If you walk past room 005 on a Monday after school, you may see a group of dedicated students vigorously discussing something with each other, but what is all the fuss about?
The Christian Theological Society started in the fall of 23 school year. The idea came from a group of friends who liked having theological conversations and turned their idea into a club to share with others. “The motivation started Freshman [and] Sophomore year,” recalled Walter Plymale, a club leader. “My friend group tended to talk about this sort of stuff a lot… different types of Christian thought, like Catholicism versus Presbyterians versus Episcopalians versus Orthodox versus all of these different groups of Christians… we had these conversations at lunch and we said, you know… these conversations are really cool and insightful, why don’t make a club about it?”
The club focuses on Christian Theology, investigating issues from various theological traditions. Members hail from not just Roman Catholicism, but also Reformed and Evangelical Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodoxy. “It doesn’t really matter where you align religiously, because we have all sorts of people there,” said Owen Fisher, a regular club attender. Club meetings typically start with short presentations which lead to group conversation, allowing everyone to share opinions and investigate the merits of other ways of thinking. “My favorite part would be probably watching [people] debate,” Owen explained “The open discussions, just being able to hear everybody’s different inputs and build upon a conversation.”
The meetings have been extremely informative and have caused students to investigate their faith further than ever before. “Oh my gosh, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned about Orthodox Christianity, Martin Luther, Calvinists and John Calvin. Wow, so much,” exclaimed Owen. “It’s definitely brought me closer to my faith and given me a better understanding of my own personal views of God. It’s also given me more questions to ask, which is a good thing, because now I can have an even better understanding of my own views.” And this experience is not limited to just Owen. “The underclassmen that we’ve gotten to come are engaged and want to participate said Walter. “We have a couple of guys that consistently go every single meeting, and they are really passionate about it.”
As well as holding regular meetings led by students, the club has also brought in various guests from in and outside of the school. UDJ’s own Jesuit priest, Fr. Rainwater, gave his personal testimony and call to the priesthood, overcoming his family’s hesitancy and giving his life to God’s calling in his life. From outside the school, the club hosted Fr. Dave Tomaszycki; author, and personal secretary to Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, who shared his vocation story as well as his scholarship on the theology of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. He was also kind enough to give away several copies of his books for free.
Most notably, the club partnered with Campus Ministry and Service to host Bishop Fisher, a U of D alumnus, to speak with faculty and students about his vocation story, his life as a bishop, and answering questions. Everyone was blown away by his humility and down-to-earth personality.
If you walk past room 005 on a Monday after school, you may see a group of dedicated students vigorously discussing something with each other, but what is all the fuss about?
I’m really proud that we’ve gotten wise people whose consciousness are held captive by God,” Walter explained, “providing the space for these people to pass their wisdom on to the next generation, just as Jesus did to the apostles.”
In the future, the club plans to invite more ministers from various traditions, and will also take a Jesuit heritage tour, exploring the effects of the Jesuits throughout the history of Detroit, such as Fr. Gabriel Richard, Blessed Solanus Casey, and others.
No matter your faith tradition, if you like asking big questions, Theology Club is for you. “If you like asking questions and finding out the answers to them, and also learning about different kinds of people’s views, then [this is] definitely something for you,” Owen asserted.
If anyone is interested in joining, they should talk to Walter Plymale or Luke Fisher to be put on the email list. Meetings are on Mondays in 005. A.M.D.G.
