March 24, 2020
Dear Friends, Students, and Colleagues of the BTI,

Thank you for subscribing to our Newsletter! In the wake of campus closures and event cancellations we suddenly find ourselves strewn all across the country, perhaps uncertain about our academics, financial situations, jobs, and now long-distance relationships, so we at the BTI Consortium hope to continue to help to connect you with peer-connection and enrichment opportunities through our member schools. Many of our schools are making efforts to translate their event offerings into virtual opportunities through Zoom, Facebook live, or webinar formats and I am working to compile all of those opportunities to share with you! If you know of any online learning, connection, or spiritual enrichment opportunities that might be of interest to the members of the Consortium community, please do not hesitate to send them my way at btinews@bostontheological.org .

If you were hoping to attend an upcoming event that we have publicized in the past, I recommend visiting the event links in our event calendar or the official websites of the hosting organizations to check the status of the event. However, regardless of status, we strongly encourage you to avoid unnecessary external social events and opt for online opportunities instead. It will take all of us to #flattenthecurve and expedite our return to regular everyday life! Visit the CDC Website for further information on what you can do to keep yourself and your neighbors healthy.

Take care of yourselves, friends!
Peace,

Chloe McLaughlin
BTI Consortium Graduate Assistant
Upcoming ONLINE Events
Wednesday, March 25th, 2020. 6:30PM. Paper. Gordon-Conwell. The second forum in the Spring series.What is the relationship between God's nature and his creation? Was creation in line with God's abundant nature and thus inevitable? Or does God's decision to create stem purely from God's will? These are crucial questions and Brendan will be looking at how Thomas Aquinas works out the tension between God's freedom and God's overflowing abundant nature. There will be a paper talk followed by Q&A and discussion. Refreshments will be served. THIS EVENT WILL NOW BE HOSTED VIA FACEBOOK LIVE. Go to Facebook Event HERE
Applications NOW Available, 6 Week Summer Experience, partnership with Boston College STM and Katholische Privatuniversität Linz (KU Linz).
Boston College STM Summer at Linz  is comprised of 2 three-week sessions from  June 29-August 7, 2020 . KU Linz will offer a six-week Theological German course in the mornings and two three-week courses in English, in the afternoon. The two afternoon courses are interdisciplinary in nature, team taught by theology, church history, and art and art history faculty. Non-Boston College STM Students must apply. Interested students should apply online soon and direct questions to Marcia Ryan ( marcia.ryan@bc.edu ). More Information

Thursday March 26, 2020. 8:30-1:00pm. Webinar in 2 Parts. Registration Required. Hosted by Hebrew College. This event will be hosted through Zoom, so please register prior to the event to receive a Zoom access link. This event will be held in sections with breaks in between and will cover topics surrounding Interfaith inclusion within families, Gender and Interfaith Marriage, and Loving our Neighbors.
Thursday, March 26, 2020. 5:30am-7:00pm. Webinar. Boston University.
The 2020 Summer Olympics is scheduled to be held from July 24 to August 9 in Tokyo. With a slogan of the “Recovery Olympics,” the 2020 Tokyo Olympics promotes the recovery of Japan from the Tokyo Electric Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident of March 11, 2011. Due to the spread of COVID-19, the Olympics could postpone to next year or so. However, the risk of radiation exposure and health threats continue regardless of the postponement—the 2020 Tokyo Olympics concerns everyone who joins the global festival where we celebrate humanity in unity. Furthermore, the concern does not stop with the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. Presentations by Dr. Norma Field and Dr. Marco Kaltofen will cover the reality of radioactive contamination in Japan, focused on Tokyo and Fukushima, and the risk of radiation exposure. This event will be hosted through ZOOM.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020. 7:00-9:00 PM. Live-streamed Panel Discussion. Gordon-Conwell.
Fear is a natural response to any crisis, but is it always helpful? How can we separate fact from fiction with COVID-19, and what does Christian belief say in the face of our uncertainty? In this livestream event, we will bring together global thought leaders in the fields of epidemiology, economics, psychology and theology to discuss the technical and the spiritual issues facing our communities. More Information and Join the Livestream
Additional Virtual Events around the Consortium
Wednesday, March 25, 1:00-2:00pm. Info Session. Boston University School of Theology. ​ Curious about Religion and Conflict Transformation? The RCT certificate is only 12 credits and there are many incredible classes that count toward the certificate, including: Spirit & Art of Conflict Transformation (Required); Dismantling White Privilege, Power and Supremacy; Suffering and Healing; Race, Gender and Ethnicity in Church and Society; and Theology and TraumaI; plus internships and Travel Seminars for Contextualized Learning. The RCT Certificate is designed to give you the theory, skills, and experiences To help effect real social transformation. Join for a vibrant, informative discussion that will answer: What is Conflict Transformation? How is it applicable to me in my calling? How can I utilize its theory and practice in my vocation? Why the certificate? Why now? What is the best path to the certificate? THIS EVENT WILL NOW BE HELD VIA ZOOM. Details.
Wednesday, April 1, 2:30-5:15pm. Lecture. Boston University School of Theology. Join the STH Lecture Committee and the Center for Global Christianity and Mission in welcoming Rev. Dr. Casely Essamuah (STH Alumnus, Mission Pastor Bay Community Church, General Secretary of the Global Christian Forum) and Rev. Dr. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson (General Secretary of the Reformed Church of America, Founder of Sojourners, Director of Church & Society for the World Council of Churches) to the School of Theology. THIS EVENT WILL NOW BE HELD ON ZOOM . Details.
Sundays, 11:00am. Online Worship. The Memorial Church at Harvard University. Memorial Church is moving to entirely virtual presence for the time being, but you can join in Sunday worship via WHRB on Sundays or listen to past services through their website archives.
Sundays, 11:00am. Online Worship Opportunities. Marsh Chapel at Boston University. Marsh Chapel is officially closed for in-person Sunday Morning services, but will still hold services through WBUR on Sunday mornings. You can also listen to the services after the fact via their podcast.
External Job Postings
Kids4Peace Boston works to promote interfaith understanding among Jewish, Christian, and Muslim youth in the Boston area through a summer camp and year-round programming. They are currently hiring counselors for their 202 Summer Camp programming. Students of all faith traditions are encouraged to apply. Details and How to Apply
"We are seeking a Ministerial Intern who would like to work closely with our Minister and our Director of Family Ministry. At FRS, we have cultivated a shared ministry model that encourages the creative input of all, with the focus on collaboration, innovation, and spiritual growth. The Intern will assist in planning worship with the Minister, the Director of Family Ministry, the Music Director, and our Worship Arts Committee, and will have an opportunity to be the worship leader approximately once a month. Besides worship and preaching, the internship offers exposure to the governance and administrative elements of church life, to pastoral care, to our youth programs, to our ministries within and beyond the church."
Park Avenue Congregational Church, UCC, Arlington, MA, an Open and Affirming Congregation, seeks a part-time Christian Education Director. At the heart of what PACC offers is a warm welcome and a sense of belonging to all who come through our doors. All of the duties described below ultimately work toward this goal: cultivating a positive, nurturing, healthy relationship with children, youth, and their families so that church becomes a place where they feel loved, valued, and nurtured on their faith journey. At this moment in our church family’s life, we seek a CE Director with the skills to creatively build and sustain our CE Program in the big picture and in the week-to-week (bold ideas welcome!), while also developing strong relationships with our children, youth, and families.  Details and How to Apply
Submission Deadlines for the BTI Newsletter for SPRING 2020: 4/3, 4/17, 5/1. Please send submissions (including graphics) to: btinews@bostontheological.org for inclusion in the newsletter. The BTI Newsletter is sent bi-weekly on Tuesdays.
Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium | www.bostontheological.org

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