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Newsletter | Summer 2003

Greetings from the President, Dr. John Patrick

This newsletter comes to you after another very successful year. Augustine College is continuing in its counter-cultural ways, insisting, like Augustine himself, that the gift of faith precedes the understanding of the mind. Perhaps we ought not to survive with so quaint and out-dated an educational philosophy and the only reason we remain is beyond anything we do in our own strength. We give God the glory for another wonderful and challenging year and for the way in which many of you receiving this letter have been moved to help. Join with us in praying and sharing in the ministry of Augustine College this coming year. We hope to see many of you at the College events in 2003/4.

Summer at Augustine

Thirty physicians and their families were with us at Augustine College over a period of two weeks in June for the CMDA-CMDS Conference. Joined by faculty and families we numbered 56 people for the final meal together on Friday evening prior to a day at the Patrick's farm. The Modules we offered this year were The Graeco-Roman Period and The Early Middle Ages. We were pleased Edith Humphrey joined us again this year. And, since some of the professors and staff took no honorarium this year, the profit, even though numbers were down for the first module and even after the inevitable SARS cancellations, was almost $15,000 for the college. We thank everyone involved most sincerely for their efforts in providing challenging lectures, good discussion, excellent food and congenial company which was much appreciated. Next year we intend to offer the Renaissance Period and possibly a study tour of Asia Minor. For the young people accompanying their parents we would like to offer an "Introduction to Augustine College" course followed by three days canoeing in Algonquin Park. Please let us know if you are interested in Asia Minor or canoeing!

Faculty News

As Professor of Philosophy and Literary Classics since Augustine College opened six years ago and recently Dean of the College, Graeme Hunter has been much appreciated by us all. Graeme is not teaching a course this year. Frank Johnson also has worked long and hard for the College and we thank him, too. Frank is taking a break from Augustine College but continues to help plan the Visiting Artist programme. Richard Sembera comes to us with Graeme's recommendation and will coordinate the course in Philosophy and Literary Classics with the help of other faculty members, including Graeme Hunter and Professor Manganiello. Ed Bloedow continues to teach Latin and Classics, Doug Hayman Theology, John Patrick the History of Medicine, Science and Faith, David Stewart the History of Art, Wesley Warren the History of Music and Culture, and Mark Whittall the History of Mathematics and Science.

2002/3 Students

This was a remarkable year for the progress and personal development of each of the nine students who graduated this year. Amy Anderson gave the Valedictorian address at the Graduation ceremony at St. Giles' Presbyterian Church. Elisabeth Bachelor was our top student and has gone on to study law at George Mason University and will study law at George Mason University, Virginia. Alicia Hobert will read English at St. Stephen's University and Myra Cottle Science at Trinity Western. Challis Elkink joins Meghan, her sister, at the University of Alberta to study English and Rebecca Sisson is considering a career in linguistics. Amy Anderson is pursuing a Liberal Arts degree at the University of Saskatoon before going into Law. Jasmine Curry is working this year and Jessica Weixler is going to Houghton. Does anyone have news of Sam?

2003/4 Students

We have twelve students coming to Augustine College this September with a possible three more who are in the process of applying. Three of this year's students are in the midst of medical training before going overseas as missionaries. Once again our students come from as far away as Texas in the US and Alberta in Canada. Some students have received their education in the public school system, others through home-schooling, one student has grown up in Pakistan. It is exciting to have these very special individuals with us for a year of formation in which we confidently expect to see them sharpen their writing and debating skills whilst deepening their faith and understanding. We have several very promising inquiries from students hoping to come to Augustine the following year, including a South African medical student who will need financial help. Please send this letter to anyone who you believe might like to help this student.

Most of our prospective students come to Augustine through personal contact with someone from the College. We wish to encourage everyone, students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the college to talk about Augustine College wherever they may go, at every opportunity. Leaflets describing Augustine College are available from the College.

Alumni News

Congratulations to Rebecca Walker a 1999 Augustine College graduate. Rebecca is top student this year in the English Department at Ottawa University and has been awarded an Ontario Graduate Scholarship. She will continue her studies with Dominic Manganiello. Andre Nimigan writes, "It is great to hear that there could be 14 students for this coming year's class at Augustine College! This unique program continues to touch many young people in a life-changing way, and I am grateful for my opportunity to attend the College as a student in the past and participate now as an alumnus. I am currently in my third year of medicine at the University of Western Ontario with a most keen interest in plastic surgery and ophthalmology. I have been in Halifax for two months this summer doing some research and an elective. I look forward to meeting the students this year and taking part in any way that I can." Elisabeth Batchelder writes, "Since I left Augustine, I'm doing much summer reading… Dostoevsky's The Idiot I enjoyed it a great deal. I have spent my summer teaching remedial English classes for ninth graders at the high school where I taught from 2001-2002. I have also become engaged to Matt Akers. We plan to get married in June 2004." We send our congratulation and God's richest blessing to Elisabeth. Rachel Johnson writes, "I have left Chicago, where I have been working since graduating from Wheaton, to move back to Canada to start an MA/PhD program in Art History at the University of Toronto. I never would have thought that David Jeffrey's History of Art and Theology in the Christian West would have set me on this path." Travis Dumsday writes, "I'm currently entering my third year at Carleton University, doing a double major in philosophy and political science. If all goes well, I hope to go to grad school in philosophy in a couple of years, with the eventual goal of teaching. I'm also very involved with pro-life activism, working in both Ottawa Youth for Life and the National Campus Life Network. My year at Augustine was truly a blessing, and I continue to benefit from the intellectual, spiritual and social formation fostered there." Joel Geleynse writes, "I had the opportunity to experience Tyndale College, Redeemer University, work in Christian radio and television, lead a youth group, skate to Christian music for the lunchtime crowd in the food-court of Cambridge mall where they have an ice pad, travel in my VW van around U.S. and Canada doing Christian music concerts, and record my first album.... My aspirations/sense of calling clearly lies in evangelism through the arts, and especially in music that is artistically excellent and communicates God's Truth in a vulnerable, non-patronizing, honest way that is both relevant to listeners, yet is neither the product of a strategy or agenda but something Spirit-driven.  It's a tall order, and I'm terrified to actually TRY for fear of not measuring up."

2002/3 Highlights

This year's Evening Lectures on "Faith and Culture" were well attended throughout the year.
Phil Irish - visiting artist at Augustine this year inspired us with his seascape paintings. Images of his paintings are on www.augustinecollege.org, www.philirish.com, www.brancker.com/philirish.htm. Phil Irish writes, "I have coupled the water imagery… tumultuous water… with tiny images of boats that span human history. The vessels become emblematic of cultures and ways of thinking…. our human efforts… the struggles of communities and individuals… humbled by the magnitude of time and space."

This year's Annual Weston Lecture, "Pre-modern Conscience in a Post-modern World", was given by J. Budziszewski, professor of Government and Philosophy at the University of Texas and author of a number of books including, The Revenge of Conscience and a new book, What We Can't Not Know. J. Budziszewski deliberately and relentlessly insists that his audience recognize that they have common moral truths about right and wrong, truths that our society ignores at its peril.

2003/4 Future Events

You are welcome to join us at Augustine College for any of the college events. Details are available from the college. The Fall Term begins with Commencement on September 6th with an address by Professor Ed Bloedow, a Corn Roast on September 12th and the Annual Hymn Sing, which has been a source of great blessing and encouragement over the past years, at St. Barnabas' Church on October 4th.

During the Winter Term Augustine College is sponsoring a very special event. Dr. Jeremy Begbie will be in Ottawa from March 19th to 22nd. He is Vice-Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge University, where he teaches systematic theology, and Director of "Theology Through the Arts" in the Centre for Advanced Religious and Theological Studies in the Faculty of Divinity. He has also recently been named Reader in Theology at St. Andrews University, Scotland, which is home to a section of the "Theology Through the Arts" programme. Dr. Begbie is known for his teaching at Regent College, Vancouver, speaking engagements with the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship and in a number of universities across North America. He has written or edited a number of important books, most recently, Theology, Music and Time, published by the Cambridge University Press in 2000.

Jeremy Begbie is a remarkable combination of professional musician (piano, oboe, conducting), theologian and priest, being ordained in the Church of England. He is an inspiring lecturer and brilliant performer, bringing not only first-class musicianship but also a true pastor's heart to his unusual ministry to both those in and outside the church. His time among us is intended to illumine and commend the Gospel by a winsome analysis of the ways in which the truth of Christ is embodied in the glories of Western Music-both in its "classical" and in its "popular" expressions.

We are planning two large public events and a number of smaller ones for church musicians working both in the more traditional and the contemporary forms of worship music, for interested pastors, and for all who love music and wish to see how to use this gift from God better as a vehicle for his service.

Encouragement

We raised $50,000 this year through the summer Programme and through generous gifts from individuals and the Weston and Spaenaur Foundations. Please remember that we need to continue to raise $50,000 each year. Come to the AGM this year on October 23rd to find out more about College finances and participatory needs.

Would you like to share in this exciting ministry?


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