Schedule for the 2023 Spring Congress

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CATA Conference Schedule

May 28, 2023

Plenary Session (Remote Live) – 9:00–9:25 in Vanier College-VC 001
Welcome, introduction, prayer

Panel (Remote Live) – 9:30–11:30 in Vanier College-VC 001
“Reckoning with and Reimagining ‘the God of the Bible’: A Conversation about ‘Classical Theism’”
Moderator: Stephen W. Martin, The King’s University
Patrick Franklin, Tyndale University: “God is not a ‘Thing’ in our Universe! Rowan
Williams on the Classic Doctrine of Divine Simplicity.”
Charles Meeks, Northeastern Seminary: “The God of True Conversation: Robert W.
Jenson’s Narrative Metaphysics”
Joshua Harris, The King’s University: “Sub similitudine corporalium: Scripture,
metaphor, and the “classical” synthesis in Thomas Aquinas”
J. Richard Middleton, Northeastern Seminary: “Response”
Open Discussion

Lunch Break – 11:30–1:00

Plenary Session (Remote Live) – 1:00–1:25 in Vanier College-VC 001
CATA Business Session

Break – 1:25–1:45

Parallel Session One (Remote Live) – Preaching – 1:45–3:15 in Vanier College-VC 001
Moderator: Cynthia Westfall
Jeremy McClung, Wycliffe College: “Cultivating Gratitude in Preaching”
Hye Lim Yoon, Emmanuel College: “Other-wise Preachers: Preaching as the Other in
Cross-Racial and Multi-Ethnic Congregations”
Robert Dean, Providence Theological Seminary: “Re-imagining Ethical Preaching”


Parallel Session Two – Practical Theology & Ministry – 1:45–3:15 in Vanier College 115
Moderator: Patrick Franklin
Lee Beach, McMaster Divinity College, “Learning the Language of Exile”
J. Greg Sinclair, McMaster Divinity College, “Welcoming the Other at Willowdale
Christian Reformed Church”
Michael Anderson, Toronto School of Theology, “A Bridge Over Troubled Water:
Accommodating Diverse Baptismal Practices in a Catholic Church”

Parallel Session Three – Biblical Theology and Theology – 1:45–3:15 in Vanier College 116
Moderator: Dustin Burlet
J. Richard Middleton, Northeastern Seminary: “Herod as Pharaoh? Jesus as David?: A
Political Reading of the Prophets in Matthew’s Infancy Narrative.”
Jonathan N. Cleland, Knox College: “The Suffering of Christ in the Suffering of the Church: Peter Martyr Vermigli in Dialogue with Kōsuke Koyama”
Jeff Yaneff, Wycliffe College, “Optimism and Pessimism: The Theological Implications
of Overpopulation and Natural Resource Scarcity in Paul R. Ehrlich and Julian L.
Simon”


Break 3:15–3:30

Parallel Session One (Remote Live) – Theology and Culture – 3:30–5:00 in Vanier College-VC 001

Moderator: Robert Dean
Joshua L.W. Heath, Trinity College: “Cruciformity and Settler Colonialism: Orienting
Non-Indigenous Participation in Decolonization and Reconciliation in Canada”
Christian Clement-Schlimm, Wycliffe College: “‘Between Hopes and Fears’: Identity
and Argument in Olaudah Equiano’s Autobiography”
Dudley Brown, McMaster Divinity College, “On a Foundation of Faith: Andrew White
and Black Uplift”

Parallel Session Two- Practical Theology and Ministry – 3:30–4:30 in Vanier College 115
Moderator: Lee Beach
Andrew Barron, Wycliffe College: “Depression & Anxiety in the Intellectually Disabled:
God’s Response”

Michael Buttrey, Regis College, “Reckoning with the Protestant Abuse Apocalypse: Re-
imagining Church without Moral Externalism, Missional Exceptionalism, and Disembodied Logocentrism”

Parallel Session Three- Old Testament – 3:30–5:00 in Vanier College 116
Moderator: Richard Middleton
Josef Sykora, Northeastern Seminary: “Between the Dead and the Living: Numbers 16–
18 and the Role of Priesthood”
Sungshin Kim, McMaster Divinity College: “Translation Technique and Theology of the
OG-Jonah”
Dustin Burlet, Millar College of the Bible: “Waddya Mean it’s Just Hyperbole! You
Gotta Be Kidding Me! Zeph 1:2–3 and the Genesis Flood”

2023 Spring Congress Call for Papers

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The Executive of the Canadian-American Theological Association (CATA) welcomes proposals for papers to be presented at the May 28, 2023 Annual Meeting to be held in conjunction with the Canadian Congress of the Humanities. The conference will be held at York University, Toronto but it will be possible for some presenters to present remotely.

CATA encourages submission of high-quality papers on any topic of theological relevance to the church. Special consideration will be given to papers that deal with the theme of this years Congress: “Reckonings and Re-Imaginings” https://www.federationhss.ca/en/congress-2023-reckonings-and-re-imaginings. However, topics that fall outside of the specific theme will also be given strong consideration.

Papers for the CATA meeting should be scholarly but not highly specialized presentations of 20–25 minutes, aimed at an audience of scholars from across the spectrum of theological disciplines. We are interpreting theology to include biblical studies; theological readings of Scripture; historical, systematic, philosophical, moral, and pastoral theology; theology that engages culture, the church, and other academic disciplines, etc. Proposals from graduate students are enthusiastically welcomed.

Proposals should be approximately 250 words in length. Please prepare them for blind review and submit as an email attachment, accompanied by a short CV in a separate file. To facilitate anonymous review of proposals, please include your name, institutional affiliation, contact information, and the title of your proposal in the body of your email.

All proposals should be submitted electronically by December 31, 2022 to the address below in Word of PDF format. Please entitle your email “CATA Congress 2023 Paper Proposal.”
Papers chosen for participation will be notified by the end of March.

Email conference paper proposals to:
Dr. Cynthia Long Westfall
President, Canadian-American Theological Association
westfal@mcmaster.ca

2022 Spring Congress

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The Spring Conference of CATA (the Canadian American Theological Association) is at hand! As usual, it is held in conjunction with Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences. This year, as was the case last year, it will be online and will be accessible to you, whatever your location. You will not need to travel in order to participate! To register, log into https://www.federationhss.ca/en/congress/congress-2022/register and follow the steps. Please contact me or Congress if you have any issues.

We are convening on Sunday 15 May at 11:00 a.m. EST. We will start with a welcome and a panel from past CATA presidents including J. Richard Middleton, Gus Konkel and Lee Beach. They will address where we have been and where we are going as a society. Circumstances have come together to create a liminal time and space for CATA to speak into the evangelical church and culture of North America from a global orientation. 

We will have a plenary business session at 2:00 p.m. ETS in which we will present the executive committee, the budget and the status of the CATA journal, and allow time for Q & A. 

The papers attempt to represent the diversity that we affirm. The schedule can be found on the Spring Congress page.

Blessings,

Cynthia Long Westfall

President of CATA on behalf of the Board