December 20, 2023
With the decline of Christianity in America, many people feel faith no longer makes sense in their lives. To address these challenges, the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center will present the “Questioning Christianity” lecture series this winter and spring 2024. Co-hosted by Dr. John Dickson, Jean Kvamme Distinguished Chair of Public Christianity at Wheaton College, the lecture series will welcome key experts to address today’s doubts about faith and field audience questions. Topics were selected based on cultural relevance and each speaker’s expertise.
All lectures and Q&A sessions will be free, open to the public, and held in Barrows Auditorium of Wheaton College’s Billy Graham Hall from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. on their respective dates. Anyone with questions about Christianity and its place in the contemporary world is invited to attend.
Is Christianity Sexist?
Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Barrows Auditorium, Billy Graham Hall
Speaker: Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing
British scholar Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing will confront the complicated history and ideology of the church’s mistreatment of women. Orr-Ewing speaks internationally about the troubling questions of today, stemming from her in-depth studies in theology and Christian history. Orr-Ewing recently published Mary’s Voice (Worthy Books, 2023), which focuses on Mary’s central role in Christ’s birth and why it is no mistake that a woman serves as an incredible voice of faith and wisdom. She has authored several other books, including the bestseller Why Trust the Bible? (IVP, 2020) and earned her D.Phil. from the University of Oxford.
Has the Church Done More Harm Than Good?
Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Barrows Auditorium, Billy Graham Hall
Speaker: Dr. John Dickson, Jean Kvamme Distinguished Professor of Biblical Studies and Public Christianity
An Australian historian and Wheaton College professor, Dr. John Dickson will address the perennial problem of bad behavior committed by Christians, from the Crusades to modern scandals. As an ordained Anglican clergyman, Dickson pastored a local church in Sydney for a decade before launching the podcast “Undeceptions,” the #1 religion podcast in Australia. Dickson founded Australia’s Centre for Public Christianity and has produced and presented three television documentaries (with another forthcoming). He is the author of over 20 books, including Bullies and Saints (Zondervan, 2021), an objective look at the good and evil committed by Christians over history.
Is Christianity Out-of-Date and Out-of-Touch?
Date: Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Barrows Auditorium, Billy Graham Hall
Speaker: Dr. Rebecca McLaughlin
Dr. Rebecca McLaughlin will examine the charge that Christianity is inherently narrow, bigoted, and life-denying. Her first book, Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion (Crossway, 2019), was featured on the TED summer reading list and named “Book of the Year” by Christianity Today. McLaughlin served as the vice president of content for the Veritas Forum for nine years, equipping Christian professors to share their faith in relation to their work. In 2017, McLaughlin co-founded Vocable Communications, a speech-focused, data-driven firm dedicated to developing leaders as public speakers. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and now lives in Massachusetts.
Are There Too Many Versions of Christianity to Take Any of Them Seriously?
Date: Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Barrows Auditorium, Billy Graham Hall
Speaker: Dr. John Dickson, Jean Kvamme Distinguished Professor of Biblical Studies and Public Christianity
Dr. John Dickson will return to explore whether—amid the many fractious Christian denominations of the world—there might still be such a thing as ‘mere Christianity.’