On Wednesday, April 4, Christian Theological Seminary is convening the community for reflection and discussion of two world-changing events: The Protestant Reformation and the Civil Rights movement. Morning and evening events will explore themes of liberty, social justice and equality espoused by two visionaries and activists named Martin Luther. Both events are free and open to the public.
On Wednesday, April 4, as the nation observes the 50th commemoration of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III will preach in Sweeney Chapel at 11:30 a.m. A civil rights advocate who built his ministry on community advancement and social justice activism, Moss is Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. His two decades of practicing and preaching a Black theology that calls attention to the problems of mass incarceration, environmental justice and economic inequality have sparked dialogue and action around the globe. Moss’s latest book is “Blue Note Preaching in a Post-Soul World: Finding Hope in an Age of Desperation.”
On Wednesday evening, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., students who participated in the Reformation Tour presented by CTS last fall will join with those who took part in CTS’s second travel seminar held in March 2018 that focused on Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Legacy. Observing the 500th commemoration of Martin Luther’s posting of the Ninety-Five Theses in 2017, the Reformation Tour explored not only how Martin Luther influenced Protestant Theology, but how his theology and actions influenced the public witness and formation of the Civil Rights movement centuries later.
“The Reformation and the Civil Rights Movement are two of the most significant events in history and continue to transform how we think about our faith and the concepts of freedom and liberty that are central to civilization,” said Dr. Leah Gunning Francis, Vice President of Faculty at Christian Theological Seminary. “We are honored to welcome Rev. Dr. Moss to campus for an inspiring morning of worship, reflection and hope, and we hope the community will come together again in the evening to reflect on how lessons from the lives of two Martin Luthers separated by centuries and continents continue to influence our world,” she said.
A reception with light refreshments will precede the evening discussion. The evening will conclude with a powerful video of the last 2:30 minutes of King’s final sermon, “I Have Been to the Mountaintop.”
The Re|Formation Travel Seminar in Wittenburg, Germany. Home of the reformer Martin Luther.
The Re|Formation Travel Seminar at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL where Martin Luther King was the Pastor.
