Here is what's ahead for Thoughtful Faith as we look to this Fall and Winter, 2026 into 2027!
September 29, 6:00 PM: Selected readings from Alexis De Tocqueville’s Democracy in America (1831). In this set of readings we'll follow the observations that De Tocqueville made in 1831 as he traveled across the US, from its urban east to its pioneer west. Are we the same place as then, in any way or form? Join this fascinating exploration!
October 27, 6:00 PM: Selections from Elton Trueblood’s Abraham Lincoln: Theologian of American Anguish (1973). We know much about Abraham Lincoln and many see him as the archetype of what a great president is, and acts toward. But, what of his faith and how it moved him? In the readings and conversation we'll come to a better grasp in this essential area of his life and presidency.
January 26, 6:00 PM: Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s After Ten Years (1942). Written just months before his arrest and eventual execution, Bonhoeffer wrote of the consequences from ten years of Nazi control of Germany and much of Europe. Many of his observations hold true today, despite the changes in names and times. What can we learn, what must we avoid?
February 23, 6:00 PM: Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963). There is a genre of prison writings, from the Apostle Paul, to John Bunyan, to Bonhoeffer, to King and many others. In such reflections there is both deep observation and power. In King's letter from Birmingham, he shares both the perspectives involved in nonviolent resistance and the calling of others to matters of justice. The concerns are still relevant some 60 years later.
March 23, 6:00 PM: Readings from Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning (1959). Called one of the ten most important books of all time, Frankl takes us into the concentration camps of Nazi Germany and the insights that made survival for some possible, while many others simple gave up. Gut-wrenching, instructive and inspiring, this is an essential read and conversation -- for our current lives and times.
REGISTER to join the thoughtful conversations ahead!
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Looking back, here's a quick look at what we discussed for the months of January-March 2026:
January 2026 – Memories that can Guide Us Forward. Might there be a homeward ache for the New Heavens and New Earth embedded in our own memories? What is it about our memories that haunt us forward?
February 2026 – Digital 'Life'. What can we learn from three articles: 1) A 1980's rejection of computers, 2) Two experts on what AI will do to us, and 3) An opinion columnist making the case that technology is making us dumber? Can thoughts (from our computing past) guide us OR how might we seek to redeem what’s here and yet to come? (Listen on our home page to an AI-generated song focusing on Romans 12:2 and TF's focus.)
March 2026 – Alan Jacobs on How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds. What are the principles for both better understanding ourselves, others, and these times AND then, how might we deploy these new thinking skills to be a better people?
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And from Winter/Spring 2025:
Racial Tension -- thinking theologically about race, considering the image of God, sin, and guilt. Also looking at Critical Race Theory, from a scholar's perspective, and how this (and its derivatives) informs our current context. In a divided age, with DEI and other efforts under-fire, what a timely conversation!
We explored and discussed Identity with much said in the cultural/political realm, with conservatives vs progressives, looking at the perceived fluidity of identity, and much more. All with a heart and mind on what can we take away from Biblical insights. A truly insightful conversation!
And with the struggles in Ukraine and Gaza, we examined Just War Theory, gaining insights from antiquity and the 4th century thought of St. Augustine. What did he teach us? These insights were explored! Another great conversation that mattered for God's people!
Register and join the conversations ahead!