Page 2 – The Waltonian

The Templeton Honors College will now offer a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) with a uniquely classical framework. The program, developed in partnership with Great Hearts Academies, is built upon the philosophy that the purpose of education is greater than assimilating knowledge or training for a job; rather, the goal of education is to habituate lifelong learning in pursuit of what is good, true and beautiful. Given this philosophy, the program will focus on what it means to be human and how the answer to this question impacts our understanding of learning and teaching. The program also gives elevated attention to students with differences and disabilities based on the presupposition that all people are made in the image of God and therefore have “inestimable and intrinsic worth.” Furthermore, the program will encourage meaningful questioning of education practices in order to develop an understanding of how and why we teach. In addition to receiving a Master of Arts in Teaching, participants in the program will have the opportunity for Pennsylvania teacher certification in secondary subject areas, which is easily transferable to 45 other states.

The curriculum will include courses in the history of education, in classical education and diverse learners and in classical pedagogy–all of which will incorporate philosophy and history into a study of pedagogy and methodology. Standard educational courses such as special education, classroom management and adolescent development will be taught from a classical perspective. For example, the course entitled Issues in Special Education: Difference and Human Dignity will give an overview of special education (including classifications, intervention strategies and legislation) through exploring inherent human dignity and the meaning of personhood.

In terms of structure, the program will take two years to complete, which will consist of two intensive summer terms and apprenticeships with guidance from master teachers during the school year. The program will be run on a cohort model, with the first cohort consisting of 20 students. A number of these students will likely be teachers from Great Hearts Academies. Courses are scheduled to commence this June, and applications will be available to prospective students by February. If you are interested in applying or learning more about the program, visit their website (http://templetonhonorscollege.com/academics/graduate/overview) or email Anneke Lujan at alujan@eastern.edu.

Source: TempletonHonorsCollege.com

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A REFLECTION ON THE HISTORY AND IMPORTANCE OF PHOTOJOURNALISM

Matt Wolek/ The Waltonian

by Jordan Kolb

In order to understand the way that images shape the way we take in information and the practice of journalism, we have to imagine a world in which almost all of the news that we take in comes through words and not through images. Until the early 1900s, printed news sources were limited to images that came from wooden engravings. Even in the mid-1800s, when it began to be possible to obtain photographs of newsworthy events and people, most still photographs had to be reinterpreted through these engravings before they could be widely reproduced and distributed. It was only in the 1920s with the invention of the 35 mm Leica camera and flash bulbs that photojournalism began to emerge as a significant form of media. The Leica camera in particular eliminated the need for photographers to carry bulky equipment, which in turn allowed them to take pictures less conspicuously and capture more candid moments. The 1930s to 70s became known as the “golden age” of photojournalism, with magazines like Life and Sports Illustrated gaining huge readerships due to their use of photography. The creation of new photojournalism magazines in Germany and America offered a new mode of sharing information by telling stories through pictures. The term “photojournalism” was coined by Frank Luther Mott. Mott was the dean of the University of Missouri School of Journalism—one of the first schools to create a photojournalism program in the mid-20th century.

Photos quickly became a new and often powerful way to tell stories. During the Great Depression, photographers recorded the controversial migration of farmers being resettled. One of the most famous photos collected during this time is Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother”—a striking image of a mother and her children that expresses both the grit and the destitution many Americans were facing. Such photos brought to life the stark contrast between the wealthy and the poor in America and helped foster support for Roosevelt’s social welfare programs.

Photojournalism continued to be an important means of expression during World War II, offering insight into the conflict through pictures that captured terrible moments of the war. Some photographers, such as Robert Capa, even lost their lives while on assignment.

By the 1970s, however, photojournalism began to decline, as it became increasingly difficult for photo-magazines to create enough revenue due to the high costs of production and competition from other forms of media.

Though photo magazines have become rare, images remain an important part of telling news. More recently, smartphones have allowed people to catch important spontaneous moments, and news agencies have on several occasions run images taken by amateurs who happened to be at the right place at the right time with their phones.

And yet, the role of photojournalists remains a vital one, offering us stories at a glance which may convict, enrage, enthrall or terrify us. As David Rhodes noted in a 2013 article for The Atlantic, “Photo editors say that images taken by amateurs can be powerful, but professional photographers are still needed to compose the deeply-layered images that haunt viewers….Without them, the world’s conscience will wither. They bear witness for all of us.”

Sources: ndsu.edu, New World Encyclopedia, The Atlantic

A WORD FROM PHOTOJOURNALIST MATT WOLEK

Matt Wolek/ The Waltonian

by Matt Wolek

My goal in documenting south side Baltimore was to make myself step out of the suburban bubble I live in when I am at home. Every day people drive through the south side praying they don’t make eye contact with anyone. They allow the homeless and poor to fade into the urban landscape, and they try not to think about the multitude of problems and suffering people existing in their own city. I began to grow tired of people doing this, so one day I walked into the “ghetto” and started talking to people. I used my camera as a way of revealing a glimpse of their lives and allowing their stories to be heard. I wanted to bring light to these dark places and the issues that are prevalent there. I wanted to highlight the drug and gang problems, as well as the amazing people who are just trying to get by. If by viewing my images just one person has been made aware of the issues that are happening 10 minutes from their front door, then I think the work I have done is well worth it.

On Sunday afternoon, Nov. 6, the walls of the McInnis Auditorium echoed with the uniquely beautiful sound of Znamenny chant and other styles of Orthodox music, all part of the thousand-year-old tradition of Russian monastic singing. All of this music was part of the “Psalms and Hymns” concert put on by the Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture at Eastern University, featuring an all-male choir of monks and seminarians from St. Tikhon’s Seminary Choir and The Chamber Choir of St. Tikhon’s Monastery. St. Tikhon’s, located in Waymart, Pa., is America’s oldest Orthodox monastery, and its Chamber Choir is a talented professional vocal ensemble. The group’s mission is “to explore, promote and build up the tradition of Orthodox sacred music in America, and to bring people of today’s world into contact with the living tradition of ancient Christianity through vibrant and inspiring choral singing.”

The event not only helped to raise funds to help offset tuition costs at St. Tikhon’s but also gave audience members a glimpse of the beauty of Russian Orthodox sacred music, as well as offered an experience of the biblical foundations of Orthodox liturgy. The texts for the musical numbers performed in the concert were taken almost entirely from the Psalms, reflecting the integral place of the psalms in worship throughout the history of the Christian tradition and in Orthodox churches today. As the conductor of the concert, Benedict Sheehan, writes, “In modern-day Eastern Orthodoxy, whose liturgical, theological and spiritual tradition has been shaped at the deepest level by monastic life, the practice of using psalmody to mark the hours of the day remains fundamentally unchanged.” In keeping with this foundational place of the psalms in Orthodox worship, the concert began with an arrangement of Psalm 104, praising God as Creator. Following pieces included texts from Psalm 141, 142, 129, 118 and others in addition to texts from the Gospels of Luke and Mark. Through all of the music, one of the recurring themes was rejoicing in God’s faithfulness, especially Christ’s faithfulness in bearing the cross.

In the concert and the tradition it represented, there was a clear sense of connection between the freshness of the present moment and the richness of the past—the kind of connection that sometimes seems to be getting rarer and rarer in modern culture. And even more beautiful was the way that this time of Psalms and hymns created an opportunity for contemplation of the words of Scripture through the medium of a rich and long-standing musical tradition.

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On a basic level, friendship is a kind of love. To borrow from Josef Pieper, this means that love between friends is a way of turning to one another and saying, “It’s good that you exist; it’s good that you are in the world!” This means that friendship can never be based on utility. To desire another only for what they can give us–albeit material, social or emotional goods –is not friendship. This is not to say that friends do not meet one another’s needs; on the contrary, friends can and must carry one another’s burdens. Rather, it is to say that true friendship possesses an element that goes beyond what we may receive from a friend: an element which says, “I believe it is good that you exist, and I desire your good even if I receive nothing–even, in fact, if I must sacrifice other things that I desire.” This means that while we ought to value the many gifts and blessings our friends bring us, we ought not primarily value our friends because they bring us these things, but rather we must value them as persons who are made in the image of God and thus have inherent dignity, worth and goodness.

All kinds of love, friendship included, inevitably require an attentiveness to the other–not just as something we ought to do but as a natural response to the goodness and dignity of the other. After all, to be attentive is essentially to say, “I deem you worthy of my attention.” I believe experience teaches us this. Think about the difference between being listened to with someone’s full attention and being listened to by someone who is multitasking as you attempt to say something important. If you’ve ever tried to say something important to someone who is continuously looking at their phone, you know what this feels like. On the other hand, when you are the object of someone’s full attention, it signals that they value you and value what you have to say. Love always requires knowledge of the beloved, which we gain through attentiveness. And this is where the power of friendship lies: friends know one another in a way and to a depth others do not.

Of course, everything that has been said so far could be true of many kinds of loving relationships. For example, we ought to love our families in this way. But what sets friendship apart is that it is something chosen. We do not choose our parents, siblings or children, but we do choose our friends. Our duty to love our families is something given to us without our asking for it; friendship, on the other hand, is a duty to which we commit ourselves willingly and knowingly.

C.S. Lewis suggests in “The Four Loves” that friendship is built upon a love of the same things. Friends bond over a shared love of certain activities, places, disciplines or ways of thinking–everything from Super Smash Bros to theology and philosophy. But at the same time, it is important to recognize that friendship can and, in fact, must span significant differences. In a recent New York Times piece, the Dalai Lama attributed the pervasive discontent and despair among people in prosperous nations to “a universal human hunger to be needed” and insisted, “The problems we face cut across conventional categories; so must our dialogue, and our friendships.” He also wrote, “We need to make sure that global brotherhood and oneness with others are not just abstract ideas that we profess, but personal commitments that we mindfully put into practice.” We do this by investing fully in the particular friendships we have: the healing of the world begins with kind words, patient listening and consistent attentiveness towards the people who are right in front of us. As individuals we ought not try to change the entire world; we cannot do this, and we are not called to do this. Rather, we are called to love the people with whom our particular path intersects, and love them well. This means putting time and energy into crafting real friendships. It is not easy; we are all broken and imperfect. But this only means that as we laugh, dance, eat, play, talk, cry, sing and live life with our friends, we must take to heart W.H. Auden’s well-worded advice to “love your crooked neighbors with your crooked heart.”

Sources: C.S. Lewis, “The Four Loves”; Iris Murdoch, “The Idea of Perfection”; The New York Times; Josef Pieper, “An Anthology”

Earlier this month, Eastern announced the establishment of the Campolo Institute for Applied Research in Social Justice—or, as it is referred to in short, the Campolo Justice Institute. Social justice is already an integral part of Eastern’s mission, and the goal of the institute is to advance this part of our mission even further by supporting researched approaches to the complex causes of brokenness and suffering in our world. The preliminary plan for the Justice Institute notes that it “will consolidate efforts, increasing the quantity and quality of projects designed to address complex injustices.”

Named in honor of Tony Campolo’s unique commitment to both scholarship and social justice, its mission is “to encourage excellent research focused on transforming the conditions of injustice by supporting social justice research, creating opportunities for broad community engagement in social justice practice and promoting social justice solutions, rooted in Christian conceptions of justice, which include reconciliation and restoration.”

The core activities of the Justice Institute will fall into three categories. The first is supporting research to increase understanding of injustices. The second core activity is praxis—that is, creating opportunities for faculty, students, community and church members to engage in applying methods of social justice, especially from a Christian perspective. The third core activity is education: the institute will seek to raise awareness of justice issues and possible solutions by sharing the results of research on a broad basis with the university and especially with the communities and stakeholders most affected by these issues.

Sharon Gramby-Sobukwe, chair of the political science department, is leading development of the Justice Institute. It will eventually be governed by an Advisory Board, but for the first two years it will be governed by a working faculty group including: Tony Campolo, Eric Flett, Ann Francois and Rebecca Hays from CAS; Lindy Backues and Heewon Chang from CBL; Drick Boyd, Dean Patricia Reger, Geraldine Remy, Tara Stoppa and Randolph Walters from CHeSS; and Marsha Brown Woodard from Palmer Seminary/CTM.

We are all excited to see what new learning and opportunities will arise within Eastern’s community and beyond as the Campolo Justice Institute begins to take root.

Sources: Sharon Gramby-Sobukwe, Campolo Justice Institute Preliminary Plan, eastern.edu

The semester has just begun, and already I am in “rush mode.” Texts must be read; papers must be written; people must be e-mailed; meetings must be attended. So why should something as seemingly impractical and irrelevant as fine arts be important in the face of my ever-growing to-do list?

I think everyone experiences seasons in which life’s daily business threatens to become overwhelming. Whenever I have found myself in such a season, I have also found that stability comes not from any grand gesture, but from small successive moments of peace. These moments may be time spent in prayer, in worship, in song, in nature or in service. But always, they require the contemplation of something beautiful: perhaps the beauty of music and voices singing in harmony, or the glory of forests and fields and flowers, or the loveliness inherent in another human being. In some mysterious way, beauty breathes deeply-needed peace into us. Beauty reminds us of the inherent goodness of the world, and thus equips us with the hope to face life’s darker moments. Like music, friendship, prayer and nature, fine arts have this same power to bless us—that is, if we are willing cultivate a sense of attentiveness towards them.

One thing I love about Eastern is its proximity to Philadelphia, and the opportunities this provides for taking advantage of the rich sources of beauty that the city has to offer. And yet, the idea of committing ourselves to investing in these things—even just for an afternoon—can seem daunting in the context of our busy lives and college budgets. Fortunately for us, many fine arts organizations are aware of this, and actually cater to the needs of students.

If the prospect of sitting back, closing your eyes, and letting the rich harmonies of a beautiful orchestral piece dance through your daydreams sounds enticing, you may want to consider the Philadelphia Orchestra’s student membership. This $25 annual membership includes access to unlimited concerts for the season. With the membership, you can even purchase additional student tickets for non-members for only $8, making it easy to bring a friend. The Philadelphia Orchestra will also be hosting a College Concert night on Wednesday, Sept. 21 that is completely free for college students, and includes complimentary post-concert desserts. For more information, you can visit the Orchestra’s college student page at philorch.org/college-students#/.

Perhaps you would rather wander through centuries of visual art, or gaze into the vibrant, mystical blur of a glorious Monet piece. If this piques your interest, consider visiting the Philadelphia Art Museum—by timing your visit correctly, you could do so for as little as a penny! Standard admissions are $20 for adults but only $14 for students. Student memberships providing year-long museum access are also available for $40, although if you buy one before Sept. 15, the cost is only $20. The museum also has regular Pay What You Wish days on the first Sunday of every month and on Wednesday evenings. At these times, admission is by donation, which can be as little as a penny. You can find more information on the museum’s website: http://www.philamuseum.org/.

We are constantly being asked to be practical, efficient and productive. Consider stopping for a moment and investing in an experience that is entirely impractical but incredibly beautiful. I have a hunch that you won’t regret it.

Sources: philamuseum.org, philorch.org

In May, a newsletter from President Duffett announced that phase one of Eastern’s long-term Master Plan for the St. Davids campus was revised to include “cosmetic renovations to Walton Hall and Kea-Guffin, renovations to Warner Library to establish a Learning Commons, and construction of an indoor practice venue.” Though details and timelines are still being discussed and are subject to change, renovations to Warner Library are currently slated to be one of the next projects that the university undertakes. Right now, the vision that is being developed includes a revamping of the main floor of the library to include Student Success Advisor offices and a help desk where students can ask IT questions. This vision also involves the possibility of relocating the Jammin’ Java from Walton to the library and reconfiguring the space where the Eagle’s Nest is located to be a more accommodating communal space. Providing coffee in libraries is an increasing trend among colleges; as President Duffett notes, “Throughout the country the overwhelming student response to a coffee bar in the library is positive.”

Up until now, the development of this vision for the library has happened mostly among executive leadership and the Board. However, once plans materialize, more community input will be gathered. As Pernell Jones, Vice President for Finance and Operations, explains, “It’s something we will be working on through the fall semester—to get input not only from the library staff, but from people in academic areas as well—students, to get their perspective on it.” The underlying goal of this project, as Jones and Duffett have expressed, is to help students be more effective in the classroom and to be more successful as they eventually move into whatever career they choose. The hope is that having virtually all of the resources that students need to thrive academically located in one space will help Eastern to meet that goal.

Obviously, space would have to be created in the library in order for these changes to be made. Dr. Jim Sauer, Director of University Library, has already been collaborating with architects to consider how this might be achieved. One strategy will be to reduce the number of physical books, especially reference materials, in the library’s collection while continually increasing access to online books and resources so that, as Sauer puts it, “the library will become more streamlined, and you’ll actually have more access than ever before.” Sauer has also made suggestions to the architects regarding methods of preserving study space through soundproofing and glass dividers. As far as study space goes, Jones notes, “I don’t think the third floor will be impacted, so that will still provide an opportunity for quiet solitude for students to study.”

As news of the proposed changes begins to circulate, some students are already expressing satisfaction with the proposed changes.

“Lots of places have great libraries with coffee shops incorporated into them,” junior Ciara Nelson notes. “If Eastern can do that without sacrificing the great study space it is, why not?”

Students have also made positive comments about the idea of having IT help, Student Success Advisors and other academic resources located in the same space. As sophomore Morgan Woodworth puts it, “That would be a nice little bubble of helpfulness.”

Other students are already voicing significant concerns, especially regarding the relocation of the Jammin’ Java to the library. Many students are upset about this prospect and are fearful that quiet study space will not be protected and the culture of the library will change in a way that may damage the academic integrity of the university. Sophomore Anthony Barr explains, “The Jammin’ Java is a noisy place we go to encounter others….The library, on the other hand, is a quiet place where we encounter books. Placing the former in the latter disrupts the life of the library and undermines the important function of the Jammin’ Java.”

Though many students like the idea of a learning commons, some feel that the library is not the appropriate place for it.

“What the Master Plan entails for the library seems fun and interesting,” senior Carrie Bonson explains. “It really seems like they want a space to be used as a good resource for the students. However, I do not think the library is a good place for that space….From working at the library and using it just as a student, I have seen it get pretty full. I know from experience that all of the space is utilized, and adding more to the library might actually take away from students rather than give.”

It is difficult to say exactly what changes will be implemented in the library, or when such changes will begin to take root. What is clear, however, is that Eastern’s community is far from being in agreement on the subject, and a great deal of dialogue between all parties concerned will be necessary to determine what is best for the life of the university.

Sources: Interviews With Robert Duffett, Pernell Jones, Jim Sauer, Lisa Titus; eastern.edu

I love giving people presents, especially Christmas presents. Of course, I equally adore receiving presents. But there’s something utterly delightful in presenting someone with something you know will brighten their day and bring a smile to their face. It’s that burst of affectionate glee when you see something in a store, or online (or maybe you even make it yourself) and your first thought is, “Wow, So-and-So is going to love this!” Unfortunately, I can’t cite any recent examples, as all of the people I am giving gifts to are liable to read this article, and I certainly can’t stand for the ruining of surprises. But as I get rolling with Christmas shopping this year, it strikes me that the tradition of thoughtful, intentional gift giving is a lovely, but incomplete picture of a narrative that runs much deeper.

There are many reasons we give gifts at Christmas: it’s a way of showing people we love them, of celebrating, and of exercising thoughtfulness towards others. Ultimately, it’s a reminder and reflection of the gift of God’s dwelling on earth among us. This is the story that runs beneath all the other reasons, and it asks something greater of us than the tradition of gift giving often acknowledges. It asks us to give our entire lives—our whole hearts and all our moments—as a gift. Because in reality, our lives themselves are gifts, as are the charity, hope, beauty, and goodness that color them. Christ has given us all this in extravagant abundance; indeed, he gave us himself. That which we celebrate is the wonder of wonders—the gospel itself, to which no other joy other can compare—that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14, ESV). God became man, and in uniting human nature with the divine, He redeemed it. In doing so, he redeemed us, and “from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16, ESV).

What are we to do with this wondrous gift (besides rejoicing eternally)? We are to give as Christ gave. As Hopkins reminds us, we are to “give beauty back, back to God . . . beauty’s self and beauty’s giver.” Christina Rossetti’s “In the bleak midwinter” frames this well: “What can I give Him, poor as I am? / If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; / If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; / Yet what I can, I give Him: give my heart.” In giving our hearts to God, we offer our very selves for transformation. By the abundance of His grace we are changed into people of generosity and granted a reservoir of grace from which we give to others. We give of our time, our energy, our hearts, and yes—our dollars, too. In the end, though, what we give is our lives as a gift to the world: not by performing a disconnected series of actions, but by living a kind of life that is meant to be fluid, consistent, and entirely permeated by generosity, charity, and sacrifice. For as Christ has shown us, true charity is prepared to bear a cross for the sake of the beloved.

We know people like this (or at least I hope and pray that you know at least one person like this). They are the golden souls: the kind of people who look into your eyes when you speak, and listen attentively even to your dullest drivel. To borrow words from Lewis, “You tend to think that you are being kind to them when they are really being kind to you.” The sort of person whose loving kindness and quiet peace seem miraculously to absorb the angst, ungraciousness, and malice of others and yet remain unaltered in the least. The kind of people whose daily lives and projected futures simultaneously aim to do good in their communities, to bless others, and to be of service. The kind of people whose very presence grants joy and comfort to those around them. We know the takers—they are the kind of people who tend to suck the life out of us. But these, these are the givers. Which will we be?

As we give and receive Christmas gifts this year, let us remember that our gift giving is a mere fleeting shadow of the extravagantly generous lives we are called to live in Christ. This is the ever-magnificent, astoundingly beautiful Story of Stories, and by the grace of God, it is our story. Let us seek him above all and in all; let us pray that we might be transformed by his grace; let us be filled with the beauty of Christ’s birth, death, and ultimate sacrifice, that we might be prepared to give from the depths of our being.

On Mon., Oct. 19, Villanova University announced its intent to create its own police force within its public safety department. The department expects that the 75-member security force will eventually include 19 armed police officers. The transition process is set to begin immediately and will take about a year to complete. Current employees will be able to apply for officer positions and, if accepted, will have to go through training in a police academy.

This change is going to provide some important advantages to Villanova’s public safety department. Currently, public safety vehicles do not have lights or sirens, there is no direct access to 911 dispatch or criminal databases, security personnel cannot detain people without permission, and officers do not carry firearms. This is all going to change. A press release from Villanova indicated the rationale behind the decision: “By creating a department with both security and police officers, the University can provide a higher level of campus safety, quicker response time and enhanced partnerships with local law enforcement.”

In a letter sent out to Villanova students and alumni, University President Fr. Peter Donahue wrote, “After prayerful reflection and extensive discussion, I recommended, and the Board of Trustees approved, establishing a university police department that will be armed.” The letter also notes that all public safety officers will receive training in conflict resolution, anti-bias, and sensitivity. Additionally, an oversight committee will be responsible for making sure that appropriate safeguards are in place and that all policies and procedures are followed correctly.

Thus far, responses from the Villanova community have been mixed. Some students are comfortable with the change, knowing that the majority of colleges and universities have a police

force. Freshman Austin Ramos stated, “I think people are overreacting…We have cops driving around anyway. I feel like it would make our campus a lot safer. As long as they’re trained, what is the difference?” However, some students are not happy with the decision and have begun to protest. These students fear that police will abuse their power, especially in light of Ferguson and other recent police shooting incidents. Student protest leader Brendan Cardichi commented, “I certainly do not think arming Public Safety will make everyone on campus feel safe…Invoking more fear into the lives of people of color on campus will only break our community up. Is that what the university really wants?” Others think that the presence of guns on campus is unnecessary, that it will create a negative environment, and that it is not in line with the school’s values. Kate Walsh, a senior and protest organizer, said, “I think my number one response would be that it has betrayed our trust because it was done without consideration of the concerns raised during the three short forums in the fall of 2013, and more importantly of our values as an Augustinian University. There is nothing Augustinian about this, let alone Catholic.”

Many have wondered whether this decision is a response to the recent 4chan gun threat to Philadelphia area schools. Villanova administrators say that though the threat was a factor in the decision, it was by no means the primary one. Assistant Vice President Chris Kovolski stated in an interview with 6abc, “This was a conversation that took over two years. We went about it in a very thorough, thoughtful, respectful way. We engaged members of our community throughout the process…We’re fortunate to be a very safe campus and a safe community. However, we’ve seen safe communities are not immune from these types of incidents.”

Sources: 6abc.com, vuhoops.com, villanova.edu

“Evolution means letting go of our false fundamentals so that God can get into those shadowy places we’re not sure we want him to be. It means being okay with being wrong, okay with not having all the answers, okay with never being finished. My story is about that kind of evolution,” writes Rachel Held Evans, who is scheduled to speak at Eastern this Thurs. and Fri., Oct. 29 and 30. These words of wisdom come from her 2010 book, “Faith Unraveled,” which was added to Eastern’s INST 150 curriculum this year. On Thursday, as part of Eastern’s ongoing Conversation on Human Sexuality, Evans will speak on “The Misuse of Power in Gender Relations.” The event will be held at 7 p.m. in the McInnis Auditorium and will be hosted by INST 150 faculty, with Amy Perez moderating. On Friday at 10 a.m., Evans will speak at Windows on the World about “Living the Questions”—her own spiritual journey through doubt, and thoughts on how Christians are to go about confronting difficult, controversial questions.

In addition to “Faith Unraveled,” Evans recently published “A Year of Biblical Womanhood” (2012)—a “New York Times” best-seller—and “Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church” (2015). She has been featured in “The Washington Post,” “The Guardian,” “Christianity Today,” “The Huffington Post,” and has spoken on NPR, BBC, and The Today Show. Born in Birmingham, Ala., Evans moved as a teenager to Dayton, Ten., the home of the famous Scopes Monkey Trial—a key event in the early 20th-century conflict over the teaching of evolution in public schools. After graduating from Bryan College in 2003 with a degree in English literature, Evans worked for a local paper, “The Herald News,” in Dayton, and eventually wrote pro bono as the paper’s humor columnist and won an award for “Best Personal Humor Column” from the Tennessee Press Association. Evans signed with Zondervan in 2008 for her book, “Evolving in Monkey Town,” which was re-released in 2014 with the new title, “Faith Unraveled.”

In “Faith Unraveled,” Evans discusses the evolution of her own faith in light of the evangelical, fundamentalist leanings of her home community. Subtitled, “How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask Questions,” the book RHE-headshot-landscape-in_window.jpg offers insight about trusting God with tough questions and pursuing those questions with courage and honesty. In “A Year of Biblical Womanhood,” Evans details her year-long experiment in which she vowed to take all of the Bible’s instructions for women as literally as possible, including “making her own clothes, covering her head, obeying her husband . . . remaining silent in church, and even camping out in the front yard during her period.” In reflecting on this experience, Evans addresses the question: “What does God truly expect of women, and is there really a prescription for biblical womanhood?” In her latest book, “Searching for Sunday,” Evans takes the reader through a liturgical year, focusing on the seven sacraments as she reflects on what draws her to church life despite her misgivings about church culture, as well as her hopes for the future of the Church.

Evans has been consistently recognized for communicating depths of insight with thoughtfulness, power, and humor. Eastern students will not want to miss the chance to hear her perspective in person.

Sources: eastern.edu, rachelheldevans.com, amazon.com