Public Forum Series | Fall 2022 — Spring 2023

Christianity’s rise surprised everyone in the ancient world. This strange sect’s claims—a crucified Messiah, a bodily resurrection, and an ethic that held out the equal dignity of every person—all swam against the norms of antiquity. In short, no one saw Christianity coming.

Fast-forward 2,000 years later in the West. The fundamental claims of Christ are not only mostly “ho-hum,” they are often cast as irrelevant to the daily experiences of life. Today people find themselves more likely to be surprised, paradoxically, by the universal experiences of life than the claims of Jesus.

For those raised in religious communities, we are surprised by debilitating doubts. In the midst of abundance and youthfulness, we are surprised when death comes knocking. In a world in which we are told we can do whatever we put our mind to, we are surprised by own failures.

The Flourishing in a Broken World forum series aims to remind us of our personal vulnerabilities and the contingencies of human life, so that we might consider afresh the surprising claims of a world-changing movement that began as a tiny sect in Jerusalem. Could it be that Jesus of Nazareth might just once again surprise us with his answers to the human situation?