In-person November Annual Meeting 2026 Program Book

Session 1: 

8:45-9:30am - Abigail Doukhan, "Babel’s Renegade: A Levinasian Reading of Abraham’s Exilic Journey out of Empire"

9:30-10:15am - Jakub Lecki, "The Latter Rain as a Paradigm-Disrupting Witness: Reimagining Christian Identity through Plato and Kuhn"

Session 2: 

10:30-11:15am - Jayden Samiadji, "A Secular Defense of Christian Universalism? Alain Badiou’s Reading of Paul"”

11:15-12:00pm - Michael Swenson, "The Moral Ecology of Algorithms: Christian Identity and the Ethics of AI-Mediated Formation"

Reimagining Christian Identity: Ontology, Truth, and Practice in a Not-So-Secular Age of Empire
Session 3:

1:00-1:45pm - Philip Clayton, "The Elpidic Turn: Liberatory Hope and Revolutionary Resistance as Prophetic Imaginaries"

1:45-2:30pm - Grace Oei, "Truth in the Age of Biopower: Resisting Ideology Through Struggle and Community"

2:30-3:15pm - Timothy Golden, “When Rivers Are Left Alone: A Poetic Reckoning with the Techne of Onto-Theology”

Session 4 (3:30-6:00pm):

James J. Londis & Family Lecturer: James K. A. Smith (Professor of Philosophy, Calvin University)

Participants in the NetVUE Pre-Conference Gathering, "Is Citizenship a Vocation? Loyalty, Protest, Advocacy" are invited for a light breakfast prior to the beginning of the second day of the gathering. If you are interested in participating in this event and have not yet registered, please contact Lynne Spoelhof, NetVUE director of operations, at lspoelhof@cic.edu. NetVUE is an affiliate member of SBL.

Perception, Formation, and the Meaning of Technology 

8:00 – 9:00 am

Paper #1: Sacred Narratives and Silent Lands: Ellen G. White, Indigenous Erasure, and Adventist Memory

Julius Nam, La Sierra University
Summary. This paper examines how Ellen G. White’s portrayal of American origins obscured Native American dispossession, arguing that these historical omissions were foundational to Adventist identity and institutional development. Drawing on postcolonial perspectives, it urges the church to integrate Indigenous histories into its historiography and reframe its mission around justice, reconciliation, and shared belonging.

Paper #2: A Glass or a Wall? Shame Avoidance and the Rise of Chatbots

Marina Garner, Loma Linda University
Summary. Argues that shame-avoidance is a key reason people turn to AI for advice, care, and even relationships, since chatbots offer comfort without the relational risk of being judged. Drawing on Scheff and Bernard Williams on shame, it weighs the benefits and dangers of this dynamic for pastoral care and proposes that the church can offer what AI cannot: a shame-bearing community.

Paper #3: Way-out to too Way-out: A Conservative Church Copes with New Communication Platforms

Gil Valentine, Avondale University
Summary. A historical study of how Adventism has repeatedly adjusted to new communication technologies—from pamphlets and periodicals to photography, film, and television—often perceiving them as threats to identity and witness. It seeks to identify the patterns and processes of discernment that helped the church adapt, offering principles for navigating present and future change.

Discussion (15 minutes)

Room B – Digital Ecclesial Practice
Presiding: Oleg Kostyuk, AdventHealth University
Paper #1: The Jesus Method for Social Media: A New Path for Discipleship in the Digital Neighborhood
Mabio Coelho, Andrews University

Paper #2: Civilizing Narratives in the Digital Church: Data Colonialism and the Future of Adventist Ecclesial Practice 
Jeffrey Gang, Loma Linda University

Paper #3: Reimagining Baptism in the Digital Age: An Exegetical-Theological Analysis of Its Administration in the NT and Its Implications for Online Worship 
Suryanica Aristas Pasuhuk & Malalasoa Daniel Andrianjafimbeloarijaona, Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies

Discussion (15 minutes)

Round out your ETS/SBL experience with breakfast, conversation, and practical training. We're dedicating a morning for leaders and faculty in Christian higher education like you.

• After breakfast, our keynote speaker, Ed Stetzer, dean of Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, will share the latest State of the Church research and what it means for your classroom. Stetzer has spent decades studying trends in American faith and church life, and his research offers a timely, practical lens on Gen Z faith and spiritual openness.
• Next, a faculty panel shows how they use Logos and other tools to enhance teaching, deepen biblical literacy, and foster spiritual growth in students.
• We'll close with a focused Logos training session you can apply immediately in your academic research.

Morning Schedule
8:30–9:00 a.m.—Breakfast and networking
9:00–9:50 a.m.—Keynote with Ed Stetzer: Leading Through the Shift
9:50–10:30 a.m.—Faculty Panel 
10:30–10:45 a.m.—Break
10:45–11:30 a.m.—Logos Training 

Join for the keynote or stay for the full morning. RSVP by October 23rd—space is limited.

RSVP here

Questions? Email Audrianna Cageao (Audrianna.Cageao@Logos.com) or visit the Logos booth.

Lutheran Women in Theological and Religious Studies (LWTRS) gathers annually for scholarship, worship, networking, and friendship.

Who: All Lutheran women and nonbinary scholars in theology and religion are invited, including graduate students, those who teach or study at Lutheran institutions, and/or those who are rostered in the ELCA or ELCIC.

When: Thursday evening—informal networking time (details TBD).

Friday: 8:30am-4:30pm with an optional dinner after.

Location: Champa Arts Center, First Floor, 1245 Champa St. Denver, CO 80204 (across the street from the convention center)

Theme: This year we are reflecting on the Augsburg Confession and how it speaks to us today as we approach its 500th anniversary.

Registration is on a sliding scale. Please contact women.lwtrs@gmail.com for registration information.