Winter 2025
January 5, 12, and 19
Biblical Theology for a Climate-Changed World
Rob Kugler, Paul S. Wright Professor, Religious Studies & Classics, Lewis & Clark College
Heat waves, droughts, overheated oceans, torrential rains, devastating floods, vast wildfires, and more leave no doubt that ours is a climate-changed world. With that comes the double imperative to adapt to a transformed environment and to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable. Yet on both fronts, from the local to the global, progress is slow if it comes at all. Particularly in America, a deeply rooted and fiercely held commitment to self-determination is among the reasons for our struggle to live cooperatively with nature and generously toward our neighbor. In this brief series we will wrestle with some biblical traditions that call us out of ourselves to simultaneously partner with nature and serve the disadvantaged. We will see how the Christian scriptures provide compelling theology for a climate-changed world.
January 26
Warm Springs: 150 Years and Counting
The Rev. Jim Moiso, Pastor Emeritus, Westminster Presbyterian Church
Our ministry with the Warm Springs was established shortly after the reservation itself . This Presbyterian Church has been an island of safety and hope and faith. We’ll talk about history and trauma, and challenges and opportunities. Join with us in the conversation as we look to God’s future in this precious place.
February 2 and 9
The Doctrine of Discovery and Russian Imperialism
Dr. Dawn Nowacki, Professor Emerita of Political Science, Linfield University
In two class sessions, we explore how actions based on the “doctrine of discovery” played out in the two very different contexts of Russia and the United States. Rather than acquiring far flung external colonies, the Russian state expanded east and south into the contiguous lands of Eurasia from the 14th century into the 20th. This expansion, which the Russian Orthodox Church saw as part of its mission, was accomplished mostly by ethnic Russians designated as superior to the indigenous peoples and even to other Slavs and Balts. Over the centuries, Russia developed into a multi-cultural internal empire whose power hierarchies exist to this day.
Lecture 1 will cover the expansion of the Muscovite state, the incorporation and subjugation of diverse peoples and lands over time. In the justifications for expansion, we see parallels with the doctrine of discovery in terms of civilizing, Christianizing and land use narratives. We discuss parallels with the settling of the American West as justified by the doctrine with the settling of Siberia in the context of the symbiotic relationship between the Orthodox Church and tsarism.
Lecture 2 focuses on Russian Alaska as an example of church/state cooperation for claiming and exploiting that territory in the 18th – 19th centuries. While the terminology used might be different, there are marked similarities in Russian imperial policies around the “doctrine of discovery” idea related to land title as well as to the treatment of indigenous peoples. At the same time, the Orthodox Archbishop in Sitka appears to have related to indigenous peoples with more humanity than what was demonstrated in US territories. Native peoples ultimately retained control of their lands before the “sale” of Alaska to the US. Finally, we examine the implications of Russian imperial domination for the present, including in Ukraine.
February 16, 23, and March 2
Problem of Evil and Punishment
Alan Bernstein, Ph. D.
Alan Bernstein is a professor emeritus of medieval history at University of Arizona. He also taught at Stanford. He is the author of two books on the history of the belief in hell, The Formation of Hell (1993), which traces belief in punishment after death from its origins to its articulation in early Christian writing, and Hell and Its Rivals (2017), which shows patristic Christianity, rabbinic Judaism, and early Islam each taught eternal suffering for the wicked. He has a website dedicated to altruism and its implications for public policy: www.tempoandhup.com.
The first Sunday will focus on the character of Satan in (chronological order) Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (with a mention of other religions). The second Sunday will focus on the conceptions of Hell, again in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, with a mention of other religions. The third Sunday will look at modern punishment with the focus on the incarceration system in America today.
Previous Class Recordings
The Adult Education Committee is pleased to offer recordings of many recent classes. The recordings are available here.
Toothmarks on the Lectionary
Every Sunday, 9:15-10:15 a.m., in Room A. Morning participants will read the Bible texts for the 10:30 a.m. worship service that day. Classes include pastoral participation and background material to help prepare more fully for worship and listening to the sermon.
“Exploring Membership” Classes
Whether or not you’re ready to become a Westminster member, in our “Exploring Membership” classes you are invited to learn what it means to be Presbyterian and consider opportunities for spiritual growth and meaningful mission. These classes are generally offered in spring and fall, either on Saturdays or Sundays. Childcare may be available on request. There is no charge to attend, but advance registration is requested so we can adequately prepare. For more information, please contact Alaina Smith in the church office.
Church Library
Westminster Presbyterian Church has a library with a wide variety of books. You don’t need to be a church member to use the library. The library is located on the ground floor of the church near the 16th Street entrance. You are welcome to browse through the bookcases and table displays.
We recently updated and remodeled the library. It’s both an organized resource area as well as a place to meet in a cozy, relaxed atmosphere.
If you have any question, please contact the church office during weekdays at 503-287-1289. Please note that our library is no longer taking book donations.
Additional Opportunities
We have more educational activities offered in small-group settings, including a variety of book groups. Please check out our Community Life page for more information.