Thanks to all who attended and helped make our 2025 seminar such a success. We will be posting resources from the seminar here.
In The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Carl Trueman writes, “Every age has had its darkness and its dangers. The task of the Christian is not to whine about the moment in which he or she lives but to understand its problems and respond appropriately to them.” These days we face new and strange questions that require us to understand and respond to them biblically. How do we answer people regarding difficult topics like cancel culture or gender identity?
Covenant Presbyterian Church invites you to our annual seminar where we will discuss important issues Christians face today. Join our panel of pastors from churches across the state as they apply their years of experience and unique perspectives to the following four critical topics in light of Scripture and the Reformed tradition.
Technology Use
ChatGPT debuted widely on November 30, 2023. In 2024, it reached the top ten most visited websites in the world. Its popularity accelerated development of artificial intelligence (AI) in hardware and software companies. These recent advancements in AI have swept companies and individuals into a headlong rush to adopt the latest “AI” everything. Should Christians take a more critical and deliberate analysis of new technologies? How should we think about new trends and their social impact? How will this affect parenting and the next generation? Does using technologies move us closer to God?
Gender Identity
In one way or another, all four of these topics relate to individual identity, but none more so than the controversies over gender identity and what defines a “man” and “woman.” Not that long ago, few people gave serious consideration to the idea of changing one’s gender through surgery. Now, loud voices within the medical and psychological communities, as well as society at large, say that people should respect an individual’s subjective choice of identity, including gender transition surgeries. Gender identity has even begun to reshape how people use language. New terms like “deadnaming” and “non-binary” have generated controversy over gender pronoun use and turned even everyday conversations into a minefield. How should a Christian think about the idea of gender dysphoria? Does the Bible teach about gender? How can a Christian speak to and help those who struggle with issues of gender?
Critical Theory
Cultural theories are lenses through which people view and interpret the world around them. One theory that developed over the last fifty years and has experienced recent popularity and adoption is critical theory. This view holds that systems of power discriminate against minority voices, placing an undue burden on minority groups and tending to silence minority voices. According to this view, these systems are therefore immoral and ought to be abolished. Should Christians consider the government or a system of government a moral agent? How should we respond to the voices that claim injustice and call for deconstruction of historic institutions? What is the biblical view of critical theory?
Cancel Culture
Expressing opinions about companies or individuals through boycotts is an age-old practice. However, the growth of social media has brought a new dynamic as individuals feel increasing pressure to withdraw support from issues and organizations that have social stigmas. Not only do people boycott companies, but they also “cancel” individuals they disagree with. How does this cancel culture trend imitate historic Christian practices? What does this trend say about modern ethics and religious belief? How should Christians think and respond to cancel culture?
Free Registration Required
We welcome your questions. If you have registered, please feel free to submit your questions here.