§ Spring Courses

A Tradition of Faithfulness: The Story of Fourth Church

Led by Tom Rook, Morgan Simmons, and Betty Bergstrom
Sundays at 9:30 a.m. in Anderson Hall North Balcony A | April 19–May 10 (4 weeks)

Fourth Presbyterian Church stands at the intersection of faith and life in one of America’s most vibrant cities. The history of Fourth Church is woven into the fabric of that great city—from the congregation’s birth in the 1840s to its rise from the ashes of the Great Chicago Fire, from the time of the captains of commerce who had the vision for Fourth Church that we enjoy today to the waves of immigrants who changed the urban landscape, from the tumult of wartime and radical social change to the commitment to be a beacon in the community.

In this course, touching and humorous insights will bring to life the people and heritage of Fourth Church as a Christian community. We’ll relive that rich history through period photos and discussion enhanced by voices from the life of this congregation. We’ll also be among the first to share in the firsthand reminiscences and experiences captured in the Oral History Project. Additionally, we’ll explore the times of John Timothy Stone, Harrison Ray Anderson, and Elam Davies, along with the social forces that set the stage for this “Light in the City.”

Tom Rook is a Parish Associate at Fourth Church.

Morgan Simmons served as Organist and Director of Music at Fourth Church from 1968 to 1995.

Betty Bergstrom, a member of Fourth Church, is a member of the Oral History Committee and former president of the Chicago Lights board.

Islam in the Modern World

Led by Azam Nazamuddin
Sundays at 9:30 a.m. in Anderson Hall South Balcony | April 19–May 10 (4 weeks)

Islamic revival and reform movements largely premise their spiritual and theological underpinnings in relation to European nations and European ideologies. They also draw heavily on the relationship between state and religion. In seeking to better understand Islam in the modern world—and the revival and reform movements that have been shaping it since the nineteenth century—this course will look closely at such key historical events as European colonialism, the 1857 War of Independence in the Indian Subcontinent, World War I, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and
the Iranian Revolution.

Azam Nizamuddin is an attorney in private practice and an adjunct faculty member at Elmhurst College. He is a practicing member of the Islamic faith and has taught several previous courses in the Academy.

Intentional Marriage

Led by Tom Schemper and Elise Magers
Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in Anderson Hall North Balcony A | April 19–May 17 (4 weeks;
no class May 10)

Interested in taking an in-depth look at your marriage? In making informed choices about how you want to grow further as a couple? This course is appropriate for any married couple and offers a unique opportunity to get even better at an already good or getting-better marriage. Couples will join Tom Schemper and Elise Magers of the Lorene Replogle Counseling Center in exploring the following topics:

Sunday April 19: “The Good News and the Bad News about Marriage Today”
Sunday April 26: “You Just Don’t Understand: Why Communication Matters”
Sunday May 3: “Actions Speak Louder Than Words: How to Manage Differences”
Sunday May 17: “How Working on Your Marriage Can Change Your Life”

Tom Schemper is Director and Elise Magers is Assistant Director of the Lorene Replogle
Counseling Center, Fourth Church’s response to the mental health needs of its community.
The Center offers a widely recognized Premarital Seminar program as well as individual
and couples counseling.


Energy, Theology, and the Environment

Led by Radhika Kohlsa, Sabina Shaikh, Faith Bugel, Ted Hiebert
Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in Anderson Hall North Balcony B | April 19–May 10 (4 weeks)

Science. Economics. Environmental policy-making. What do they all have to do with us—and our faith? Four classes, each led by a different subject-matter expert, will examine the challenges that are increasingly facing us and our environment. Through this combination of professional disciplines and insights, we’ll seek clarification of the issues and what we can do, together, to be faithful to our theology, and faithful to the earth.

Radhika Kohlsa lectures on the science of the environment.

Sabina Shaikh lectures on environmental economics.

Faith Bugel is the staff attorney for the Environmental Law and Policy Center.

Ted Hiebert is a professor at McCormick Theological Seminary and is a former director of the Chicago Theological Initiative on Eco-Justice Ministry.


Reflections on the Protestant Reformation

Led by Bruce Rigdon
Sundays at 11:00 a.m. in Anderson Hall South Balcony | April 26–May 10 (3 weeks)

How do we continue in a tradition which is “always being reformed” (semper reformanda)? Find out through delving into the history of the Protestant Reformation. How did the Protestant Reformation affect the political, cultural, and economic life of Europe? What was the religious impact of the Protestant Reformation on theology, church life, and tradition? How does the Protestant Reformation continue to affect our own lives and traditions as well as the traditions of the church of our time? Explore these and other questions in this three-week intensive course.

Bruce Rigdon was Professor of Church History at McCormick Theological Seminary and President of Ecumenical Theological Seminary.

Jewish Contributions to Christian Thought

Led by Evan Moffic
Sundays at 12:30 p.m. in Anderson Hall South Balcony | April 19–May 10 (4 weeks)

This class will explore the work of four Jewish authors and theologians who have made important contributions to theology that have expanded outside Jewish circles and have had particular influence on Christian thought.

April 19: Martin Buber, author of numerous works, including the well-known essay I and Thou, wrote Jewish theological and political works that have had a remarkable impact on Christian theology, social psychology, and the relationship between theology and political theory in the modern world.

April 26: Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was a Jewish theologian who stressed the importance of spirituality and social action. Well known for his books, including Man Is Not Alone and God in Search of Man, he was an active participant in the civil rights movement, alongside Christian leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

May 3: The class will attend the Sunday lecture on Jewish perspectives on the New Testament presented by visiting scholar Amy-Jill Levine. (See Michigan Avenue Forum description.)

May 10: A look at the writing of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, the Jewish author of such important novels as the Holocaust memoir Night.

Evan Moffic is Assistant Rabbi of Chicago Sinai Congregation and has published several w articles in the area of modern Jewish thought and American Jewish history.

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