One of my speaking engagements that I'm particularly anticipating for next year is the 2nd annual meeting of the Society of Vineyard Scholars, February 3-5, 2011 in Seattle. The SVS is an exciting new development in a stream of charismatic Christianity that is seeking to encourage faithful, critical reflection for the sake of the kingdom. The folks I know associated with SVS are an emerging crew of young scholars engaged in unabashed theoretical reflection, but coupled with a deep passion for faithful discipleship and witness. So this conference will bring together my interests in philosophical reflection and charismatic spirituality (as embodied, I hope, in my new book, Thinking in Tongues: Pentecostal Contributions to a Christian Philosophy).
And while I expect the conference will be a time of rich academic discussion, I'll be perfectly honest: I'm also looking forward to it as a time of renewal and restoration. It's the one engagement on my calendar that I'm anticipating as also being a time of retreat.
They're a generous, open group, so I encourage folks outside the Vineyard to also consider attending. The theme for 2011 is "By the Renewal of Your Mind: Imagining, Describing, and Enacting the Kingdom of God," and they've just issued a Call for Papers. Check it out.
