ATSS: Sigve Tonstad, “The Election of Donald Trump and the Future of the World”
4 December 2024 |
The world’s fragility is precarious and keenly felt, and the election of Donald Trump brings increasing unpredictability. Yet two things seem certain.
First, the United States, the leading economy in the world, is likely to shift from a stance of climate change denial to climate change defiance. This is bad news for ecology, and terrible news for animals, the victims of factory farming.
Second, US policy in the Middle East, already one-sidedly pro-Israel, is likely to shed all pretense to evenhandedness, as seen already in the composition of the Congress and the president’s policies in the past. The silver lining on this point are the Jewish voices who seek to salvage the spiritual aspirations of Judaism from the territorial ambitions of Zionism.
Teacher:
Sigve K. Tonstad is Research Professor of Biblical Interpretation and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Loma Linda University. He has worked as a physician and pastor and since 2007 as a faculty member at the School of Religion at Loma Linda University. His books in English are The Scandals of the Bible (Autumn House, 2000), Saving God’s Reputation: The Theological Function of Pistis Iesou in the Cosmic Narratives of Revelation (T. & T. Clark, 2006), The Lost Meaning of the Seventh Day (Andrews University Press, 2009), God of Sense and Traditions of Non-Sense (Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2016), Letter to the Romans: Paul among the Ecologists (Earth Bible Series; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix, 2017), and The Paideia Commentary on Revelation (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2019).
Moderator:
How to join:
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84641944064
Passcode: REVELATION (ALLCAPS)
ATSS starting time depends on where you are. If you’re on the west coast of the United States, it’ll be 10:30 AM. On the east coast, 1:30 PM. Times in Europe, Africa, and elsewhere will vary with local time changes. Please double-check the correct time where you live.
The class is intended to last about 2 hours, though the conversation often continues to 4 PM (Eastern time).
About our class:
- The AT Sabbath Seminar is intended to be a courteous forum.
- Stick to the topic in both comments and chat discussion.
- Make your comments and questions short—don’t dominate.
- Keep your microphones muted unless you are called upon to make your comment or ask your question.
- Indicate your interest in speaking by raising your electronic hand.
- Please use your name when you sign in, so we know who we’re addressing.
We look forward to getting acquainted with you!
YouTube channel:
You can see all of our previous ATSS recordings here.
Coming up:
- Lena Toews
- Warren Trenchard
- Denis Fortin
