Valentina´s work in Tübingen

 by Birgit Hallmann

We are happy to welcome Ms. Valentina-Andrada Minea, a doctoral student from Romania, who has been spending part of this academic journey doing research here in Tübingen. She’s in the final year of her PhD in Theology at the University of Bucharest.

Valentina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Orthodox Pastoral Theology and a Master’s degree in Systematic Theology, both from Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu. She also completed a postgraduate program in Intercultural Communication in German-Speaking Countries at the same University, a course that further shaped her interest in dialogue across cultures and religious traditions.  She is currently in Tübingen with the support of a research scholarship from “Brot für die Welt”.

She first got in touch with the Institute through the English-German Colloquium, where she met Dennis Lindsay. After a conversation about her research, she was invited to make use of the Stuckenbruck Library—and she’s been coming ever since.

Valentina works often in the library, spending hours reading and writing in the quiet study room. She’s found the environment both peaceful and academically rich.

“It’s such a valuable space for me. There are books here that I simply wouldn’t have access to otherwise, and being able to work in silence has helped me stay focused on my thesis”.

She primarily uses the library’s materials on interreligious dialogue, particularly between Judaism and Christianity, as well as resources on culture and theology. The colloquium discussions have also played a helpful role, offering opportunities to reflect and engage with others on related topics.

Dr. Alexey Volchkov at the Institute

by Dennis Lindsay

We were pleased to host a visit this past month from Dr. Alexey Volchkov. Alexey is a native of St. Petersburg and an ordained Russian Orthodox priest. Because of his critical stance on the war in Ukraine, it is not currently possible for him to serve in his homeland, but here in Tübingen he ministers to a diaspora congregation comprised of both Russian and Ukrainian Christians. Holding a doctoral degree in theology, Alexey is also a research assistant to one of the New Testament professors of the Protestant faculty at the University of Tübingen where he has contributed to a current research project on Nicene Council. He presented a paper in our English-German Colloquium last semester on the topic of "common prayer" at the Council of Nicea (325 AD), and we are looking forward to a further presentation in the upcoming summer semester from his research work on prayers in the "Didache" (early 2nd century). Alexey works regularly with Protestant "free churches" and was delighted to make contact with our Institute for the Study of Christian Origins—a topic close to his heart. We are exploring ways to partner with him and his ministry of reconciliation.

Wintersemester has come to an end

Updates from Tübingen

by Birgit Hallmann

Here in Tübingen, the busy winter semester has come to an end.
The English German Colloquium for New Testament met for the last time in this semester on February 6th when Tübingen doctoral student Lucas Ogden presented a paper entitled: “'Jesus was not a Christian, but a Jew': The Legacy of Wellhausen's Portrayal of the Historical Jesus.”

While many of the foreign students travel home for the semester break, we are already preparing for the new summer semester. The first presentations for next semester’s Colloquium have already been lined up. In addition, we are using this time to work on the publication of last year's Symposium and the integration of books donated to our library by Loren Stuckenbruck. It is with great pleasure that we are also able to pass along some of the duplicate books, some of them very old, to Jim Kautt, pastor of the Christian Church here in Tübingen, and to Dr. Maximilan v. Gerdtell, the great-nephew of Ludwig v. Gerdtell, one of the founders of the EES.

New "Old" books for the Stuckenbruck library

Updates from Tübingen
by Dennis Lindsay

New "Old" Books for the Institute Library! 
We are grateful to Loren and Lois Stuckenbruck for their recent contribution to the Earl and Ottie-Mearl Stuckenbruck Library of several boxes of valuable historic texts. Most of these books stem from the personal library of Earl Stuckenbruck, who founded the Tübingen Institute over six decades ago. The volumes are directly related to the history and heritage of the Stone-Campbell ("Restoration") Movement and provide an important supplement to our existing collection. In our integration of these books into our library, we have created a new section of shelving where these, along with other books related to the Stone-Campbell heritage, form a discreet collection that is easily accessible for scholars interested in the background and theology of the founders and sponsors of the Institute for the Study of Christian Origins.

Nordic-Baltic Prayer Breakfast in Tallinn, Estonia

Updates from Tübingen    

by Dennis Lindsay 

Lauri Hussar
Chairman of the Estonian Parliament (left side)

Ministry Update:
This past November I had the honor and pleasure to attend the Nordic-Baltic Prayer Breakfast in Tallinn, Estonia and to deliver the keynote address on the theme "You are a Letter from Christ" (2 Cor 3:1-4). This prayer breakfast is an annual event and there were members of parliament, church leaders, and dignitaries from over a half dozen countries in the Nordic-Baltic region. The country of Estonia was responsible for this year's event and two of my colleagues/former students from way back in the 1990's were part of the organizing committee (hence the opportunity for me!). I was delighted and impressed at the opening ceremony when the current president of the Estonian Parliament opened his remarks to the gathering by quoting the Greek introduction to the Gospel of John: "In the beginning was the Word..."

Also during my brief visit to Tallinn, I was invited to deliver a special lecture at the Estonian Methodist Church Seminary. I shared with them one of my Chi Rho lectures from October on "The Opposite of Faith and the Rehabilitation of Doubt."