WorldView Series—Dr. Kristen Deede Johnson

Trinity was pleased to welcome Dr. Kristen Deede Johnson, associate professor of theology and Christian formation at Western Theological Seminary, to campus on Jan. 16, as the first speaker in the 2017 WorldView series.

The Trinity community had several chances to learn from Johnson, co-author of the Christianity Today 2017 award-winning book, The Justice Calling: Where Passion Meets Perseverance. Johnson gave the meditation at Chapel in the morning, and then gave a lecture the Fireside Room in the afternoon. Additionally, she visited Dr. Steve VanderVeen’s Strategic Management class and had lunch with students.

During Chapel, Johnson reflected on Psalm 103 and offered her thoughts on the “The Gift and the Call of God’s Hesed Love.” While there is no word in English that directly translates from hesed, Johnson said it is often translated as “steadfast love,” “loving kindness,” or “mercy.” “I believe it is one of the most significant words to know when it comes to understanding God’s love and our calling,” she said.

In her afternoon session, Johnson spoke about how to integrate the call to justice in each person’s individual calling. “The Justice Calling is not really a how-to, but a why-to book,” she said. “It’s about why are we called to care about injustice in this world.”

WorldView is Trinity’s annual community and college series for film, word, current events and music. Upcoming WorldView sessions and speakers include:

• Thursday, Feb. 16
  Tim Brown, retired director of music at Clare College, Cambridge University, England

• Friday, Feb. 24
  John Cotton Richmond, founder of The Human Trafficking Institute

• Wednesday, April 5
  Rahsaan Graham, Sector Director of Child Protection & Education at World Vision

To learn more, visit trnty.edu/worldview