Wesley’s Center for Public Theology extends an invitation to the general public to explore the role of the church at this most critical time in the national and global well-being by attending “Public Theology Today,” a public event to be held September 29.
Public theology, according to Deputy Director of Wesley’s Center for Public Theology, Dr. Carolyn J. Davis, “centers on the role of the church, and its theological and ethical language, and how it can engage the pressing current debates of the public sphere.”
The Center for Public Theology draws together courses, programs, and events which examine ways that faith traditions impact policy and politics. It is part of Wesley Seminary’s Institute for Community Engagement, which seeks to create “a transforming church that promotes communities where all people are cherished and flourish.”
On September 29, the general public is invited to the free lecture, “The End of White Christian America and Its Implications for the 2016 Election,” the keynote address of Dr. Robert P. Jones, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute. His new book of the same name has been hailed by The New York Times Review of Books as “quite possibly the most illuminating text for this election year.”
A leading scholar and commentator on religion and politics, Jones holds a Ph.D. in religion from Emory University and a M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For his latest book, 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 election.
The evening’s discussion will be moderated by former White House press secretary, Distinguished Professor of Public Theology, and Center for Public Theology Director, Mike McCurry.
The event will be held from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Wesley Downtown, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW in Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public. Space is limited; you can register for the event here.
