Whether you’re a teacher, a student, or a parent, you know that every teacher faces the challenge of introducing students to a wide variety of perspectives on a wide variety of subjects, yet having personal expertise in only a few.
The Cornwall Alliance can help with that! Founder and National Spokesman Dr. E. Calvin Beisner has spoken on site and in person to many graduate school, college, high school, and middle school classes. But he’s also available to speak for classes via phone or Skype.
After Dr. Mark Coppenger, Professor of Christian Apologetics, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY, did this for one of his classes, he wrote:
Since my days as a Wheaton prof in the 1970s, I’ve been making classroom calls to a range of scholars, many of them the ones we were reading at the time. One of the best calls I ever made was to Dr. Cal Beisner of The Cornwall Alliance, who spoke for an hour the other evening with my environmental ethics class at Southern. He briefed us on a variety of items connected with the climate change controversy, his remarks covering competing scientific paradigms, recommended readings, and firsthand accounts of testimony in Rome, before Congress, and at the Evangelical Theological Society. The students loved it, not only for his opening observations, but also for the way he picked up on their questions. I’m sure other teachers and their classes would find a phone visit as gratifying.
It’s so easy to do. Just set up the time and some opening topics beforehand, plug in your mobile phone to some speakers (I bought a set for about $25), and give him a call. No travel expenses, no hospitality arrangements, no big interruption of his schedule. We pitched in a modest honorarium, but you can figure that on your own. I hope you’ll give it a go.
The Heritage Foundation honored him with the “Outstanding Spokesman for Faith, Science, and Stewardship Award” at the Ninth International Conference on Climate Change in 2014. (Click the photo or here to see his acceptance speech.)
As Dean of Faculty when they both taught at Knox Theological Seminary, Dr. R. Fowler White (now pastor of Valley Presbyterian Church, Lutherville, MD) said to Dr. Beisner, “I’ve known two people in my life whose knowledge I would describe as encyclopedic. You’re one of them!”
Dr. Wayne Grudem, Research Professor of Theology at Phoenix Seminary, called him “… an excellent speaker who … held my 200-person Bible class spellbound for an hour!”
And here are a few other comments:
- “As pastors we know there is this looming issue out there about environmentalism, but we are personally ill equipped to deal with it, and the tendency is to just let it go. But we can’t afford to do that as there is a clear and present danger of the multifaceted and well-funded agenda of the environmentalist movement. Having Cal available is a wonderful resource! This man knows his stuff, and he will give solid answers to the questions your people should be asking.”—Rev. Mark Coleman, Senior Pastor, New Life Baptist Church, Davie, FL
- “Dr. Beisner is a very insightful scholar who graciously and carefully dissects the confusing parts of divisive issues. … The people loved his lectures, with many … wishing that he could have spoken more.”—Rev. Phil Kayser, Senior Pastor of Dominion Covenant Church, and host of the Providential History Festival, Omaha, NE
- “Marvelous! Your precise insights were so crisp and clear! … You were … awesome!”—Donna Hearne, President, Constitutional Coalition, St. Louis, MO
Dr. Beisner’s scholarship in Biblical studies, theology, philosophy, Christian apologetics, history, politics, economics, demography, natural resources, and the science and economics of environmental stewardship equip him to bring the principles, methods, and tools of many academic disciplines to bear on complex problems, yielding creative and powerful insights and solutions. He is an outstanding speaker widely in demand by churches, schools, and conferences. He prefers to do a short lecture and then field questions, ensuring that the conversation addresses those issues most on students’ and teachers’ minds, but he’s glad to serve your needs whatever the structure.
Recognized globally as an expert integrating theology, ethics, science, and economics on climate and energy policy, Dr. Beisner has testified as an expert witness in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, briefed the White House Council on Environmental Policy, and lectured at the Vatican, at the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2014 International Conferences on Climate Change, and at many colleges, seminaries, and churches. He was an invited plenary lecturer and panelist for the 2012 annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, the theme of which was “Care of Creation,” and debated 350.org founder Bill McKibben at the 2015 Greer-Heard Point/Counterpoint Forum at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
To arrange for Dr. Beisner to speak by Skype or phone for a class at your college, school, or church, email me at Megan@CornwallAlliance.org.
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