This January, we’ll be having the first annual Los Angeles Theology Conference, a two-day event which you could think of as an intensive class on christology. We’ve got five major theologians doing plenary sessions in the big room, and then talking things over at a final panel discussion (this panel is the part of the conference that I’m most eagerly anticipating). And then there are electives: three different parallel sessions during which you can choose to hear 3 of the 9 shorter papers being presented. You can choose among papers that do their systematic theology in dialogue with more biblical motifs, more historical sources, or in interaction with other doctrines. (See the schedule for details about the sessions.)
All told, you can attend a total of nine presentations (about twelve hours!) on christology at this conference. That’s a lot of doctrine! Or, to put it in academic terms, that’s a whole lot of “contact hours” with professors or “seat time” taking in lectures. We’ve got groups of students coming in from local colleges and seminaries to take advantage of this opportunity for instruction in christology. If you’re a theology student, consider attending the Los Angeles Theology Conference this January 17-18.
If you’re a theology teacher, consider the next step: use this conference as a way of delivering 12 hours of focused instruction on a key doctrine to your students. We’ve set the quality standards very high at LATC on purpose. This conference is a resource that’s worth more than extra credit; it can easily be part of the core academic delivery of a class you’re teaching. With top theologians speaking on a key doctrine in a carefully-sequenced conference, it’s pretty obvious how you can make this worth academic units at your school: Add some basic preliminary reading and a post-conference discussion, plus a final reflection paper, and you’ve got a well-rounded educational experience on the doctrine of christology.
If you need more information or just want to brainstorm about possibilities, e-mail me at fred dot sanders at biola dot edu and let’s talk.
