October 12, 2026
The School of Christian Studies and Humanities invites you to the annual Lyceum: Forum for Christian Thinkers, Writers, and Scholars.
Location: Woods Great Room | Ornelas Student Center
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Lyceum is an annual forum in which ETBU hosts a Christian thinker, writer, or scholar to present and discuss his or her work in the context of the Christian Humanities. The format may vary, but the consistent practice will be to allow the scholar to present his or her material and then to engage that material in conversation. The conversation could take place through a panel discussion, formal or informal question-and-answer, or other formats as appropriate to the speaker’s discipline.
We have two goals:
- Offer our community an opportunity to engage excellent faith-based thinking and scholarship.
- Expand the audience's understanding of how all Christians are called to incorporate their faith into whatever work they are doing.
Meet the Speaker
Howard Schaap grew up on a farm in southwest Minnesota above Champepadan Creek, one of his earliest teachers. Told by his father that he would not farm, he attended Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, then returned home to teach at the high school from which he graduated and married his high school sweetheart, Keodouangsy (Sy) Nonginthirath. The cross-cultural nature of their marriage is a primary source of his education.
After a somewhat unsuccessful stint as a high school basketball coach, Schaap got an MA in English Literature from South Dakota State University. He began teaching at Dordt University in 2008. ln 20l4, he earned an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Seattle Pacific University. He and Sy have raised three children, and he continues to
fish the shallow lakes of his youth and hunt pheasants on the old farm.
His work appears in Reformed Journal, In All Things, Pro Rege, The Other Journal and in the collection Voices for the Land, which won a Minnesota Book Award. Brooding Upon the Waters is his first book.
- What is Lyceum?
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The term Lyceum can refer to a number of educational institutions in different historical and geographical settings. We chose the name Lyceum in the context of Aristotle’s School, founded in Athens in 335 BC. It was a place where curious people met to talk about how to make sense of the world. Aristotle taught philosophy, political sciences, the arts, and other fields. Through the Lyceum event at ETBU, we hope to engage our God-given curiosity about the way the world works to be more intentional Christian thinkers.
- Do I have to be an ETBU student, faculty, or staff member to attend the Lyceum event?
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No, Lyceum is open to the entire East Texas Community.
