The South Carolina Study Center

Our culture has lost its bearings, so it is not surprising that College-aged students are increasingly experiencing emotional challenges and vocational confusion. And fewer still know older trusted friends to confide in to find new orientation in spiritual matters. We need to consider again the value of mentoring within our churches and ministries as a way of nurturing wholeness and holiness in those seeking a flourishing life before the Lord. Rather than seeing mentoring as an optional extra, perhaps we might better understand it as an individualised ministry of the Word, which takes its place alongside other ministries of the Word to build up the body of Christ. In this lecture, we investigate what the Bible says about mentoring, what it might look like for us as mentors or mentees, and how we can get started.

Michael Sacasas, a philosopher and director of a Christian study center, dives into the profound implications of AI on humanity. He argues that technology shapes our understanding of what it means to be human, contending that our moral judgments are rooted in rich anthropological insights. Sacasas critiques narratives of inevitability in AI adoption, emphasizing the importance of deliberate choices. He explores the spiritual risks of AI simulating human relationships and highlights the vital role of silence and solitude in maintaining a genuine connection to God.

Dr. Kruger answers questions on his life, academic career, and the reliability of Christian Scripture.  

Alastair Roberts, a public intellectual and theologian, dives into how Holy Scripture is interpreted in modern academia versus its historical church context. He explores the shift from scrolls to codices and the impact of silent reading versus oral traditions. He contrasts different reading methods, emphasizing the church's role in Scripture's meaning. Roberts connects the Reformation and modern challenges like AI to the authority of Scripture. Ultimately, he argues that the church should be the primary vessel of Scripture, embodying its transformative power.

What impact is digital media having on human flourishing and the life of faith?

 An Embodied, Relational, Christian Approach to Healing from Mental Health Problems

“Knowledge,” “truth” and “reality” have come to be highly contested items. Here’s one philosopher’s look at what is going on when we know and how we can be better at it.

Physicist Paul Julienne explores the question: Why is science possible and what is it doing? His talk centers on two main themes: 1) the need to see reality according to the whole in order to avoid reductionism, and 2) The important idea of creation ex nihilo.

In our first Fall semester lecture at the Study Center, Dr. Brittany Gentry explores the relationship between AI and human identity.