Blessings for the NEW YEAR

NEWS FROM TÜBINGEN

by Birgit Hallmann

 In Germany, “business as usual” takes a restful and reflective break during the Christmas and New Year holidays.  It has been quiet at the Institute as I have been able to spend time with my two adult Kids, and  Karen and Dennis spend the Christmas Days with their daughter Mia who was visiting from Portland, Oregon.   
As we embark upon this new year, we do so with the programs of the Institute in full swing.  Colloquium sessions are booked up with presenters for the remainder of the Winter Semester.
From all of us at the Institute and EES, I wish you and your loved ones rich blessings in this new year as we all work in our own ways and callings to serve the ONE who is making all things new. 

Digital Learning Technology Enhancement is progressing

NEWS FROM TÜBINGEN
by Birgit Hallmann

Time is quickly running by and next Sunday we will be celebrating the first of Advent here in Tübingen.

We are in the middle of the busy semester and we have welcomed our first overnight guests to our rooms again.
Our guest this week was Jonas Müller, a doctoral student of Loren Stuckenbruck from the University in Munich. He presented his work on: “The role of Abraham in the Galatian conflict. An introductory question in the context of ancient Judaism“ at the English German Colloquium for New Testament.

Due to a public transport strike, one of our scheduled speakers, Frau Dr. Verena Fugger from Vienna, was unable to travel to Tübingen at the last minute. Thanks to the technology capabilities of our University partners, we were able to shift her lecture to a live online presentation with very short notice.

The renovation and the digital upgrade of our seminar room at the Institute are also progressing very well.

The first furniture has been delivered, the 50+ year-old massive library tables have been disposed of, and all the materials for the digital classroom have been delivered. With the help of Mihail Bolonka from Heiligenkreuz in Austria, we hope to have all of this done before the Christmas break.

We would like to thank everyone, especially Mihail, for their great support in this major project.

1. Before:

2. After:

(If you would like to make a special "end-of-the-year" contribution to help defray the expenses of this mission-critical upgrade, we would be most grateful for this additional help!)

Start of the Winter Semester in Tübingen

NEWS FROM TÜBINGEN

by Dennis Lindsay

The Winter Semester, and with it the new academic year, has now officially begun here Tübingen with a flurry of activities at the University and in the Institute for the Study of Christian Origins. Along with a number of festive and official gatherings of the Theological Faculty (e.g., a "Faculty Cafe" with theology professors and students and a special convocation on Reformation Day, October 31) we are beginning our regular offerings from the Institute. Especially noteworthy is the increasing interest in our German-English Colloquium for New Testament that we offer in partnership with the Protestant Faculty of the University. With almost all of the session time slots and presentations assigned before the start of the semester, Prof. Michael Tilly (our partner from the Protestant Faculty) offered the introductory lecture on the topic: "Faith in Rabbinic Judaism."

We are also making steady progress on the renovation and technology upgrade for our seminar room in the Institute, as reported earlier. We expect everything to be completed during the month of November. We'll keep you posted on this! If you would like to make a special "end-of-the-year" contribution to help defray the expenses of this mission-critical upgrade, we would be most grateful for this additional help!

Digital Learning Education Technology Enhancement

Updates from Tübingen     
by Birgit Hallmann

Digital Learning and Education Technology Enhancement 

During the semester break this summer we were able to pursue a project that had been postponed for some time: The digitization of our seminar room.  We were very fortunate that our partner organization TCM was able to support us with their expertise from the training center in Heiligenkreuz, Austria near Vienna.  The Director of Information Technology there, Mihail Bojonca, was able to come to Tübingen for two days in September to provide a thorough analysis of our technology needs, despite the intensive ongoing courses in Vienna. Here is Mihail’s report from his visit. 

“Date: 8th September 2023

 I had the opportunity to be invited to EES offices in Tübingen, Germany, an affiliate of TCM International Institute. The purpose of my visit was to evaluate the potential for upgrading their work and study room with advanced video conferencing and hybrid learning capabilities. 

Post assessment, I have formulated a specific design that aligns with the room's structure, provided a cost estimate, and recommended necessary modifications. This upgrade is envisioned to strengthen EES's commitment to bridging the gap between researchers and students by eliminating prevailing digital constraints. 

I am grateful for the trust and warm welcome of Birgit Hallman and Dennis Lindsay and for the exciting plans they have for the institute.“ 

Mihail Bojonca, September 8, 2023

 We very much hope that we will be able to complete all further necessary steps by the start of the coming winter semester in late October.

EES Board Chair Meego Remmel in Tübingen

NEWS FROM TÜBINGEN

by Dennis Lindsay

August is a relatively quiet month at the Institute for the Study of Christian Origins, with the University on semester break and most people on vacation. But it is also a time when some important connections can be made, even on the spur of the moment. 

We were delighted this August to welcome Meego Remmel, current Board Chair of the European Evangelistic Society, for a visit to Tübingen. Meego, along with two of his colleagues from the theological seminary in Estonia where Meego teaches, had the opportunity to make a quick trip to Tübingen while attending a conference in Switzerland. 

Dennis and Meego first became acquainted at TCM in Austria during the 1990s when Meego was a student at Haus Edelweiss and Dennis a guest professor. This was Meego's first visit to the Institute and a great opportunity for Dennis to introduce him more fully to the work here—and to the lovely city of Tübingen. 

Dennis Lindsay and Meego Remmel, August 2023