Goshen College Professor of History John D. Roth will be presenting the C. Henry Smith Public Lecture on April 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Umble Center on "Called to One Peace: Christian Faith and Political Witness in a Divided Culture." The presidential election of 2004 made it clear that when it comes to politics, Mennonite congregations are deeply divided: both about the appropriate level of political involvement and about the substance of the issues being debated. This lecture will analyze recent developments in North American Mennonite political thought and practice. Drawing on recent trends in Mennonite peace theology and the contemporary experience of Mennonites in Paraguay, the speech will challenge Mennonites in the U.S. to resist the divisive character of our current political practice and to model a style of political engagement that transcends the Red/Blue chasm currently dividing our nation.

In addition to being professor of history, John D. Roth also serves as director of the Mennonite Historical Library and editor of Mennonite Quarterly Review. He is the author of several books, among them "Choosing Against War: A Christian View" (Good Books, 2002) and a new book called "Beliefs: Mennonite Thought and Practice" (Herald Press, 2005). John and his wife, Ruth, are the parents of 4 teenage daughters and are active members at the Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship in Goshen, Indiana.

The lecture is open to the public. There is no admission charge for this event.