7:30 pm,
Tuesday,
April 5, 2005
Umble Center
C. Henry Smith Public Lecture: "Called to One Peace: Christian Faith and Political Witness in a Divided Culture," by John D. Roth
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.
Contact: Joe Liechty, phone (574) 535-7802, email joecl@goshen.edu