Institute for Christian Studies

Last week, Beth Green began her tenure as president of the Institute for Christian Studies. In this week's Substack article, she reflects on what it takes to leave one place well and arrive somewhere new, and what an institution's goodbyes reveal about it.

You can find the full article at: https://instituteforchristianstudies.substack.com/p/introductions-and-farewells

What does it mean to say, “Enough is enough”?

Tomorrow, join authors Matthew Bernico and Dean Dettloff for the launch of *Enough Is Enough: Degrowth, Capitalism, and Liberation Theology*—a thought-provoking exploration of economics, climate justice, faith, and the pursuit of a more humane and sustainable future.

This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from the authors, engage with their ideas, and join a timely conversation about the challenges facing our communities and our common home.

📅 Wednesday, June 24, 2026
🕡 6:30–8:30 PM ET
📍 Knox College, Classroom 4, Toronto

Can't attend? You can still continue the conversation by reading the book.

Purchase your copy here: bit.ly/Enoug-his-Enough

On Saturday, April 18, we gathered in Burlington to launch Cultivating Learning Communities of Belonging by Dr. Edith van der Boom. The room was full of educators, friends, and big conversations about belonging, racial justice, Indigenous perspectives, and restorative practices.

Edith shared her vision for schools where every student is seen, valued, and free to flourish in community.

Want to keep learning together? Edith is teaching Christian Deeper Learning: From Wonder to Inquiry to Practise this Summer 2026.

For more information go to https://courses.icscanada.edu.

To register, email [email protected]. We'd love to learn alongside you!

In this week's article, Ron Kuipers sits with a promise from Isaiah 42, light for people walking an unknown road, and asks an uncomfortable question: what does that promise actually sound like to someone in the dark right now? To hunger strikers inside an ICE facility? To the thousands of parents pulled away from their kids?
With Hannah Arendt and the philosopher Byung-Chul Han as guides, Ron makes the case that hope is not a soft, passive comfort. It is restless and costly, a single candle lit in a dark room that makes the next one easier to light.

Read the full article at: https://open.substack.com/pub/instituteforchristianstudies/p/light-for-the-dark-road-ahead

The Contemplative Life in the Age of Distraction — a new six-week online seminar with Jacob Benjamins, beginning June 16. Together we'll explore digital fasting, deep reading, time in nature, and silence, alongside readings from Simone Weil, Teresa of Ávila, Abraham Joshua Heschel, and Martin Laird.

A low-pressure space for lifelong learners to think about the promise and the difficulty of contemplative life today.

Register: https://f2bf.icscanada.edu/courses

Congratulations, Class of 2026!

What a night to remember! We are so proud of every one of our graduates who walked across the stage on Friday, May 29.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to the families, friends, and faculty who made this celebration unforgettable. Your support means the world to us.

Swipe through a few highlights from the evening and to see the full celebration, read messages, see the full gallery, and relive the moment, visit:

https://icscanada.edu/congratulations-2026

Here's to the futures you'll build and the dreams you'll chase. The best is yet to come!