At various times throughout the Old Testament, God abandoned the Israelites as a result of their sinfulness and idolatry. In their suffering and despair, their only hope was to cry out to God for salvation, and He, in His mercy, would rescue them.
In a penetrating analysis of these days, Jacques Ellul concludes that our culture is in such a period of abandonment characterized by widespread suffering and despair. While God still works in the hearts of His faithful, the culture at large struggles with false hope or no hope at all.
The Winter Institute will explore these questions through several readings, discussions, lectures, and the art exhibit “Odyssey of These Days.” We will examine the biblical perspective on the hopes of the world and hope in God—how we as Christians can navigate our own odyssey in seemingly hopeless times.