The Gravity of Joy
Ready to watch? Press the play button.
Angela Williams Gorrell
Angela Gorrell is an assistant professor of practical theology at Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University. She previously served as an associate research scholar at the Yale Center for Faith and Culture where she worked on the Theology of Joy and the Good Life project. Less than a month into her study, she faced three family tragedies that left her questioning whether joy can exist in a world where suicide and addiction take lives. In her book, The Gravity of Joy, she uses her search for authentic Christian joy to reflect on the larger societal need for joy as a counteragent to the despair present in the twenty-first century. Inviting action in response to the tragedies of addiction and suicide, she articulates a vision for communities that yearn for joy and work together to find it.
Publication(s) for this event
The Gravity of Joy
by
Angela
Williams Gorrell
Eardmans (2021)
Purchase this publication
Have a question for today’s speaker?
- Questions may be sent between 12:30-1:30 p.m. EST.
- Email them to askjseries@calvin.edu
- Tweet them to us with #askjseries.
Thoughts on today's presentation?
Please also take a moment to fill out a short survey to let us know your thoughts.
We are grateful to Holland Home and Howard Miller Company for underwriting this presentation.
About Us
Our Mission
The January Series cultivates deep thought and conversations about important issues of the day in order to inspire cultural renewal and make us better global citizens in God's world.
Background
For over 30 years, the January Series of Calvin University has been one of the leading lecture/cultural arts series in the country. The series has been a three-time recipient of the Silver Bowl Award as the “Best Campus Lecture Series in the U.S.A.” by the International Platform Society. The diversity of presenters and topics has changed as the world of ideas has changed.
The foundation for excellence both in the classroom at Calvin University and at the January Series is the philosophy that an outstanding liberal arts education teaches students how to think, not what to think. We want our students to look at current ideas critically in light of history and creatively with an eye to the future. We support freedom of speech and expression; we encourage faculty, students and the community to listen to viewpoints that differ from their own. Bringing excellent speakers on a wide variety of topics to campus is one very valuable factor of education at Calvin.
Calvin University is a Christian academic community dedicated to rigorous intellectual inquiry. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Calvin has an enrollment of 3,800 curious and inquisitive students. The dynamic liberal arts university has been named a “Best College” by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, The Fisk Guide, The Princeton Review and Washington Monthly. A Calvin education, marked by scholarly engagement with enduring questions and emerging concerns, prepares students to answer God’s call to live and serve in God’s world as agents of renewal.