Spring Break
Prof hopes lecture series inspires students
Christopher Shaver
Issue date: 2/18/09 Section: Campus News
The annual Joyce Compton Brown Lecture Series began Tuesday night with a presentation by Dr. Jim Lawrence, a communications professor, about church-state relationships and the Constitution.
The lecture was titled "Jefferson Died for Our Sins: Rediscovering the Writings of Thomas Jefferson as a Counter to the Myth of the Christian Nation."
"I'm using Jefferson as an example to show that the Constitution was a secular document and it only mentions God in one place - and that's a prohibition that you're not supposed to consider someone's religious beliefs to hold public office," Lawrence said.
"I'm just trying to puncture a lot of the common misconceptions about the way the country was founded."
Although Lawrence knew the material could be controversial, he said he felt like he needed to dispel misconceptions of America being a "Christian nation." He provided part of the lecture at the Oxford Roundtable at Oxford University in 2007.
Dr. Matt Theado, English professor and lecture-series organizer, said the lineup of speakers for the five-part series will challenge students to think outside the box and hear another point of view.
"One reason I was interested in this was because when I was a college student, I attended hundreds of class sessions and a few lectures," Theado said. "I remember all the lectures."
Theado said the lectures are critical in students' lives because they allow students to hear people outside of the classroom.
"I think what will stick with you and inspire is going to hear some smart people that have been doing some good work outside of what you just hear in the classroom," Theado said.
"We try to have a wide variety of topics that will inspire. Not just the topic will inspire though. The fact that it's a scholar doing good sharp work should inspire.
"The intent is not to be edgy or controversial, but opening up students' minds to more complex ways of thinking through various perspectives," Theado said.
"We're hoping to develop an atmosphere of exciting thinking at Gardner-Webb."
Former English professor Dr. Joyce Compton Brown started the lecture series in the 1990s. After she retired in 2005, colleagues continued her legacy and named the series after her.
Other lecturers this spring include GWU's Dr. Don Berry, Dale Koontz, Thomas Raine Crowe and Sheri Reynolds.
The topics will range from "Health and Wellness from a Muslim Perepctive" to Reynolds' book, "The Rapture of Canaan."
"The whole thing shouldn't last more than an hour," Theado said. "We want to have a nice introduction, an intriguing presentation and then questions and answers.
"We have a little reception, too. Any students that come get free food."
The lecture was titled "Jefferson Died for Our Sins: Rediscovering the Writings of Thomas Jefferson as a Counter to the Myth of the Christian Nation."
"I'm using Jefferson as an example to show that the Constitution was a secular document and it only mentions God in one place - and that's a prohibition that you're not supposed to consider someone's religious beliefs to hold public office," Lawrence said.
"I'm just trying to puncture a lot of the common misconceptions about the way the country was founded."
Although Lawrence knew the material could be controversial, he said he felt like he needed to dispel misconceptions of America being a "Christian nation." He provided part of the lecture at the Oxford Roundtable at Oxford University in 2007.
Dr. Matt Theado, English professor and lecture-series organizer, said the lineup of speakers for the five-part series will challenge students to think outside the box and hear another point of view.
"One reason I was interested in this was because when I was a college student, I attended hundreds of class sessions and a few lectures," Theado said. "I remember all the lectures."
Theado said the lectures are critical in students' lives because they allow students to hear people outside of the classroom.
"I think what will stick with you and inspire is going to hear some smart people that have been doing some good work outside of what you just hear in the classroom," Theado said.
"We try to have a wide variety of topics that will inspire. Not just the topic will inspire though. The fact that it's a scholar doing good sharp work should inspire.
"The intent is not to be edgy or controversial, but opening up students' minds to more complex ways of thinking through various perspectives," Theado said.
"We're hoping to develop an atmosphere of exciting thinking at Gardner-Webb."
Former English professor Dr. Joyce Compton Brown started the lecture series in the 1990s. After she retired in 2005, colleagues continued her legacy and named the series after her.
Other lecturers this spring include GWU's Dr. Don Berry, Dale Koontz, Thomas Raine Crowe and Sheri Reynolds.
The topics will range from "Health and Wellness from a Muslim Perepctive" to Reynolds' book, "The Rapture of Canaan."
"The whole thing shouldn't last more than an hour," Theado said. "We want to have a nice introduction, an intriguing presentation and then questions and answers.
"We have a little reception, too. Any students that come get free food."
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posted 12/25/09 @ 9:01 PM EST
I think it is a great idea to give such lectures.
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