The theme for the Table Conference centered around the earthly political sphere in which all Christians abide. Beginning Friday, Sept. 16 and ending Saturday, Sept. 17, the conference consisted of several prestigious speakers, many of whom spoke on the theme with authority and spiritual soundness.
Love and humility
According to director Evan Rosa, the goal of the conference revolved around instructing and encouraging everyday Christians in the ways of balancing politics and faith without having to sacrifice either. Advertisement for the conference began Monday, Sept. 12, with fliers, banners and an information table. One person manning the table, first year philosophy master’s student Joseph Taub, explains how timely the conference has proven.
“Given the state of contention in today’s politics, I think it’s very timely and appropriate,” Taub said. “Love and humility are God’s modus operandi, that’s how he works. If we weren’t pursuing those then we aren’t pursuing his mission.”
The choice of theme came down to the relevance of topics Biola students want to hear and learn about. Connor Pfaff, freshman biblical studies major, came to the final session of the conference the evening of Saturday, Sept. 17 for instruction and direction in the way of the Christian in the political sphere.
“I just feel like it’s important for me to try to stay informed and find out what the church’s role is in politics and specifically how we can express love despite everything that’s going on around us,” Pfaff said.
Faculty and students attended many conference sessions for that very reason. Chase Andre, professor of communications, decided to come to the conference with his wife Alicia to learn more about the Christian response to national politics. The conference proved to offer more than just the Christian perspective on politics, with speakers touching on the influence of art as well as women’s rights and the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
A continuation of liturgy the Brilliance
“There’s never a time when love and humility is not timely. We as Christians, that should be our banner and what we march and carry. It’s what Jesus called us to and it’s what we are commanded to live out,” Andre said.
Along the same vein, CCT staff member and senior philosophy major Abigail Arnold emphasized the importance of the conference and the wide variety of diverse speakers available to faculty and students alike. Since all members of the Biola community — as well as anyone outside the community — have access to CCT conferences, renowned speakers give voice to issues they find passion in.
“I think that some of their themes have overlapped, which has been nice to get some continuity. And I can definitely see how humility and love in the context of community is coming out in all of their talks, but they’re doing in from different spectrums and lenses,” Arnold said.
A continuation of liturgy the Brilliance led the group to partake in musical worship several times a day. More often than not, the songs and unity they provided gave a sense of solidarity to all those willing to meet for such an important discussion.
Daniel Louros, sophomore biblical studies major, expressed a need for the conversation to revolve primarily around the calling of Christ in politics rather than simply politics as an independent entity.
“When Evan Rosa mentioned that he asked people not to mention candidates’ names, that was something I appreciated because it was like, ‘Oh yeah, what if politics is more than just Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump?’” Louros said. “I think [CCT] is one of the coolest things Biola has to offer. … Hearing especially about politics, in the context of being Christians and living life.”
