We had the wonderful opportunity to visit Silicon Valley this past spring break as part of the CEL Immersion trip to California. While we were there, we experienced many contrasting moments that led us to consider our theme of beauty and justice. We engaged with incredible people and technical advancements that made us hopeful for the future. Yet we also observed broken systems that challenged us in our roles as innovators, scholars, entrepreneurs, and, most importantly, as Christians. We saw and smelled vibrant flowers growing in the ruins of Alcatraz, and in the construction site of a Christian rehabilitation ministry– yet outside the doors of some of the world’s most wealthy companies, there are countless people forced to make the streets their home. By sharing our insights through narratives and photos, we hope to explore our experience seeing how God is doing beautiful and just works through his people across the world.
Our project was inspired by individual province research from our current HIS216 History of Ancient Rome class taught by Dr. Hevelone-Harper. My portion of the project focuses on Egypt as a Roman Province and how Egyptian religious culture and art informed that of early Christian communities (St. Catherine's Monastery). I will compare the artistic styles/techniques of Egyptian funerary portraits with some of the earliest Egyptian icons (comparing specifically images of Mary and Isis) and discuss the theme and importance of beauty as it emerged from the diverse landscape of Roman Egypt. Mark Shan will connect the Icon of the Virgin Mary (from St. Catherine's) to the historical dispute about the identity and role of the Virgin Mary. This will be exemplified by Nestorius and Antiochian theologians, which will culminate at the Council of Ephesus (3rd Ecumenical Council). This leads to a further, more serious split among certain churches that see it as a violation of ecclesiastical justice, resulting in the 4th ecumenical council at Chalcedon. Together, we will demonstrate the themes of beauty and justice as they evolved, transforming the theology of the early church.
How do we foster faith formation for young adults within the educational setting in a secular age? Throughout my time at Gordon, I have wrestled with this concept, seeking to gain an understanding of the current state of the world around me. Is there a way to form sacred spaces in which we bring people into the Kingdom of God? I am seeking to explain how we can foster spiritual formation through educating people on spiritual practices and the incarnational tradition.
My thesis will look at how we got to this point of time coined "The Secular Age". This is not a paper that is denouncing the time we live in or trying to divide the sacred and the secular, but I am seeking to reconcile our perspectives on our secular world and invite others to experience faith formation where they are at. There is beauty within this secular age, as there are more opportunities to have unique sacred experiences with those around us. Literature today denounces the faith of young adults, consistently choosing to take an approach to this topic as a whole. It is my goal to reorient our understanding on secularism today, and how we can see God's justice at work within faith formation today.
Restore Creation has invited Josh Nelson, a representative from Casella, to Gordon to present on zero-waste strategy and campus waste services. This presentation will give students and staff insight into how Gordon's waste is processed and managed. It will also highlight practical steps individuals can take to reduce waste. This event builds on the visit to Casella's new recycling facility that the Restore Creation Department made last semester. Our everyday actions have an environmental impact, both locally and globally. By providing an opportunity like this, we aim to empower the Gordon community to make informed decisions and a difference.
When Constantinople fell to Mehmed II in 1453, the question of who inherited the Roman Empire became one of the most contested issues in early modern politics. My thesis examines how both the Ottoman sultans and Russian tsars claimed to be the legitimate successors to Byzantium, each constructing ideological frameworks to justify their assertions. Mehmed II proclaimed himself Kayser-i Rûm (Caesar of Rome), preserved Byzantine administrative structures, and appointed the Ecumenical Patriarch, positioning the Ottoman Empire as Rome continued under new management. Meanwhile, Ivan III of Moscow married Sophia Palaiologina, niece of the last Byzantine emperor, adopted the double-headed eagle, and promoted the "Third Rome" theory that Moscow inherited Byzantium's spiritual and political authority after Constantinople's fall to the "infidels."
This competition connects to "On Beauty & Justice" through the fundamental question both empires faced: what makes imperial succession legitimate and beautiful? Is it dynastic blood, religious orthodoxy, military conquest, or institutional continuity? The beauty of empire, both claimed, lay in bringing diverse peoples under just rule and preserving ancient traditions, yet each empire's vision of justice differed fundamentally. This is my History Honors thesis which grew out of a love for the Roman Empire, political structures, and Church history.
Edna St. Vincent Millay captured well how students of mathematics might think about beauty in her poem, "Euclid Alone Has Looked on Beauty Bare." But there is so much more beautiful mathematics out there than just in the ancient Greek and modern Western traditions we are familiar with! God has created us all able to do math, and this presentation will do justice to sometimes-neglected math from around the world. Our presenters will introduce you to the ancient Chinese "Nine Chapters on Mathematical Art", the origins of zero, Al-Khwarizmi and the beginnings of algebra in the Islamic world, and early Indian work on number theory.
The Linguistics Club is hosting a time to listen to God's word shared in many of the languages represented at Gordon and hear from the work of linguistics students studying writing systems used around the world. We are reflecting on the beautiful things of language and considering how God is speaking across cultural and linguistic boundaries. We will be presenting multi-lingual Bible readings, poetry readings, a language learning liturgy, presentations of students' calligraphic designs, and a lesson in unique writing systems from around the world.
Rachael and I both attended the UN climate change conference as observers with a group of fellow Christians, and we would like to share our experience. There are evangelicals present in conversations of eco-stewardship and climate justice, and their work is ever growing. We would like to highlight this as encouragement to students and staff that there is a space within this controversial topic that Christians are inhabiting–as we should! Taking care of the Earth is just as much a part of love your neighbor as caring for the poor and widow (who are often the one's facing the brunt of climate catastrophe). We saw the Holy Spirit moving in stagnant plenary rooms, and especially in the multitude of nations who gathered to share their progress towards climate goals, even if the United States was not a part of it in an official capacity. Even more so, we saw how the Lord is moving in the city of Belém; our accommodations were provided generously to us through the Brazilian Bible Society, hence the nickname, "Bible Boat." There are many more stories of restoration that we can share, but most of all we want to give light to the work yet to be done. This is parallel with the work on campus of Dr. Boorse, (many of whom the participants knew of and are friends with–small world moments were plentiful), and the student-run club, Advocates for a Sustainable Future.
This topic is what I am writing my Linguistics Honors Thesis on. I am looking at how the structure of Chinese Characters provides a different level of meaning through visual representation, differing from other writing systems that reflect pronunciation and/or spoken language alone. I aim to look at this writing system, that has been simplified and fetishized, from an objective standpoint, to discuss controversies in Chinese Linguistics, and ultimately to highlight the beauty of Chinese Characters as a reflection of Chinese culture and history.
Rome's culture has had a long and varied influence on societies that followed it, particularly in the spheres of art, architecture, law, and government. In this session students will display works of art inspired by the Roman world and present on diverse topics ranging from the apostle Paul's imprisonment, to gladitorial combat in Rome and Hollywood, Cicero's speeches, and Roman fashion.
In an age where technological progress is measured by speed, scale, and efficiency, we rarely ask whether efficiency itself is beautiful, or just. My session would explore the environmental, political, and ethical consequences of the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure across the globe. As multinational technology companies invest millions in data centers and digital networks, developing nations such as the Dominican Republic are dragged into the global AI economy. These projects promise innovation and growth, yet they raise urgent questions about environmental degradation, energy consumption, land use, and national sovereignty. I would examine how technological globalization can reproduce patterns of resource extraction and dependency. It will also propose policy-oriented solutions that prioritize our spiritual responsibility in environmental stewardship, local sovereignty, and long-term sustainability. Rooted in Christian principles of stewardship, subsidiarity, and justice, I would argue that beauty and justice must shape how societies evaluate technological progress. Ultimately, I will invite listeners to reconsider their relationship with technology and explore simpler and more sufficient ways of living. This topic is what I am planning on covering for my Senior Seminar final paper (POL 434 State, Citizen and Civil Society). This topic serves as my foundation in feeling called to pursue Environmental Law post-grad.
