According to Redeemer University’s charter, the school exists “for the advancement of learning and dissemination of knowledge on the basis of the Reformed confessions, traditions and perspectives.” Redeemer pursues this purpose by weaving faith into all of life and learning, integrating the Reformed Christian worldview through various initiatives—one of these initiatives being faculty training.
Twice a year, the faculty mentoring program, part of the office of faculty development, hosts a series of workshops that equip faculty to realize Redeemer’s unique Reformed Christian mission in their scholarship and teaching. Directing the faculty mentoring program is Dr. Bill DeJong, faculty chaplain and assistant professor of religion and theology. These workshops explore ways in which Scripture and the Reformed tradition impact teaching, learning and academic inquiry. The most recent series of faculty workshops was held from August 26 to 28, 2024.
The multi-day gathering began with a chapel service, where faculty members worshipped together and vice president, academic Dr. Peter Neumann shared a message on how, by acknowledging the Lord’s sovereignty, Redeemer faculty can cultivate humility, appreciation and patience in the midst of denominational and disciplinary diversity. Neumann shared that, rather than pursuing an “impressive spirituality,” it is important to remember our common mission as Christians and continue in unity.
The Westminster Confession of Faith is identified by the faculty handbook as one of the guiding resources for faculty and their research and teaching and was selected to be the subject of August’s faculty workshops. To teach on the Westminster Confession, Redeemer invited Dr. Sean Michael Lucas, the chancellor’s professor of church history at Reformed Theological Seminary and an active Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) minister in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Lucas delivered three lectures explaining the history of the confession, its key teachings and their relevance for contemporary society, using the example of racial justice to discuss its practical application.
In addition to the chapel service and lectures, the workshops featured a panel on how to understand Generation Z, featuring staff and faculty from across the university, equipping faculty to better understand the way their students think and learn. The workshops also celebrated faculty research and publications in several sessions, with many opportunities for faculty to present papers in various stages of completion and of varying lengths.
In addition to faculty workshops, faculty benefit from the Faculty Fellows program that provides mentoring for new faculty in the Reformed Christian worldview. The program hosts three expert fellows, each representing a distinct disciplinary cluster: arts and humanities, social sciences and natural sciences and mathematics.