Adventist Voices by Spectrum: The Journal of the Adventist Forum

Concluding our tripartite conversation through Dr. Richard Rice’s intellectual and publishing history, in this third episode we discuss his 2014 book Suffering and the Search for Meaning (InterVarsity Press Academic). Perhaps his most widely read work, in discussing it Rice shares brief summaries of the major contemporary theological and philosophical responses to the problem of pain. We also reflect on his life and what’s next for one of progressive Adventism’s most prolific living scholars.

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On this episode of Imago Gei, Randi Robertson discusses her journey as a trans woman married to her college sweetheart and working as an Air Force pilot for 22 years as well as an instructor for a Christian university. As we end Women's Month, we are going out with thoughtful consideration over gender and the implications of being a woman or trans woman both in the church and in society.

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New Upper Columbia Conference President David Jamieson shares the vision for community engagement drives his ministry.

He talks about his twenty years leading the Church in the Valley’s growth through a wide range of services opportunities for members called Acts of Kindness.

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"What do I do with the mad that I feel when I feel so mad I could bite!" Mr. Rogers shared this piece of therapeutic children's music at Congress back in 1969. Today, we are still learning how to manage emotions, especially regarding the church and LGBTQ matters. So why are we all so TRIGGERED? Spiritual Care Provider Roxan and Kendra Arsenault M.Div. dive into the world of feelings, theology, and LGBTQ identities to explore what about gayness makes us so mad, scared, and grieved. We also discuss how we can all do a little better at honoring our feelings. Word of the week is Spiritual Bypassing. How have our favorite religious shortcuts, "God is good," "God would never give me more than I can handle," "In this life, we are meant to suffer to receive a heavenly reward," turned into a way of circumventing the difficult task of dealing with our humanity? Turns out, we might not be that spiritual, after all. Pastoral care for LGBTQ church members is essential. So this week, we provide practical training for pastors, elders, and spiritual leaders to help them understand and better care for the LGBTQ community. 

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We discuss her early work as a nurse, her career as a professor in the School of Allied Health Professions, her love for the arts, and the pedagogical approaches she wrote about in her book, Hitting Pause: 65 Lecture Breaks to Refresh and Reinforce Learning.

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In 1987 the Seventh-day Adventist church sued SDA Kinship International claiming trademark infringement for using the name "SDA". The lawsuit has had ripple effects throughout the LGBTQ community and their continued relationship with the church. After participating in a grueling trial, many left the institution  never to return. Others saw this victory as a landmark that one's religious identity does not exist with the institution, but with people. On this episode I talk with Floyd Poenitz, president of SDA Kinship International regarding the history of SDA Kinship and what more we still have to learn from affirming LGBTQ lives. 

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Was David bisexual? Is Sodom and Gomorrah really a reference to homosexuality or something else? On this episode of Imago Gei, Kendra Arsenault talks with Matthew Korpman about his book Saying No to God and the insights he shares in his chapter "Saying No to Homophobia." There has often been controversy in the Christian community regarding whether or not Jonathan and David shared more than a strictly platonic relationship. So what would it mean if David really was bisexual? Would that change our perception of this Biblical icon? We also discuss the often referred to example of Sodom and Gomorrah, which has often is a story often leveraged against the LGBTQ community. So is Sodom and Gomorrah really a cautionary tale towards the LGBTQ community or is there another possible reading of the text? 

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Pastor Alex Golovenko was born in Ukraine and leads the Windsor Seventh-day Adventist church in Canada. He shares how the Russian invasion is affecting his own family and the larger Ukrainian Adventist community. He discusses the violence, the parameters of a just response, and offers some hope via his favorite scripture.

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Civil rights attorney Amanda Ghannam and Kendra Arsenault discuss why LGBTQ Discrimination at religious institutions is legal unfortunately. Prosecution of LGBTQ discrimination cases in religious settings is so difficult due to First Amendment complications. So what is the history of LGBTQ legislation and what is the possibility for legislative change in the future?

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Troubled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Charles Scriven and Ron Osborn discuss violence, moral deflation, and the responsibility to protect.

Both have published books exploring versions of Christian pacifism, Scriven’s The Promise of Peace, and Osborn’s Anarchy and Apocalypse. In this discussion they revisit their earlier work in light of the Ukrainian tragedy and explore despair and hope while addressing the question: how should one individually and collectively act?

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