April 2013 – Page 2 – CMU Media Archive

Winnipeg, April 5, 2013 – CMU faculty member Dan Epp-Tiessen has released his book, Concerning the Prophets: True and False Prophecy in Jeremiah 23:9-29:32 (Pickwick Publications), which “sheds light on the compositional history, structure, and theology of the book of Jeremiah by demonstrating that a large concentric unit of material focusing on true and false prophecy stands at the center of the book.”

“In a nutshell, false prophecy overlooks community sin, encourages complacency, prevents repentance, and leads to utter catastrophe,” says author Epp-Tiessen, Associate Professor of Bible at CMU. “True prophecy diagnoses the sins of the community, calls for repentance, and asserts that health and healing can only result from following God’s way of life.”

Epp-Tiessen, who holds a Ph.D. in Old Testament from the University of St. Michael’s College (1994), has authored numerous articles, book reviews, curricula, and study guides, including Faith and Hope in the Midst of Changing Times, a five-week worship, prayer, and study guide commissioned by Mennonite Church Canada (2010). He has been teaching at CMU/CMBC since 1998.

Louis Stulman, Ph.D., of the University of Findlay praises as “intelligent, bold, and replete with exegetical insight. It will no doubt enrich all those interested in prophetic literature and the tortuous question of true and false prophecy.”

The fall 2012 release of Concerning the Prophets adds to CMU’s impressive body of works published since early 2012, which includes nine books, 13 book chapters, and 23 journal articles from a 45-member faculty.

“Scholarship lies at the very heart of CMU,” said Earl Davey, CMU’s Vice-President, Academic at the December 2012 book launch event. “I am confident to say we do well at forging an authentic and vital interface between scholarship and the teaching and mentoring process. Students are enriched as a consequence of our ongoing intellectual and spiritual work of analyzing and interpreting, constructing new ways of seeing and understanding the academic worlds we inhabit, and enabling us to discover more productive and informed ways of connecting with these worlds.”

At the book launch, Epp-Tiessen read his favourite sentence in the book the dedication: “To Esther, Chris, Tim, Mark, and Melissa, whose love and laughter nourish my scholarly work, and also place it in proper perspective.”

To order a copy of Concerning the Prophets, visit https://wipfandstock.com.

Winnipeg, April 3, 2013 – The eighth annual Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition at Canadian Mennonite University featured 24 competitors at its preliminary round of competition—the competition’s biggest year yet.

Peter Janzen with winners (l-r) Jillian Reimer, Catherine Richard, and Kari Chastko

“It is incredibly exciting to see students’ strong musical abilities and the results of their many hours of musical practice and dedication this competition highlights,” says Janet Brenneman, Dean of the CMU School of Music. “The Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition is an excellent performance opportunity for our students. We are grateful for the generosity of Peter Janzen in establishing this competition.”

Out of 24 initial competitors, eight students progressed to the final round of the competition. Those students were Josiah Brubacher, Kari Chastko, Stephanie Crampton, Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe, Catherine Richard, Jami Reimer, Jillian Reimer and Nathan Sawatzky-Dyck.

Catherine Richard, a second-year pianist, was awarded $700 and first place in the competition. Kari Chastko, a forth-year voice student, placed second and received $500. Jillian Reimer, also a second-year pianist, came in third. She was awarded $300. All finalists are to be congratulated on their excellent performance at the final competition.

About 125 people attended the Verna Mae Janzen Music competition this year, held on March 21 at the Laudamus Auditorium. The competition is made possible by Peter Janzen of Deep River, Ontario, and named in memory of his wife, Verna Mae, who died of cancer in 1989 at age 53.