Dr. Malinda Berry, assistant professor of theology and ethics at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, shared thoughts on Bluffton’s Civic Engagement Theme during the Jan. 23 Forum, “In Praise of Being Different: Nonconformity, Integrity, and Being Christian.”
 
“We need to be awake. We need to pay attention. We need to be in honest conversation with each other,” Berry explained. “There are going to be times we are asked to tell a lie. There are going to be times when we are asked to tell the truth. And, we get to do the joyful work of figuring out what it means to have integrity in those moments.”
 
Each year, Bluffton explores a year-long theme integral to the campus community. With 2018 marking the 100th anniversary of Bluffton’s Honor Code, the theme Integrity, Truth, Virtue: Bluffton’s Honor Code in the World, was chosen. During her presentation, Berry discussed ways Christians can “be in the world but not be co-opted by the world.”
 
Bluffton will celebrate Civic Engagement Day on April 11 with a culminating event on campus featuring class presentations, student research and speakers.