Visiting scholar to give presentations on black leadership, churches


Eddie Glaude Jr.


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LAWRENCE — A visiting scholar from Princeton University will deliver two public lectures this week that address topics at the intersection of his research in religion and African-American studies. The events are sponsored by the University of Kansas and community partners.

A collaborative program at KU will bring Eddie Glaude Jr., the William S. Tod Professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University, to Lawrence as the 2012 Theologian in Residence and Visiting Scholar in Religion.

Glaude's first public lecture, "The Crisis of Black Leadership" will be at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20 in the Big 12 Room in the Kansas Union. His second public lecture, "The Role of the Black Church in the Age of Obama" will be 7 p.m. Sept. 22 at Ninth Street Missionary Baptist Church, 847 Ohio St.

Glaude's research focuses on American pragmatism, specifically the work of John Dewey, African-American religious history and its place in American public life. He has authored several books. His most recent book, the award-winning "In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America," established him as a leader and visionary thinker of his field.

The Theologian in Residence series hosts scholars who represent a diversity of religious traditions, while bringing KU and the greater Lawrence community closer together through thoughtful conversations about issues that impact daily life and practical concerns. It supports presentations and dialogue on issues of faith and questions of religion. The program has brought many outstanding scholars to KU and the greater Lawrence community since 2001, including Marcus J. Borg, Amy-Jill Levine, John Dominic Crossan, Bart Ehrman and Peter Gomes.

"The strong crossdisciplinary support for a series of lectures such as those of Eddie Glaude's demonstrates the commitment to those core principles of liberal arts education by the departments and the Langston Hughes Center and the Hall Center for the Humanities," said Shawn Alexander, director of the Langston Hughes Center and associate professor of African and African-American studies.

The Theologian in Residence series is sponsored by many KU, community and religious organizations and programs. The KU sponsors include the Langston Hughes Center, the Hall Center for the Humanities, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Department of African and African-American Studies, the Department of American Studies, the Department of Philosophy, the Department of Political Science, the Department of Religious Studies and the Kansas African Studies Center.

The community and religious sponsors include Ecumenical Christian Ministries, First Presbyterian Church, First United Methodist Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, Plymouth Congregational Church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, First Baptist Church, St. Paul United Church of Christ, Ninth Street Missionary Baptist Church and St. Luke's AME Church.

Many of the KU sponsors are part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The College enrolls about two-thirds of KU students and encompasses more than 55 departments, programs, centers, the School of Public Affairs and Administration and the School of the Arts. Nearly half of the students at KU earn their bachelor's degrees from the College. Courses in the College cover hundreds of subjects including history, literature, chemistry, biology, art history, mathematics, anthropology, psychology, foreign language and political science.


Tue, 09/18/2012

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Shawn Alexander

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Shawn Alexander

Langston Hughes Center

785-864-5044