Media Advisory: Author, theologian Diana Butler Bass to address American religion and culture
Author, speaker, and independent scholar Diana Butler Bass, who specializes in American religion and culture, will give the Wake Forest University School of Divinity’s Steelman Lecture on Tuesday, Jan. 22, about her bestselling book, Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening.
Her lecture is free and open to the public and will begin at 4:30 p.m. in Wait Chapel on the Wake Forest campus. She will speak about the importance, the depth, and the complexity of religion and spirituality in history, culture, and political life. The Steelman Lecture, originally scheduled for October, was postponed due to travel issues related to Superstorm Sandy.
Butler Bass is the author of eight books, including A People’s History of Christianity: the Other Side of the Story (HarperOne, 2009), which was nominated for a Library of Virginia literacy award, and Christianity for the Rest of Us, which was named as one of the best religion books of the year in 2006 by Publishers Weekly and was featured in a USA Today cover story.
Currently, she is a Chabraja Fellow with the SeaburyNEXT project at Seabury Western Theological Seminary and regularly consults with religious organizations, leads conferences for religious leaders, and teaches and preaches in a variety of venues. She blogs at The Huffington Post and Patheos and regularly comments on religion, politics, and culture in the media including USA Today, Time, Newsweek, The Washington Post, CNN, FOX, PBS, and NPR.
Read more about Butler Bass on her website at www.dianabutlerbass.com, and find out more about her speaking engagements and research on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Steelman Lectures: The Steelman Lectures, which were endowed in 1998 with a gift from Dr. Standford L. Steelman, a distinguished biochemist from Hickory, North Carolina, were established in honor of his wife Margaret A. Steelman. The endowment invites prominent lecturers of Judeo-Christian theology to the School of Divinity each year. Lecturers in the past have included distinguished speakers Susan R. Garrett of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and Marcus J. Borg, acclaimed author and theologian.
About the Wake Forest University School of Divinity: The School of Divinity is a graduate, professional school that is Christian by tradition, Baptist in heritage, and ecumenical in outlook. Consistent with Wake Forest’s commitment to academic excellence and in the spirit of the University, Pro Humanitate, the School of Divinity prepares leaders informed by a theological understanding of vocation. Through imaginative courses and diverse programs of community engagement, students are equipped to be agents of justice, reconciliation, and compassion in Christian churches and other ministries. The Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree stands at the center of the School of Divinity’s degree offerings. It prepares students from diverse church experiences and theological perspectives for religious leadership. Students study the rich histories and traditions of Christianity, to understand the changing social and religious landscape and to gain practical ministry experience in local and global contexts. The School of Divinity also has three joint degree offerings in law, bioethics, and counseling with other schools of the University.
About Wake Forest University: Wake Forest University combines the best traditions of a small liberal arts college with the resources of a large research university. Founded in 1834, the school is located in Winston-Salem, N.C. The University’s graduate school of arts and sciences, divinity school, and nationally ranked schools of law, medicine and business enrich our intellectual environment. Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu.
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