the English Reformers sought to give visible form to the invisible Church, through a gospel-centered ecclesiology and a Bible-based liturgy—and what these efforts can teach believers today. Listen at https://bit.ly/3QJDqN8

Beginning on Tuesday, September 19 , Randy Forrester will teach our next Ridley class, Encountering Jesus through the Gospel of Mark. Studying one of the four gospels is a vital way to connect with the presence and power of Jesus. In his short action-packed gospel, Mark offers a compelling vision of Christ and his life changing call to "follow me." Join us for this six week course that will dive deep into several key passages in Mark as rich resources for learning what it means to follow Jesus today.
Register now at https://bit.ly/47pQJbz

Join Sam Fornecker, Alice Soulieux-Evans, and Jake Griesel, on the latest episode of the Ridley Podcast, as the gang draw together many of the key themes and insights that have arisen from the seminal reformation texts studied thus far on the New Parker Society series. The New Parker Society series will return after a hiatus, and The Ridley Institute Podcast will be back, Fall 2023! Listen at https://bit.ly/3PBTRKM

Join Sam Fornecker on the latest episode of The Ridley Podcast for a conversation with Brian Rosner (Principal of Ridley College, Melbourne) about how the gospel addresses the collective identity crisis of modern society. Exploring the real-life implications of what scholars call expressive individualism, this conversation looks at how the gospel addresses arguably the most urgent question of modern people: "Who am I?" Find Brian's book at https://bit.ly/42FF0C1 Listen here https://bit.ly/3p9gF9T

On the latest episode of the Ridley Podcast:
"Make good men wish [Christianity] were true," wrote Blaise Pascal, "then show them that it is." Join Sam Fornecker for a chat with Chris Watkin, Associate Professor in French Studies at Monash University, about how a robust understanding of the Bible's story equips Christians to follow Pascal's advice. Introducing listeners to the riot of ideas in Chris's recent book, Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible's Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture, this chat provides tools for engaging more discerningly, charitably, and Christianly with modern life and culture.
Listen at https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/NrFahdKL0zb

New episode of the Ridley Podcast:
In 1556, imprisoned in London's Tower, two Protestant bishops, Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer, encouraged one another through smuggled letters as they awaited the day of their demise. Those letters became the basis of a publication in 1556, which spurred on evangelical believers to stick to Christ, even when their life was at stake. Join Sam Fornecker, Alice Soulieux-Evans, and Jake Griesel for a discussion of this vivid work, and of the scholarly young bishop — Nicholas Ridley — whose love for Christ, and dedication to the truth of the gospel, lit an imperishable flame in England. Listen to the latest episode here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sam-fornecker

There is still time to register for our new Tuesday evening six week Ridley course beginning April 18 at 6:15pm. Come join us for Randy's teaching on The Ten Commandments and deepen your knowledge of this foundational part of Scripture in order to love God with all of one's heart, soul, mind, and strength - and to love one's neighbor as oneself.
Register now at https://www.standrews.church/events/the-ten-commandants/

For more information, contact Tina Sease ([email protected] or 843.284.4316).

Join Abigail Whitehouse and Sam Fornecker on the latest episode of the Ridley Podcast for a conversation with Leah Savas, coauthor with Marvin Olasky of The Story of Abortion in America: A Street-Level History, 1652–2022 (Crossway, 2022). Synthesizing the book's key findings and implications, this conversation equips Christians to (re)integrate reflection on abortion—including its history and attendant present-day realities—into the realm of Christian discipleship. This episode deals with a very sensitive topic, by necessity somewhat graphically; it is not one to listen to within earshot of children. Listen at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sam-fornecker

A new Tuesday evening Ridley course begins April 18. Come join us for Randy's teaching on The Ten Commandments. These ancient words given to Moses on Mount Sinai are a vital source of moral clarity for society and spiritual guidance for followers of Jesus. They help believers encounter God's holiness, live in the freedom of His will, and recognize their need for a Savior. This six-week study will help participants deepen their knowledge of this foundational part of Scripture in order to love God with all of one's heart, soul, mind, and strength - and to love one's neighbor as oneself. Register now at http://wearestandrewsweb.myshelby.org/default.aspx?page=3354&event=1338

Tuesday evenings, April 18-May 23
6:15 - 8:30pm, class starts at 6:45pm
St Andrews Ministry Center
$85 for dinner and class materials, $15 no dinner

For more information, contact Tina Sease ([email protected] or 843.284.4316).

On the latest episode of the Ridley Podcast, Sam Fornecker and pastor/apologist Andrew Fellows discuss why "worldliness" is so poorly understood, and weakly challenged, in contemporary Christianity. Drawing on Fellows' recent book, Smuggling Jesus back into the Church: How the Church Became Worldly, and What to Do about It (IVP, 2022), as well as his experience in Christian leadership (including 21 years with the English L'Abri, and a period as chairman of L'Abri International from 2011–2016), this episode tackles several forms of worldliness besetting the Church — from the allure of the Modern Trinity ("Me, Myself, and I"), to the pervasive politicizing of the Church, to the erosion of evangelical confidence in the power of prayer and the supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit. Listen at bit.ly/3IXLtAg

Join Sam Fornecker for an informational meeting this Sunday, March 12 at 10:10am in Sams Hall about an upcoming historic tour, led by Sam, of important sites of the Anglican Reformation. The tour departs the U.S. on October 17 and returns October 26. The cost is $5049.
For more information contact Tina Sease ([email protected] or 843.284.4316).

On the latest Ridley Podcast, join Sam and political theorist Michael Lamb, to see how St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 A.D.) helps us to navigate the bleak and cynical political culture of our day. Key to Augustine's approach is the virtue of hope — the virtue that prevents one from veering into the ditches of presumption or despair. Michael Lamb serves as F. M. Kirby Foundation Chair of Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University, Executive Director of the Program for Leadership and Character, Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities, and Research Fellow with the Oxford Character Project. His most recent book, A Commonwealth of Hope: Augustine's Political Thought (Princeton University Press, 2022), develops the insights touched on briefly in this conversation. Listen at https://anchor.fm/sam-fornecker/episodes/St--Augustine-and-a-More-Hopeful-Politics--with-Michael-Lamb-e1vcbsl

Interested in learning more about an upcoming English Reformation tour? Please join us on Sunday, March 12 in Sams Hall at 10:10-10:40 am for an informational meeting. Our leader, The Rev. Dr. Sam Fornecker, will discuss the itinerary as well as other details. Departure date is October, 17, 2023, arriving back in the United States October 26, 2023. The cost of this trip is $5049 and includes breakfast and dinner each day, with accommodations in 4 star hotels.

For more information, contact Tina Sease([email protected], 843.284.4316).

Join us for Ridley's next Tuesday night class, Jesus and the Jewish Feasts, beginning February 28. This course, taught by Sam Fornecker, explores how the seven feasts instituted in Leviticus 23 point to Jesus, reveal the Jewish roots of the Christian year, and shed light on the New Testament gospels—all while re-integrating frenetic modern people into a rhythm of life, given by God for our flourishing and His glory. Register NOW at https://www.standrews.church/events/jesus-and-the-jewish-feasts/

In this episode, Sam speaks with Teresa Morgan, McDonald Agape Professor in New Testament and Early Christianity at Yale Divinity School, about the role of trust in the Christian life. Drawing on insights found in Morgan's most recent monograph, 'This Rich Trust': The New Testament and the Theology of Trust (Oxford University Press, 2022), this chat explores what it means to enter into a relationship of trust with God—a relationship in which one gives up trust in one's own judgment, and risks to place oneself in the hands of Jesus. Listen at https://anchor.fm/sam-fornecker/episodes/A-Relationship-of-Trust-with-God--with-Teresa-Morgan-e1u28ra

For those who enjoyed our joint conference on theology and the arts (or you couldn’t attend), check out this arts offering in February!

KAIROS FORUM | TRANSFORMATIONAL
THE SANCTUARY | FEB 18 | 830-NOON
Following on the heels of the Beautiful Conference, we are thrilled and honored to have Wheaton College Art Professor David JP Ho**er as the keynote speaker at our Winter Kairos Forum Feb 18. David will address "Everyday Ordinary Humdrum Transcendence" and the transformational nature of creativity.

We will also hear from The Whisky Couple's Hans Offringa as he will share about his journey as a writer and whiskey connoisseur. We'll start with breakfast, enjoy a short film, and have plenty of time for discussion and fellowship.

Whether you are a Kairos Tribe member or not and regardless of your genre or interest in the arts, you can always expect a rich and rewarding time at a Kairos Forum. Register for this free Forum please at https://www.thekairosgallery.com/transformational

In this latest installment of the New Parker Society, Sam is joined by Jake Griesel and Mark Earngey (Head of Church History at Moore Theological College, Sydney), to discuss selections from the preaching of the English Reformer, Hugh Latimer (c.1487–1555). To follow along with the Sermons on the Cards and the Sermon on the Plough, (see pages 3–24 for the Sermons on the Cards http://www.anglicanlibrary.org/latimer/card/sermon06.htm and 59–78 for the Sermon on the Plough http://anglicanhistory.org/reformation/latimer/sermons/plough.html )

Listen here https://anchor.fm/sam-fornecker

We are excited to PUMP… YOU UP at Bible Boot Camp. Class starts Sunday! https://www.standrews.church/events/bible-boot-camp/

A fabulous weekend with W. David O. Taylor on theology and the arts.

There is still time to register for our new Ridley “Lunch and Learn” class, Bible Boot Camp, January 15 at 12:15pm. We will meet in Sams Hall for this six week course that will build up your core knowledge of scripture — its trustworthiness, overall message, and practical tools to study it for yourself. Trainer Randy will pump…you up! Register now at https://www.standrews.church/events/bible-boot-camp/

The Ridley Institute and Kairos Arts Ministry join to present Beautiful: A Conference on Theology and the Arts. Artists and non-artists alike will enjoy this accessible exploration into the ongoing importance of art in the life of faith. Join us as we hear from keynote speaker, Dr. David Taylor, Associate Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. He will take us on an exploration of visual arts, music and song, and written word/poetry, encouraging us to examine how we think about the arts, and how we can be better stewards of the arts and artists. Learn more at
https://www.thekairosgallery.com/beautiful

Friday, January 6 from 6-8pm*
and
Saturday, January 7 from 8:30 - 11:30 am

*This session includes a special "First Look" preview reception of our next exhibit in the Kairos Gallery, featuring the works of Kreg Yingst.

Conference fee: $15. Registration is required. Register at https://www.thekairosgallery.com/beautiful

Join Sam Fornecker on the next episode of the Ridley Podcast for a chat with D.C. Schindler, Professor of Metaphysics and Anthropology at the John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C., about Christianity's gift to the world—the gift of freedom. Drawing on a wealth of insights in Schindler's new book, Retrieving Freedom: The Christian Appropriation of Classical Tradition (Notre Dame, 2022), this conversation explores vital questions, ranging from the relationship of Jewish and Greek thought to Christianity, to the devastating consequences of affirming half-truths about God and ourselves.

Listen here:
https://anchor.fm/sam-fornecker/episodes/Freedom-Christianitys-Gift-to-the-World--with-D-C--Schindler-e1rjou8

Join us for Ridley’s new class, Bible Boot Camp, a six week Sunday “Lunch and Learn” course. Participants will build up their core knowledge of scripture – its trustworthiness, overall message, and practical tools to study it for yourself. Whether you’re new to the Bible or have been reading it for years, Trainer Randy will pump… you up! Link in bio to register.

Join us for Ridley’s new class, Bible Boot Camp, a six week Sunday “Lunch and Learn” course. Participants will build up their core knowledge of scripture – its trustworthiness, overall message, and practical tools to study it for yourself. Whether you’re new to the Bible or have been reading it for years, Trainer Randy will pump… you up! Register at https://www.standrews.church/events/bible-boot-camp/

In this next episode of the Ridley Podcast, Sam is joined by Micheal O'Siadhail, Distinguished Poet in Residence at Union Theological Seminary, to reflect on themes inspired by O'Siadhail's latest collection of poetry, Testament (Baylor University Press, 2022).
Listen here: https://anchor.fm/sam-fornecker/episodes/Testament--with-Micheal-OSiadhail-e1reree/a-a8urg0b

Testament, with Micheal O'Siadhail by The Ridley Institute Podcast In this episode, Sam is joined by Micheal O'Siadhail, Distinguished Poet in Residence at Union Theological Seminary, to reflect on themes inspired by O'Siadhail's latest collection of poetry, Testament (Baylor University Press, 2022).

Join Sam, Alice, and Jake for a conversation about the English reformer and Marian martyr, John Bradford (1510–1555). In this episode of the New Parker Society series, the team focuses broadly on Bradford's devotional works, homing in especially Bradford's meditations on the Lord's Prayer. Listen at https://anchor.fm/sam-fornecker/episodes/New-Parker-Society--John-Bradfords-Godly-Meditations-on-the-Lords-Prayer-e1ppnp8

We’re excited that our friends at Mere Anglicanism are putting together a great conference for January 2023 on C.S. Lewis!

Friends, we've begun to advertise nationwide––NOW is the time to secure your spot at this conference that brings together an incredible slate of C.S. Lewis scholars. Registration and lodging information is available on the conference website, mereanglicanism.org.

Session talks will be at Charleston Music Hall, located in the heart of Charleston's beautiful Historic District, and St. Philip's Church, just a block away from the City Market in the French Quarter, will host the worship services.

On the next episode of the Ridley Podcast, join Sam, as he sits down with Abigail Favale, professor at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, to discuss the ideas, insights, and stories told in her recent book, The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory (Ignatius, 2022). Among other things, Sam and Abigail discuss the shape of an authentically Christian feminism, the advent and meaning of the "gender paradigm," the gift of sexed personhood, and how Transfiguration meets the deepest desire of our transgender moment. https://anchor.fm/sam-fornecker/episodes/On-Genesis-and-Gender-A-Tale-of-Two-Paradigms--with-Dr--Abigail-Favale-e1o63df

Sam speaks with Simon Gathercole on the latest episode of The Ridley Podcast, Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Cambridge University, on early Christian gospel literature, the theological message uniting the gospels of the New Testament canon, and why The Da Vinci Code is probably not the ideal source for information on Jesus Christ (or, ahem, New Testament scholarship). Listen here https://anchor.fm/sam-fornecker/episodes/On-the-Gospel-and-the-Gospels--with-Professor-Simon-Gathercole-e1nfcva

Join us this fall for our next Ridley class, “I Believe: An Introduction to Theology” as we survey fundamental truths that are essential for Christian faith and discipleship. Begins Tuesday, September 27 at 6:15pm. Link in bio to register.

Sign up for our new class "I Believe: An Introduction to Theology." Tuesdays September 27-November 1.
Register here:
https://www.standrews.church/events/i-believe-an-introduction-to-theology/

In this episode, Sam chats with Michael Niebauer about the theology of mission sketched in his provocative recent book, Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Mission (Lexham Press, 2022). Drawing on lines of thought developed in Virtuous Persuasion, Sam and Mike survey current models of Christian mission, considering where each breaks down theologically, before exploring an alternative model of mission grounded in theological ethics. Drawing on the diverse voices of Thomas Aquinas, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Oliver O'Donovan, this episode introduces listeners to Niebauer's fresh lens on Christian mission, one which will be of immediate use for all Christian missionaries—whether those enjoying Peter's manifest missionary success (Acts 2:37–41) or Stephen's apparent missionary "failure" (Acts 7:54–60). Listen on Spotify, Apple podcast, or Google podcast.

In this episode, Sam chats with Michael Niebauer about the theology of mission sketched in his provocative recent book, Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Mission (Lexham Press, 2022). Drawing on lines of thought developed in Virtuous Persuasion, Sam and Mike survey current models of Christian mission, considering where each breaks down theologically, before exploring an alternative model of mission grounded in theological ethics. Drawing on the diverse voices of Thomas Aquinas, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Oliver O'Donovan, this episode introduces listeners to Niebauer's fresh lens on Christian mission, one which will be of immediate use for all Christian missionaries—whether those enjoying Peter's manifest missionary success (Acts 2:37–41) or Stephen's apparent missionary "failure" (Acts 7:54–60).

New Parker Society :: Thomas Cranmer on the Lord's Supper (1550)

For those desiring to understand Anglican teaching on Holy Communion, one could do worse than turn to the writings of the English reformers themselves. In this episode, Sam Fornecker and Alice Soulieux-Evans revisit the great English reformer, Thomas Cranmer (1489–1556). Having previously examined Cranmer the preacher, this episode considers Cranmer the theologian, as Sam and Alice take listeners on a guided tour through Cranmer's first book-length work, A Defence of the True and Catholick Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ (1550).

Listen to this latest episode at https://buff.ly/3y321l0

Jake Griesel is away for this episode. We look forward to having him back in due course!

Want to follow along as Sam and Alice consider the Defence? Access the version they will be referencing at https://buff.ly/3u9zyc2

In this finale of the inaugural season of The Ridley Institute Podcast, Sam talks with Norman Wirzba, Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theology at Duke Divinity School. Drawing on themes from Wirzba's forthcoming book, Agrarian Spirit: Cultivating Faith, Community, and the Land (University of Notre Dame Press, 2022), Sam and Norman explore how the cultivation of an "agrarian" vision of core Christian spiritual practices — including, but not limited to, prayer and perception — can guide the heart of the Christian into ever-greater alignment with the heart of God. https://buff.ly/3zcZrLu