Dr. Miroslav Volf
On Wednesday, Sept. 14, the Lee University School of Religion and the Behavioral and Social Sciences Department will host theologian Miroslav Volf who will present two lectures on faith.
Dr. Volf will present his first lecture, “Malfunctions of Faith,” at 4 p.m. in Jones Lecture Hall, located in Lee’s School of Religion. At 7 that evening, Volf will give a second lecture titled, “The Christian Faith and Human Flourishing” in Lee’s Chapel, located on 11th Street.
“Professor Volf is one of the premier Christian theologians in the world,” said Dr. Terry Cross, dean of Lee’s School of Religion. “In a world that is frequently polarized by religion, Volf's theology is rich with the texture of the challenge of this reality and yet the promise of working through the often complex issues surrounding it.”
Born in the European city of Osijek, Croatia, and raised under the values of his pastor father, Dr. Volf received his BA from the Evangelical-Theological Faculty in Osijek and received his MA from Fuller Theological Seminary. He went on to receive both his doctorate in theology and doctorate in theological habilitation from the University of Tubingen in Germany. Dr. Volf is currently the Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School and founder and director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture.
“Volf is among those gifted scholars who can speak about robust theological ideas clearly and wisely,” said Joshua Rio-Ross, a visiting lecturer at Lee and a former student of Volf’s. “His gift is not merely his intelligence; it is his ability to identify the cultural and religious significance of a thought and to envision that thought's consequences for our world.”
Dr. Volf has written or edited over 15 books which reach back to New Testament ideas of salvation to focus on exclusion between people groups and offer ideas of embrace in response to human isolation. His lectures address issues such as nation difference and violence, relationships between the Muslim and Christian community, and the role of Christians in the public sphere. Through his lectures, Volf explores practical ways in which believers can actively integrate their faith into their everyday lives.
Dr.Volf has given many prominent lectures at universities including the Dudleian Lecture, Harvard; the Chavasse Lectures, Oxford; and the Gray Lectures, Duke, among others. He has been featured on National Public Radio’s Speaking of Faith and Public Television’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, and he was a keynote presenter for the Trinity Institute’s 36th National Conference, “The Anatomy of Reconciliation” in 2006.
“We are very honored to have a lecturer of this caliber at Lee,” said Dr. Carolyn Dirksen, director of faculty development. “We look forward to his engagement of our students and colleagues in his provocative work.”
Admission is free, and the community is encouraged to enjoy this reflective experience on the relationship between Christian theology and the practice in the lives of believers.
For more information about the event, contact Dr. Murl Dirksen at mdirksen@leeuniversity.edu or call Lee University’s School of Religion at 423-303-5080.