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American Origins

Thursday, December 6
10:30-12:00

What was the true nature of the American Founding? Did the Founding Generation lay the groundwork for an ongoing experiment in ordered liberty? Or did that first generation of Americans consciously or unconsciously embrace a political program intended to alienate men and women from nature and from each other? How should contemporary Americans understand the legacy and lessons of the Founding?

Panel Participants:
   Jonathan Den Hartog, University of Northwestern
   Jeffrey Polet, Hope College
   Matthew Tuininga, Calvin Seminary

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Belonging in America?

Thursday, December 6
1:00-2:30

“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution.” So begins the U.S. Constitution, in a “promissory note” of sorts, to borrow Martin Luther King’s phrase. But who have “the people” been who belong to this “union”? How well has the American political experiment done in providing not just equal opportunity, but belonging for all? What are the prospects for fulfilling these promises in the future? What are the benchmarks for answering these questions, and is liberalism part of the solution or part of the problem?

Panel Participants:
   Kristin Du Mez, Calvin College
   Mika Edmondson, New City Fellowship
   William Katerberg, Calvin College

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Liberating Technology?

Thursday, December 6
3:00-4:30

Patrick Deneen observes that modern men and women are simultaneously wildly optimistic about the progress of technology and deeply worried about its catastrophic misuse. In what ways has modern technology undermined or encouraged genuine human flourishing?  Is there a connection between our tech habits and our roles as responsible citizens in both the kingdom of God and our particular earthly kingdoms?

Panel Participants:
   Justin Barnard, Union University
   Alan Noble, Oklahoma Baptist University
   Derek Schuurman, Calvin College

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Liberating Markets?

Friday, December 7
9:00-10:30

The free market has been the most liberating force in human history, lifting tens of millions out of poverty and providing the opportunity for unprecedented prosperity and comfort. Or... the free market cultivates a mentality of winners and losers, alienating us not only from the dignity of our work but from our neighbors, and causing us see ourselves more as consumers than as Christians or citizens. Which is it? How can Christians think well about the virtues and vices associated with a free market system?

Panel Participants:
   Samuel Gregg, Acton Institute
   Steven McMullen, Hope College
   Christina McRorie, Creighton University

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Faith and Pluralism

Friday, December 7
11:00-12:30

How should we understand the relationship between liberalism and pluralism? Does liberalism contribute to, complicate, or diminish the possibility of a healthy pluralistic culture? What perspectives or resources­–theological, global, ethical–can we bring to bear on the question of how Christians can live faithfully while sharing spaces with neighbors who do not share the Christian faith?

Panel Participants:
   Kevin den Dulk, Calvin College
   Kristen Deede Johnson, Western Theological Seminary
   Karie Riddle, Calvin College

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