WHY IS THIS PROGRAM IMPORTANT?
Our vision is to see students built into communities of disciples, transformed by the gospel and impacting the university, the church and society for the glory of Christ.
The IFES vision
Today, discussions about science and religion are dominated by scholars who have spent their careers in elite Western universities and seminaries. Their work has greatly enhanced the quality and richness of these dialogues but does not benefit from the diverse experiences and perspectives of scientists in the Majority World.
There is a need to raise up a new generation of thought leaders and communicators who can creatively address 21st century audiences with integrity, not only in the West but in the entire world. By mentoring, training and funding Catalysts to run Science & Theology projects in Francophone Africa and Latin America, we are seeking to raise up a new generation of students and scholars who will be global thought leaders from the Majority World.
This focus on impacting greater society, coupled with the reach of IFES in over 170 countries around the world, makes IFES national movements ideal contexts for nurturing a new generation of Science and Theology thought leaders and communicators. Catalysts are already part of IFES national movements, so the benefits from this program will be enjoyed by the larger IFES community.
The LCI aims to contribute to the central mission of IFES and accord with its central passion for the Gospel, extending deeper and more fully into our campuses the vision of double-listening that John Stott outlined in 1992:
‘Double listening’… is the faculty of listening to two voices at the same time, the voice of God through Scripture and the voices of men and women around us. These voices will often contradict one another, but our purpose in listening to them both is to discover how they relate to each other. Double listening is indispensable to Christian discipleship and Christian mission.
