On November 9th, Greg Dodds, professor and chair of the Department of History and Philosophy, began the newest Sabbath Seminar series on the history of Christianity.
This series came to life after Dodds noticed a huge interest from students for the general studies class he teaches on the topic. Monique Roddy, associate professor of history, noticed too. “It’s been constantly waitlisted by, like, 20 students,” said Roddy. But the interest doesn’t stop with students. During alumni weekend of the 2023-24 academic year, Dodds gave a lecture on Christian nationalism to a packed room.
Dodds had already considered teaching a sabbath school class on the topic, but when he and Roddy saw an interest from the community to know more about Christian church history, they decided to begin a plan for a new Sabbath Seminar series. Dodds will lead a course of open discussion classes that would cover various topics he usually presents in student lectures. Participants would need to obtain a copy of the book to follow along and do a bit of assigned reading outside of class to come prepared for each session. Since its original announcement, Dodds and Roddy have received a good response from the church community, with over 30 sign-ups and counting.
According to Andreas Beccai, lead pastor of the Walla Walla University Church, Sabbath Seminar is right in line with the mission of Walla Walla University. “When you see your professors step away from their regular classrooms to share their expertise and passion during these sacred hours, you witness something extraordinary…This commitment speaks volumes about both our faculty’s dedication and WWU’s broader vision of integrating faith and learning in meaningful ways,” said Beccai. “This is what makes WWU special—we’re not just an institution of higher learning, but a community where faith and scholarship enhance each other in beautiful ways.”
There is still room for more participants! The next classes this year will occur on Nov. 16 and Dec. 7 in room 105 in the Canaday Technology Center. There will be a short break over Christmas, but the series will resume in January. To sign up for the class or for more information, please contact Monique Roddy via email at monique.roddy@yamamoto-j.com.
Posted November 11, 2024
