Lake is the Clyde S. Kilby professor of English at Wheaton College, where she teaches classes in contemporary American literature and literary theory. On Monday, Oct. 29, she will present “Frankenfunked: Why We Shouldn’t Do Something Just Because We Can” at 9:15 a.m. at King University’s Memorial Chapel on the Bristol campus. That evening, Lake will present “Will the Real Monster Please Stand Up? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at 200” at 7 p.m. at the Bristol Public Library, located at 701 Goode St., Bristol, Virginia.

“Two centuries after it first appeared, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein still captivates us with its chilling tale, as well as the moral questions that it raises,” said Martin Dotterweich, director of Faith and Learning at King. “To mark the bicentennial of its publication, we are delighted to welcome Christina Bieber Lake, whose scholarship has focused on the ways that literature tells us about being human. Her perspective on the legacy of Frankenstein will also lead us into questions about science, technology, and faith which are integral to the mission of the King Institute for Faith and Culture.”

In addition to her work on Shelley, Lake is a frequent contributor to scholarly work on Flannery O’Connor, and her book “The Incarnational Art of Flannery O’Connor” describes how that iconic author’s unique aesthetic defies the Gnostic dualisms that characterize American intellectual and spiritual life. Bieber’s forthcoming work, “Beyond the Story: American Fiction and the Limits of Materialism,” argues that contemporary American storytelling is an act of love for persons who inherently resist scientific naturalism’s account of human experience.

In 2014, Lake was awarded the Aldersgate Prize by the John Wesley Honors College at Indiana Wesleyan University for integrative scholarship, and the Catholic Press Association’s Book Award in the Faith and Science category for her second book, “Prophets of the Posthuman: American Fiction, Biotechnology and the Ethics of Personhood.” Lake’s presentation will be complemented with the Arts Alliance Mountain Empire’s “The Monster on the Airwaves: Radio Adaptations of Frankenstein” presentation by Christopher Slaughter, associate professor of theatre at King, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at the Bristol Public Library. For the complete schedule and more information on each speaker, click here or www.facebook.com/kingfaithandculture, email [email protected] or call 423.652.4157.

King University is a Presbyterian-affiliated, doctoral-level comprehensive university. Founded in 1867 as King College, the University offers more than 90 majors, minors, pre-professional degrees and concentrations in fields such as business, nursing, law, medical and health sciences, pharmacy, education, and humanities. Graduate programs are offered in business administration, education, and nursing. A number of research, off-campus learning opportunities, and travel destinations are also available. King University is a NCAA Division II and a Conference Carolinas member with 25 varsity sports. For more information about King University, click here. King University does not discriminate against academically qualified students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, or disability. King University is certified by SCHEV to operate in Virginia. King’s primary location in Virginia is Southwest Virginia Community College, 724 Community College Rd, Cedar Bluff, VA 24609.