Forum Meal-Time Mentoring

Darrell L. Bock is Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas, as well as Executive Director of Cultural Engagement for the Hendricks Center for Christian Leadership there. An author or editor of about fifty books, his special fields of study involve hermeneutics, the use of the Old Testament in the New, Luke-Acts, the historical Jesus, Gospel studies, and the integration of theology and culture. It is this latter area that is the focus of his work at the Hendricks Center, where he is responsible for producing a web-based, weekly podcast on issues of God and culture called The Table and author of the recent book, Cultural Intelligence: Living for God in a Diverse, Pluralistic World. He is a graduate of the University of Texas (B.A.), Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M.), and the University of Aberdeen (Ph.D.). He has had four annual stints of post doctoral study at the University of Tübingen, the second through fourth as an Alexander von Humboldt scholar at Tübingen University through a scholarship offered by the Federal Republic of Germany (1989-90, 1995-96, 2004-05, 2010-2011). He was editor at large for Christianity Today for several years and served as President of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) for the year 2000-2001. He currently serves on the boards of Wheaton College, Chosen People Ministries, Christians in Public Service (CIPS), and the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE). He also serves as elder emeritus at Trinity Fellowship Church in Richardson, Texas and as advisor to staff at Bent Tree Fellowship. Married to Sally for almost fifty years, he is the father of two married daughters and a married son, and is also a proud grandfather of five.

Per Ewert is the director of The Clapham Institute, Sweden’s leading Christian think tank and research institute. His PhD describes the political process which shaped Sweden into the world's arguably most secular-individualistic nation. Per is the author of several books on the Bible, apologetics, relations, and the role of faith in society. He currently works on a post-doc study on internal secularization in free protestant denominations. He lives with his wife and four children in southern Sweden.

Alexander Fink is Director of the Institute for Faith and Science (Institut für Glaube und Wissenschaft) in Marburg, Germany (www.iguw.de). He studied physics at Bayreuth and St. Andrews (UK) universities and received his PhD at the Institute for Biophysics at the University of Regensburg. After working as an industrial product manager, he became the director of the SMD graduates' ministry (Akademiker-SMD, the German branch of IFES) until 2014. Since 2008, he has been a member of the ELF Steering Committee and has co-led the Scientists Network. He is the editor of the "Begründet-glauben-Podcast" (www.begruendet-glauben.org) and has produced three documentary movies, "Fascinating Universe", "More than My Brain", and “Is there meaning in suffering?” which were officially recommended for use in secular public schools. Together with his wife, Alexander enjoys raising his two children, preaching and leading a house group in his local church, and being a youth soccer trainer in his local sports club.

Peter Imming received degrees in pharmacy and chemistry and a PhD and venia legendi in pharmaceutical chemistry from a German university. He has been involved in drug chemistry teaching and research in Germany, the UK, China, and other countries. Currently, he is professor in the faculty of biosciences of a German university. His research focuses on the design and synthesis of new drug substances and on molecular mechanisms of drug action. He has a strong interest in the relation of science and Christian faith, frequently lecturing on related topics by invitation of e.g. universities, churches, and schools.

Steffen G. Jenkins is half German, half Welsh, was born in Spain but again in England. He serves as Senior Lecturer in Greek and Biblical Studies at Union School of Theology in the United Kingdom. He has served at various seminaries in Cuba, as tutor in Biblical Languages at Tyndale House (Cambridge, England), and as pastor in an evangelical Presbyterian church. He is the author of Imprecations in the Psalms: Love for Enemies in Hard Places (Pickwick); a Greek textbook for pastors who have forgotten their Greek or who want to start from scratch (Cambridge University Press); Scripture is Inspired (Union Publishing); and the forthcoming Hearing God’s Voice in Leviticus (IVP) and Enjoy the Psalms (Union). He is no good at sports (whether playing, watching or discussing).

Dr. Andrew Loke is an elected Fellow of the prestigious International Society for Science and Religion and Associate Professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Hong Kong Baptist University. He has published 8 monographs with world-leading academic publishers in the fields of theology, philosophy, and science and religion. He has been invited as a Visiting Scholar to Cambridge University, and to speak at leading universities such as Harvard and Oxford, at the PBS program 'Closer to Truth: the greatest thinkers, the deepest questions', and at seminaries and churches around the world.

To read more on this topic by Dr. Andrew Loke, see his books 'The Biggest Questions of Existence'; The Origin of Humanity and Evolution: Science and Scripture in Conversation (London: Bloomsbury, 2022), and https://www.academia.edu/92656662/Reply_to_reviews_of_The_Origin_of_Humanity_Science_and_Scripture_in_Conversation

David McIlroy is a practising barrister in the UK and Ireland. He is a Global Distinguished Professor at the University of Notre Dame (USA) in England. He is convinced that justice matters enormously to God, and He wants Christians to work hard to see justice done more and more in situations around the world. Through his books (A Biblical View of Law and Justice, A Trinitarian Theology of Law, The End of Law, Ransomed, Redeemed, and Forgiven: Money and the Atonement), his website www.theologyoflaw.org, and many articles, David seeks to deepen people’s reflections on justice and to inspire others to take up the challenge of acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8).

Andy McIntosh holds an Emeritus chair in Thermodynamics at the University of Leeds and is also an adjunct professor of Engineering at Liberty University in Virginia. He has had a long scientific research career concerning mathematics, combustion and aeronautics, both in academia and in a government establishment, and is author of over 200 academic papers. Andy has long worked on combustion and its interaction with acoustics and larger pressure waves. He has also worked on the mathematical modelling of ignition, and he is the inventor of the 𝜇Mist novel spray technology which mimics the Bombardier beetle spray and has led to this spray technology being applied to fuel injectors, pharmaceutical sprays, aerosols and more recently fire sprinkler systems. This was awarded the 2010 Times Higher Educational award for the Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Technology. His work has also included investigations into the fundamental link between thermodynamics and information. This strikes at the heart of the issue concerning abiogenesis – the information in living systems is neither matter nor energy but is absolutely essential for life.

Andy now lectures widely on origins, and has authored the books “Genesis for Today” (Day One, 6th Edition, 2017), and “A verse by verse examination of Genesis 1-11” (Day One, 2016) and has contributed to a number of other books including “Wonders of Creation – Design in a fallen world”(co-authored with Stuart Burgess and Brian Edwards, Day One, 2017), “Origins – examining the evidence” (Truth in Science, 2011), “In six days” (Master Books, 2009) and “Should Christians embrace Evolution?” (IVP, 2009). He has also written the booklet “Are you really an Atheist?” (2018) and co-authored the booklets “Is it True – Evidence for Creation” (2018) and “A wonder of Creation – the Kingfisher” (2024) and is co-director of the UK education think tank Truth in Science. He is married with 4 children (one of whom died in infancy), and 7 grandchildren.

Junias Venugopal is the Associate Dean at the Litfin School of Ministry and Theological Studies at Wheaton College, where he also co-directs the M.A. in Leadership program. He has a Ph.D. in Education, a Th.M. in Bible Exposition, an M.B.A. in Finance, and a B.E. (Hons.) in Electrical Engineering. Junias is an experienced higher education administrator having served as a dean for the last 23 years in Asia, Columbia International University, SC, Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and now at Wheaton College. Junias, his wife, Beth and his family served for 15 years overseas. Over 8 years in India as a pastor of Delhi Bible Fellowship and another 6 years in the Philippines as a dean at AGST-Philippines. His passion is to be a catalyst in the lives of those with whom he intersects so that they achieve their God-given potential. Junias and Beth have four adult children and five grandchildren.