McClendon Scholar-in-Residence Program

Coming Up:

Wednesday, Feb. 8, 7:00 pm. Jimmie Hawkins, Director of the Office of Social Witness for PCUSA, will talk about his book, Unbroken and Unbowed: A History of Black Protest in America.

Registration information coming soon

Recent Programs

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer: His Life and Lessons for Today, with filmmaker Martin Doblmeier, Dr. Reggie Williams of McCormick Seminary, author of "Bonhoeffer's Black Jesus" and Rev. Rob Schenck, Director of The Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute.
• The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth, with author Kris Henning.
• The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, American's Judicial Hero, with author Peter Canellos
• Dinah and the Shechemite Women: The Body Politic, with Dr. Judy Fentress-Williams, August 13, 2022.
• Abraham and the Multiverse, with Dr. Judy Fentress-Williams, July 14, 2022.
• Is America Possible? A Test for Democracy and Faith, with Jim Wallis, May 11, 2022.
• Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Divided a Nation, with Dr. Kristin Kobes du Mez, March 16, 2022
• Redeeming the Heart and Soul of America, with Rev. William Barber, Nov. 11, 2021
• Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope & Healing, with Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, Oct. 26, 2021
• Seeking Wisdom and Social Healing in a Time of Division with Krista Tippett and Lucas Johnson of The On Being Project, July 7, 2021
• Spiritual Audacity: The Abraham Joshua Heschel Story, film and discussion with filmmaker Martin Doblemeier and Susannah Heschel, April 14, 2021.
• Dr. Judy Fentress-Williams, Virginia Theological Seminary, March 20, 2021.
  • Dreams, Visions and Apocalypse: Alternative Realities in the Old Testament, 
  • Small Group Conversation
• Rev. James Lawson, A New Years Message for America, Feb. 10, 2021.
• Lessons from the Civil Rights Movement (a conversation with Rev. Heather Shortlidge, Rev. Joe Daniels, historian Taylor Branch, and civil rights leader Bernard Lafayette.)
• E.J. Dionne, Washington Post columnist and author, One Nation After Trump: How People of Faith Can Help Save Our Country, Dec. 7, 2020
• James Forman, Jr., professor, Yale Law School and author of Locking Up Our Own. After the Protests: What Do We Do Now?
  • October 14 conversation
  • September 3 webinar and resource page
  • August 25 webinar and resource page
• Karenna Gore, A Spiritual and Moral Response to the Climate Crisis, Sept. 19, 2020.
• Dr. Judy Fentress-Williams, Storytelling for Survival: The Hebrew Bible and Formative Stories. July 25-26, 2020.
• Revolution of the Heart: The Dorothy Day Story, Feb. 25, 2020, with Sister Simone Campbell and filmmaker Martin Doblmeier. Simone Campbell interview.

Highlights of Earlier Programs
Since its founding in 2006, we have hosted some of the most preeminent scholars, theologians and authors in the country, including: Walter Brueggmann, James Cone, E.J. Dionne, Taylor Branch, Ellen Davis, Bryan Stevenson, Ron White, Kelly Brown Douglas, Sr. Simone Campbell, Sen. Chris Coons, Raphael Warnock, and Peter Wehner.  Below are excerpts from presentations by two of our well-known speakers, which provide a good example of the kind of excellent programs we have had through the years.

Sr. Simone Campbell, Feb. 25, 2020

• Love Across Boundaries (Time: 2.53)
• Five Characteristics of Holiness (Time: 3.06)

You can also see the full discussion with Sr. Simone Campbell following the screening of the film, Revolution of the Heart: The Dorothy Day Story.

Raphael Warnock, Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, June 9, 2018

• Unfinished Business (Time: 6.43)
• MLK's Revolution of Values (Time 3.46)
• Churches and Restorative Justice (Time 7:23)

You can see Raphael Warnock's entire presentation here.

A complete archive of recordings of McClendon Scholar programs can be found here.