Denison University’s Goodspeed Lecture welcomes Phil Harland, professor of humanities at York University in Toronto, presenting “A Cultural History of Satan.” Culturally speaking, where did the personified evil figure of Satan come from and what functions did he serve in interactions between Judeans, Jesus-followers, and others in the Greco-Roman world? Harland’s talk explores the apocalyptic origins and social functions of personified evil (whether Satan, Beliar, Mastema, or the...

The Goodspeed Lecture welcomes Sharon Jacob, assistant professor of New Testament at Pacific School of Religion, presenting “Made in Bethlehem: Reading Mary Alongside Indian Surrogate Mothers.” In this lecture, Jacob looks critically at the character of Mary found in the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke. She attempts to dismantle the dichotomous ways in which the character of Mary has been reduced to binary categories of hero or victim in biblical and theological scholarship. The...

In celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., Eboo Patel, founder of the Interfaith Youth Core will open the event delivering a short keynote. He will then be in conversation with Rev. Jacqui Lewis, and Reka Prasad. The discussion will be moderated by Minister Rashad Moore and will focus on the topic of “social justice efforts informed by religious or spiritual practice.” Eboo Patel is a leading voice in the movement for interfaith cooperation and the Founder and...

The Goodspeed Lecture welcomes Andrew Lewis, assistant professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati, presenting “The Rights Turn in Conservative Christian Politics: How Abortion Transformed the Culture Wars.” Lewis researches the intersection of politics, religion, and law in America, with an expertise in Evangelicals and politics, church-state relations, conservative legal activism, and rights politics and his research engages with the themes of representation and American...

The Goodspeed Lecture welcomes Becky Thompson, professor of sociology at Simmons College, presenting “Love Calls Us to the Things of this World: Yoga and Social Change.” Thompson is an award-winning writer, professor, yoga instructor, and activist. She has spent the last twenty-five years travelling across the world researching, teaching, and writing on issues of social and racial inequality. Thompson has published nine books including her most recent work “Survivors on the Mat: Yoga Stories...

The Goodspeed Lecture welcomes Native American author, activist and attorney Walter Echo-Hawk presenting “Cultural Sovereignty: The Challenge of Protecting Endangered Indigenous Cultures in the United States.” Echo-Hawk represents Indian tribes on important legal issues, such as treaty rights, water rights, religious freedom, prisoner rights, and repatriation rights. His career spans the pivotal years when Indian tribes reclaimed their land, sovereignty, and pride in a stride toward freedom.

Presented with the Department of Political Science Jones discusses his new book “The End of White Christian America,” which has been hailed by The New York Times Review of Books as “quite possibly the most illuminating text for this election year.” Drawing on decades of public opinion and demographic research, Jones challenges us to grasp a new reality–that America is no longer a majority white Christian nation–and examines what influence this will have on the 2016 presidential...

The Goodspeed Lecture Series welcomes Rita Nakashima Brock presenting "Moral Injury and Soul Repair in the Aftermath of War." Free and open to the public. Brock is Research Professor in Theology and Culture and Founding Co-Director of the Soul Repair Center and a Commissioned Minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Sister Helen Prejean met with students from Jack Shuler's classes to discuss issues surrounding the death penalty and her work to eliminate it in the United States. The interview participants included Sister Helen Prejean, Anne Crowley, Alexis Gothberg, Claire Johnson, Katrina Tijerina, Natalie Olivo, Tyler King, Haleigh Hammad.

Originally from "The Spectrum Series" During her two-day stay in Granville, Prejean participated in three classes and also met with student groups, faculty, local priests and pastors, and an Ohio high school class for further discussion. For Jack Shuler, assistant professor of English, Prejean’s visit offered a meaningful contribution to his class, “Dead Man Walking: Executions in America,” which examines the history of executions in the U.S. and addresses the controversy surrounding the...