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King University Kicks Off 2018-2019 Institute for Faith and Culture Lecture Series with Robert P. George

August 15, 2018

BRISTOL, Tenn., Aug. 15, 2018 – King University will kick off its 2018-2019 Institute for Faith and Culture Lecture Series with guest speaker Robert P. George on Aug. 21-22.

George serves as the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, and is also a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. He will present “Natural Law, God, and Human Dignity” at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, located at 350 Euclid Ave., Bristol, Virginia, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 21. He will also present “The Life of Faith and the Moral Life” in memory of noted political philosopher Peter Augustine Lawler (1951-2017), at 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 22, at the King University Memorial Chapel. The morning event will be part of King’s Opening Convocation ceremony.

Since 2008, the King Institute for Faith and Culture has sought to foster conversation about things that matter with guest speakers who work at the intersections of Christian faith and culture. This year’s lecture series focuses on the themes of remembrance and hope.

“Remembrance and hope can seem at odds with each other,” said Martin Dotterweich, director of Faith and Learning at King. “When we recall the failures and tragedies of the past — not only those large, historic events that affect us all, but those deeply personal events that impact our individual lives — we can imagine that hope is difficult to find. Yet throughout scripture, the act of remembering is joined with the command to hope. This year’s Faith and Culture series invites us to be aware of this command in numerous and encouraging ways, and we’re fortunate to welcome a number of voices to examine these ideas from multiple perspectives.”

The author or editor of a dozen books, George has served as chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and the President’s Council on Bioethics. He was also a judicial fellow for the U.S. Supreme Court, where he received the Justice Tom C. Clark Award. He is a recipient of the U.S. Presidential Citizens Medal and the Honorific Medal for the Defense of Human Rights of the Republic of Poland.

“Robert George has contributed immensely to the ways we think about justice, civil liberties, and constructive democratic discourse,” Dotterweich said. “His talks on human dignity and its implications for Christian moral life will establish the tone for our upcoming series, and we are delighted to welcome him to Bristol.”

Additional speakers in the series include King alumna Katherine Paterson, author of Bridge to Terabithia and two-time winner of both the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award; John Perkins, author of Let Justice Roll Down and co-founder of such ministries as the Christian Community Development Association and the John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation; and former White House physician Allen Roberts, among others. The full list features:

  • Robert George, Princeton University — Aug. 21 – 22
  • Allen Roberts, Georgetown University Medical School — Sept. 10
  • Philip Jenkins, Baylor University — Sept. 17, the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI and the 50th
  • Katherine Paterson, author and Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, author — Oct. 22
  • Christina Bieber Lake, Wheaton College — Oct. 29, the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
  • John Perkins, John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation — Jan. 21 – 22, Martin Luther King Jr. celebration
  • Kate Bowler, Duke Divinity School — Jan. 28, author of NYT bestseller Everything Happens for a Reason, and Other Lies I’ve Loved
  • Guests from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum — Feb. 25
  • Justo Gonzalez, Association for Hispanic Theological Education — March 11

For the complete schedule and more information on each speaker, visit http://faithandculture.king.edu/ 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.