Trinity Professor Frank Kirkpatrick will examine the Issue In-Depth
What: The Rev. Dr. Frank Kirkpatrick, Ellsworth Morton Tracy Lecturer and Professor of Religion at Trinity, will lead a workshop, Preaching and Teaching about Homosexuality in the Christian Churches Today.
When: Thursday, February 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Hartford Seminary, 77 Sherman St., Hartford, 06105.
Background: The workshop will explore how the issue of homosexuality can be handled creatively, faithfully, and with sensitivity by congregational leaders and pastors. Kirkpatrick, who recently authored the book, The Episcopal Church in Crisis: How Sex, the Bible, and Authority are Dividing the Faithful, will examine Biblical arguments for and against homosexuality and what modern Biblical scholars are saying.
The workshop will also look at how the historic teachings of the Christian churches are being used today within the politics of church traditions; how moral theology and religious ethics treats the issue; and how findings from modern science are being used to illuminate the debate.
The particular case of the Episcopal Church in the United States and its relationship to the Anglican Communion will be used as a case study for the exploration and discussion of Kirkpatrick’s book.
Kirkpatrick has been a member of the Trinity faculty since 1969. He is a graduate of the College, majoring in religion, and also has a master’s degree in comparative religion from Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in religious studies from Brown University. He specializes in three areas: the philosophy of religion, Christian social ethics, and the history of Christian though in the West.
Kirkpatrick’s most recent book has received favorable reviews from Choice Reviews online, in The Living Church, and in the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut’s magazine, Good News.
Said the Rev. James W. Jones, professor of religion and adjunct professor of clinical psychology at Rutgers University: “This is a must read, not only for anyone wanting to understand the current turmoil in the Anglican Communion, but also for anyone who cares about the future of American Christianity. The issues raised and the groups described here extend far beyond the American Episcopal Church and should concern anyone who cares about the direction of Christianity in the United States.”
“Professor Kirkpatrick is to be commended for presenting all sides clearly and fairly,” said Rev. Jones. “And he concludes with a historically accurate and theologically based presentation of the Anglican vision of Christianity. All this makes this volume an important contribution to the ongoing discussion.”
The cost for the workshop and lunch is $30. To register, print the registration form at www.hartsem.edu, and send it with a check or credit card information to: Educational Outreach Events, c/o Yvette Law, Hartford Seminary, 77 Sherman Street, Hartford CT, 06105.
For more information, call Law at 860-509-9555 or email her at events@hartsem.edu. For directions, visit: www.hartsem.edu/about/directions.htm.