Carl Trueman and Josh Rutledge Speak At Convocation April 16 and 18

Carl Trueman — author, theologian, ecclesiastical historian and professor of Biblical & Religious Studies at Grove City College — took the Convocation stage April 16, while Vice President of Spiritual Development Josh Rutledge spoke during the Good Friday Convocation April 18. 

On Wednesday, Trueman opened his time at the university by posing the question: “What is man, and what does it mean to be human?” While this query once evoked awe and appreciation for the Creator in society, he argued that it now reflects widespread confusion in a majority of people today. 

Highlighting the uniqueness of humanity, Trueman argued that who we are is more important than what we are; it is our choices, and the things that make us different from other people, that define us. 

“You are free. You are not defined by instinct in the way that other creatures are,” Trueman said. 

However, he postulated that as society has grown in freedom and choice, it has forgotten what it means to be truly human. 

In the past, the ideals of community and calling were relatively static, providing a foundation for understanding human identity. Technology, however, has transformed life, transitioning a previously fixed world into a fluid and ever-changing state. 

“The world around us is more volatile and unstable than ever before, and that means that our identity, it means our very notion of what it means to be a human being, is more volatile and unstable than at any point in history,” Trueman said. 

He also addressed technology’s dehumanizing and disembodying impact on individuals and the world at large, arguing that it has diminished the significance of people’s physical lives. 

In response, Trueman offered three practical ways to reclaim a sense of humanity: prioritize embodied life, commit and consecrate. 

He discussed the importance of physical interactions, urging students to cultivate real relationships with others by not allowing online interaction to replace in-person friendships. 

Trueman also emphasized the realities of commitment, encouraging the audience to devote themselves to meaningful causes and relationships. 

This commitment, he argued, should also apply to Christians’ spiritual lives. Trueman called attendees to consecration, urging them to dedicate themselves to a local church and to live hospitably. 

Freshman Brock Bridle appreciated the insightfulness and practicality of the message. 

“In a culture where a lot of people want Christ’s commitment to us without our commitment to Christ, I think he hit on a lot of important themes for giving us direction,” Bridle said. 

Friday’s Convocation opened with Rutledge sharing a story from his personal life after a time of worship. While his father was on his deathbed, he received a call from an adoption agency: a birth mother wanted to meet with him and his wife. Though initially frustrated and afraid of disappointment due to previous difficulties with the agency, Rutledge accepted the meeting, which eventually led to the adoption of his two children just a few weeks after his father’s passing in 2019. 

He referenced the story of Job to depict how even in the face of immense suffering, Job surrendered to God and trusted in his goodness.  

Rutledge used both stories as metaphors for resurrection, explaining how God brings hope and joy out of pain and loss. By acknowledging the paradox of the term “Good Friday,” he challenged students to consider its significance in our lives. 

“Good Friday demands a response from those who would dare call it good,” Rutledge said. 

Rutledge pointed out a contradiction in many Christians’ lives: while believers call Christ’s suffering good, they often fail to trust him with their own pain. He urged students to embrace tribulation with faith and to remain confident that even the darkest shadows of life are not beyond God’s power to redeem. 

“Will you trust that same God with you, and your story, and your pain?” Rutledge said.  

Rutledge connected his personal illustration to the Christian’s response to God. 

“What pain must there be in the heart of God when his children screen the call, … when his children refuse to trust him?” Rutledge said. 

He encouraged students to accept God’s will in their lives and to trust him fully, reminding them that God’s hand is always outstretched — and that it’s never too late to reach for it. 

Rutledge closed out the gathering with another personal story: visiting his father’s grave with his children. As they ran joyfully through the cemetery, he was struck by the scene before him and described it as an illustration of God’s response to death. 

“It was almost, on that day, like we were taunting death,” Rutledge said. 

He reminded students that while death might appear to have the final say, God’s goodness will be proven true in this life and the next. 

Senior Lindell Ross appreciated how heartfelt the message was. 

“I loved how personal Josh Rutledge made it, and it was very moving,” Ross said. 

Barta is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion.