Chicago Reformed Theology Meetup Group

Dear McCormick community members,

At McCormick we often refer to our four distinctive marks: Ecumenical, Urban, Cross-Cultural, and Reformed. But what does the 'Reformed' mark refer to? What is Reformed theology? Is it only for Presbyterians? Or does Reformed theology make a distinctive contribution to many churches, Christians, and societies, secular and sacred?

For the discussion of Reformed theological texts, ideas, and practices, I am forming a new informal reading and discussion group, the Chicago Reformed Theology Meetup Group. This group is open to any McCormick student, Hyde Park cluster students, ACTS students, and others from Chicago who want to read and discuss Reformed theological texts, both historic and contemporary.

This group is free for users: no tuition, fees, or textbooks to buy. No grades or oral exams to pass. What you need is interest to read and think critically about some classic and contemporary texts by Reformed theologians that have the potential to change our lives. 

Our first meeting is announced below for September 22 at 5 p.m in Third World Cafe on 53rd Street in Hyde Park. You can RSVP on Meetup.com's website where the group is organized. 

Email Bob Cathey for a brief text to read before the first meeting about contemporary interest in Calvin's theology by members of a new generation.

If you can't make the first meeting, not to worry. The Chicago Reformed Theology Meetup Group is free to travel around the city and suburbs to other coffee shops, pubs, restaurants, churches and homes that offer us meeting space. We will do some organizing of calendars, texts, and topics at our first two meetings this fall, open to revision as we go along. I envision this group meeting once every two weeks, but not in December when everyone is quite busy!

Looking forward to finding out what interests you in Reformed theology: creeds, confessions, catechisms, Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Schleiermacher, Barth, Charlotte von Kirschbaum, Reinhold Niebuhr, H. Richard Niebuhr, Letty Russell, G. Wilmore, Moltmann, Bill Placher, W. Brueggemann, et al??? So many good texts, and so little time!

Faithfully, Bob Cathey 773.947.6323 office