CONWAY, Ark. (March
9, 2021) — The Marshall T. Steel Center for the Study of Religion and
Philosophy at Hendrix College welcomes Reggie Williams, Ph.D., associate
professor of Christian ethics at McCormick Theological Seminary, as its Steel
Center Visiting Scholar for 2021. His visit will occur remotely due to COVID-19
restrictions; nevertheless, he will speak at two Hendrix-based events, both of
which are free and open to the public:
- Wednesday Afternoon Discussion/Virtuous
Conversations Series, March 17, 4:10 to 5:10 p.m. CDT: “Learning to Be Troubled: Dietrich
Bonhoeffer’s Experience in Harlem”
- Steel Center Lecture on Thursday, March 18, 2021, 7:15
to 8:15 p.m. CDT: “What Killed Dietrich Bonhoeffer?”
Dr. Williams’ book Bonhoeffer’s Black Jesus: Harlem Renaissance
Theology and an Ethic of Resistance (Baylor University Press, 2014) was
selected as a Choice Outstanding Title in 2015 in the field of religion. The
book analyzes German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s exposure to
Harlem Renaissance intellectuals, and worship at Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church,
during his year of post-doctoral study at Union Seminary in New York, 1930-31.
Williams will focus on this particular time in Bonhoeffer’s life, and how it
influenced his resistance of the Nazi regime, for the content of the Wednesday
Afternoon Discussion.
In addition to Bonhoeffer, Williams’ research interests include
Christological ethics, theological anthropology, Christian social ethics, the
Harlem Renaissance, race, politics and black church life. His current book
project includes a religious critique of whiteness in the Harlem Renaissance.
In addition, he is working on a book analyzing the reception of Bonhoeffer by
liberation activists in apartheid South Africa.
Williams received his Ph.D. in Christian ethics at Fuller Theological
Seminary in 2011. He earned a master’s degree in theology from Fuller in 2006
and a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Westmont College in 1995. He
is a member of the board of directors for the Society for Christian Ethics, as
well as the International Dietrich Bonhoeffer Society. He is also a member of
the American Academy of Religion and Society for the Study of Black Religion.
While both events are free, pre-registration is required for access to
the Zoom platform. Email steel@hendrix.edu by noon on the
day of the event to make a reservation and receive event access.
About Hendrix College
A private liberal
arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns
recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is
featured in Colleges
That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About
Colleges.
Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix
as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876,
Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To
learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.