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A feminist perspective of Luther's Theology of the Cross

reformation_lectureOn October 31, 1517, a theologian, university professor, and outlaw named Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of All Saints’ Church. This act, which marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, is celebrated at Augsburg College with the Founders Day Reformation Lecture series, this year featuring professor Deanna Thompson, chair of the Religion department at Hamline College.

The series began during the tenure of Augsburg’s former president, William V. Frame, as a vehicle to examine the connections between the Reformation and the Augsburg College mission. The series continues today, providing an opportunity for students, staff, and faculty at Augsburg to hear speakers who are experts in the field of Reformation history and theology while reaching out to the greater community, especially local congregations, pastors, and scholars.

Hans Wiersma, a Reformation historian and professor of religion at Augsburg, says the goal and the challenge of the series is to connect a 500-year old movement with the issues of today. Thompson, a theologian and professor, will connect the Reformation to current issues by examining Luther’s Theology of the Cross from feminist and global perspectives. The author of “Crossing the Divide: Luther, Feminism, and the Cross” writes that in her teaching she is committed to approaching biblical text, doctrine, and practice “from the perspective of personal, communal and contemporary relevance.”

Wiersma, along with other Augsburg religion faculty who are Reformation historians and theologians, hopes the lecture series will grow and help to position Augsburg as a center for Reformation scholarship, especially study that informs the present. “In 2017, mark my words, there will be a tremendous amount of cultural energy around the 500th anniversary of the Reformation,” he said, “and we want Augsburg to be at the center of this energy.”

New Perspectives on Luther’s Theology of the Cross

Monday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m.

“Women, World, and Luther’s Theology of the Cross”

Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center

Attendees are invited to attend a reception with Thompson before the Monday evening lecture. Contact Hans Wiersma at wiersma@augsburg.edu for more information.

 

Tuesday, Nov. 11, 10 a.m.

“More than Miracles: Hope in the Face of the Cross”

Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center

Attendees are invited to stay for a 20-minute chapel service at 11:20 a.m. and lunch following the service. Contact Hans Wiersma at wiersma@augsburg.edu for more information.

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