Abstract: The mere word “diversity” is enough to cause people to start taking sides in our politically charged society. In this workshop, we want to take a step back from this political fracas and look at this idea from a biblical and theological perspective. The way that we view and understand the concept of diversity is important. The notion of diversity is intricately bound to the Christian story. It is an inextricable part of God’s self-disclosure, Creation, the Imago Dei, the Abrahamic Covenant, the Great Commission, the doctrine of reconciliation, and the picture we are given of the New Jerusalem in Revelation. The educational experience of our students is made stronger and richer by a greater level of diversity in our educational communities. This workshop will illustrate the distinct advantages that students have in a diverse and inclusive educational setting. These advantages are both personal and practical. Students who are educated in a diverse environment will be able to navigate cultural differences in personal relationships and in a workplace that continues to become more heterogeneous. We will also explain why the CCE movement has the right tools to make this happen.
Peter Vande Brake attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI, where he majored in Philosophy and was a decathlete. He went to seminary at Union Seminary in Richmond, Virginia and then did his doctoral work at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids obtaining a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology in 2000. He was ordained as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament in 2001. He completed the Van Lunen Fellows Program for Executive Leadership in July of 2009. He taught, coached, and served as an administrator at North Hills Classical Academy from 1996-2010, serving as Head of School from 1998-2010. He has been a Leadership Consultant for the CiRCE Institute since 2011, and taught the Atrium class on Norms and Nobility for 7 years. He served as Curriculum Director at the Potter’s House, an urban Christ-centered school in Grand Rapids, MI, from 2011-2015, and as their High School Principal from 2015-2019. He was Director of the Upper School at the Geneva School in Orlando from 2019-2021, and is currently serving as their Dean of Students. He has served on both the SCL and CiRCE boards for several years. He has been married to his wife, Susan, for 35 years and has two daughters and one son-in-law.
