Drew University Welcomes Public to Theology Lectures

Why do some Asians attend church or other houses of worship more often than others? And what impact does being involved in organized religion have on Asian ethnic communities?

Dr. Pyong Gap Min, distinguished professor of sociology at Queens College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, will examine these questions as the speaker for the 2014 Frederick A. Shippey Lecture at the Drew University Theological School on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m.

Dr. Min’s talk, “Ethnic Religious Institutions and Ethnic Attachment,” will focus on five ethnic groups of Asians—Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Korean— and the different patterns in religious affiliation and participation in ethnic religious institutions. The talk will take place at Craig Chapel in Seminary Hall.

Dr. Min is the lead speaker in a series of lectures this fall by the Drew University Theological School. All of the talks are free and open to the public.

“We are launching an exciting series of talks on spiritual, cultural, and societal issues that we hope will be both educational and enlightening,” said Dean Javier Viera of Drew’s Theological School. “We’ve brought together experts from around the United States to share their ideas and promote discussion.”

On November 4, Pastor Karen Vannoy, a United Methodist pastor, and her husband, Pastor John Flowers, will be the speakers for the Theo School Evangelism Lecture addressing issues of the decline of churches and whether church members subconsciously sabotage church growth and enrollment. Their talk is called “The Lure of Decline” and will be at 7:30 p.m. at the Craig Chapel in Seminary Hall. For the Henri Nouwen Lecture, two speakers will address “Sacred Economics: The Spirituality of Money” on November 18 at 7:30 p.m., also in the Craig Chapel in Seminary Hall. Charles Eisenstein, author of Sacred Economics, and Michael Christensen, associate professor and international director of the Shalom Initiative, at Drew University, will talk about changing the way society interacts with money.

Eisenstein will talk about alternatives to our existing economic system, which he says encourages competition and the compulsive need for economic growth. He will speak about “gift economics” and “gift culture” based on a system where goods and services are traded for the common good. Christensen, who is also a part-time professor at Drew, will speak about Nouwen’s books, which addressed serving the poor with compassion and the rewards of voluntary downward mobility.

Pre-registration is not required to attend any of the lectures.