This speaker series is intended to initiate public conversation about the Lutheran values that have underpinned Muhlenberg’s history and recent development in the past fifty years.  

A group of students talk while sitting in red Adirondack chairs and on a green lawn on a college campus.

Muhlenberg’s mission is to “develop independent critical thinkers…committed to understanding the diversity of the human experience…[who are] equipped with ethical and civic values and prepared for lives of leadership and service.” These speakers will reflect on Lutheran values covering three broad domains called out in this mission:

  • Open-mindedness, critical inquiry and rigor, individual freedom of conscience, and educating and empowering all people (human flourishing); 
  • A focus on the rights and dignity of every person, inclusiveness and belonging, and social and economic justice (social responsibility); and 
  • The discernment of a pathway to work and service in the world in response to the gifts and talents we are given and develop in our lifetimes (personal vocation).

The Speakers

An adult with glasses and white hair wears a black robe with a clerical collar and looks to the camera.
Rev. Dr. Guy Erwin

September 25, 2024
For the Common Good: Lutheran Approaches to Education
Rev. Dr. Guy Erwin
Reformation Scholar, Theologian, Seminary President
7 p.m. in Miller Forum, Moyer Hall | Watch Dr. Erwin's Sept. 25 Talk

Dr. Erwin will speak on Lutheran values, human flourishing and how the theological roots of Lutheranism informs US higher education, the liberal arts and Muhlenberg College.
Partnering Organizations: Department of Religious Studies, Institute for Religious and Cultural Understanding, Offices of the President and Provost

 

A photo headshot of an adult smiling while wearing a black collared shirt.
Vance Blackfox

November 20, 2024
Vance Blackfox
Indigenous Theologian, ELCA Director of Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations
7 p.m. in Miller Forum, Moyer Hall

Mr. Blackfox will speak on Lutheran values and social responsibility with a focus on engagement with indigenous cultures.
Partnering Organizations: Center for Ethics, Office of Multicultural Life, Offices of the President and Provost

 

An adult in a suit smiles at the camera.
Dr. Ulysses W. Burley III

February 6, 2025
Dr. Ulysses W. Burley III
Physician, Epidemiologist, Public Health Advocate
7 p.m. in Miller Forum, Moyer Hall

Dr. Burley will speak on the Lutheran values and personal vocation within the theme of Muhlenberg’s Black History Month programming “A Love Letter to Intersectional Racial Justice.”
Partnering Organizations: Africana Studies, Office of Multicultural Life, Public Health Program, Peer Health Advocates Muhlenberg, Shankweiler Scholars, Offices of the President and Provost 

Contact Us

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