The Quest for Creativity
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Our Guests
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Until recently, Dr. Layton Friesen was the Conference Pastor of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference (EMC). He is now the Academic Dean at Steinbach Bible College and is the author of Secular Violence and the Theo-Drama of Peace.
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Terry Hiebert is the Interim President at Steinbach Bible College.
Terry enjoys teaching theology, ethics, philosophy, and history. He believes that learning is more than just memorizing information or taking notes in class. Rather, the goal of teaching involves students actively engaging in loving God with their minds and hearts. He finds joy in mentoring students and young ministry leaders in pursuing God’s calling in life and ministry. In years as a ministry leader, he has desired a God’s presence for renewing persons and churches.
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Betty is a Conflict, Change, and Leadership Specialist at Credence and Co., with over 28 years of experience as a coach, mediator, trainer, facilitator, consultant and writer. Betty specializes in working with complex challenges, supporting leaders and their organizations to be at their best. Betty’s capacity to care deeply, listen well, and provide wise and thoughtful support allows her to help her clients engage in tough, meaningful, and important conversations, set directions, and achieve positive organizational change. Betty’s PhD (Free University Amsterdam) considers the intersection between conflict transformation and contemplative spirituality.
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Dr. Ronald J. Sider was the founder and President Emeritus of Evangelicals for Social Action and was the Distinguished Professor of Theology, Holistic Ministry and Public Policy at Palmer Theological Seminary. He was the author of numerous books, including the Early Church on Killing and the bestselling book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger. We interviewed Dr. Ronald Sider a few months before his passing in 2022.
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Brian Zahnd is the founding pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri, and the author of ten books. His most recent book is “When Everything’s on Fire.”
Links and Resources
Books
Secular Nonviolence and the Theo-Drama of Peace, by Layton Friesen
The Space Between Us, by Dr. Betty Pries
The Early Church on Killing, by Ronald J. Sider
Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, by Ronald J. Sider
Nonviolent Action: What Christian Ethics Demands, but Most Christians Have Never Really Tried, by Ronald J. Sider
If Jesus is Lord, by Ronald J. Sider
When Everything’s On Fire, by Brian Zahnd
Music
First Communion, Dane Joneshill
(Spotify | YouTube Music)
Long Way Around, Dane Joneshill
(Spotify | YouTube Music | Apple Music)
Links
Notable Quotes
What do Jesus’ examples in Matthew 5 teach us about loving our enemies?
Jesus is calling on the person who's being abused to insist on his dignity, but non-violently. ~Dr. Ronald J. Sider
There's an interesting example actually in that part of the world from somewhere in the last 50 years, where soldiers were coming in to attack a village, and the women went to the outside of the village, and they just undressed, and the soldiers ran away because it was shameful for them to see a naked woman. And so, it's an example of a very creative response, also very biblical response, that made sense in that context. ~Dr. Betty Pries
You want to turn the other cheek, but that means that you're feeling like you're being permissive, and then you jump over and you want to be honest but then you know you're being brutal. So, is there a way of being honest and kind at the same time? ~Dr. Betty Pries
That really throws the perpetrator off balance because they're prepared for violent retaliation. When they are met with this creative expression of a sense of love and forgiveness, then they’re not quite sure what to do with that. ~Brian Zahnd
I think the idea that Jesus is getting at here is don't use the same evil strategies that you see your abuser using… Don't sink to your abuser’s level of evil, and I think the temptation is always to fight fire with fire, to use violence to resist violence. ~Dr. Layton Friesen
I've heard something similar from a ministry leader in the North End of Winnipeg, say at an SBC Chapel that walking throughout his community with a gun was more dangerous than walking throughout his community without one. Even if guns are a last resort, if we possess them, they often become the next resort. If we don't have them then creativity and relying on the spirit of God as our first resort for trying to solve these threatening issues is our best answer. ~Dr. Terry Hiebert
What is true for all Christians at all times everywhere?
I think the day is coming when people who reject all war and have always rejected participating in war, like Mennonites, and those who actually hold to just war principles … I think there is a time that's coming very soon when those two are going to come together and they're going to both say if it's a modern war fought with modern weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear war, well, I don't see how any Christian who abides by either the just war tradition or the pacifist tradition can participate in this. ~Dr. Layton Friesen
The real issue here is, is our Kingdom identity at least as real as our national citizenship? And I think for most Christians, the answer is actually “No, it's not”. But that's the problem. ~Brian Zahnd
I think at the end of the day one of the most profound, and I think provocative messages of the gospel is this idea that you can love people. ~Dr. Betty Pries
The commitment to nonviolence and to loving our enemies doesn't make us superheroes. But it might just make us faithful. ~Dr. Betty Pries
