MACON — Scholar and author Jaime Clark–Soles will deliver Mercer University’s 33rd annual Harry Vaughan Smith Distinguished Visiting Professor of Religion Lectures Feb. 11-12 in Newton Chapel on the Macon campus.
“A lot of us talk about, think about, and know about God, all of which is vitally important to our faith. But what about experiencing God?” said Clark-Soles. “How do our Scriptures help to shape the conversation and set us up for such divine encounters? Grab your Bible and let’s explore!”
Clark-Soles, professor of New Testament, Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor and director of the Baptist House of Studies at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, helps people “connect ancient traditions with contemporary life, equipping them with the skills and practices to confidently read biblical texts for themselves—free from hearsay and assumptions.”
“We look forward to having Dr. Clarke-Soles share not only her expertise on these texts with us, but also their contemporary import,” said Dr. Paul Lewis, professor and chair of Mercer’s religion department.
The theme of Clark-Soles’ lecture series will be “The Agony, the Ecstasy, and the Ordinary: Experiencing God in the New Testament.” The lecture schedule is:
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
“A Touchy-Feely Bible?” An Introduction to Experiencing God in the New Testament
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 7:30-8:45 p.m.
“We Have this Treasure in Clay Jars” Experiencing God with Paul
Wednesday, Feb. 12, 10:10-11 a.m.
“The Word Became Flesh” Experiencing God with the Gospel of John.
The lectures, co-sponsored by the Office of the President and the Columbus Roberts Department of Religion in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, are free and open to the public. Limited seating is available.
The Harry Vaughan Smith Distinguished Visiting Professorship was established in 1990 after Dr. and Mrs. Harry Vaughan Smith made a major gift to Mercer to underwrite a visiting professorship and lecture series in the Department of Religion.
The gift bears witness to the lifelong commitment of the late Dr. Smith to the University, which began when he enrolled as a freshman in 1920. A 1924 graduate, Dr. Smith served as pastor of several prominent churches in Georgia before becoming alumni secretary and assistant to the president at Mercer in 1946, a post he held until 1955. From 1955-1970, he was executive director of the Georgia Baptist Foundation. In his many years of service, Dr. Smith was a faithful worker on behalf of all Georgia Baptist causes, but he always maintained a special interest in the University and the cause of Christian higher education.
