CHICAGO (ELCA) Top Lutheran and Roman Catholic liturgists will explore "Worship in the 21st Century" through a series of lectures at seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
The 1999 Hein-Fry lecturers will be Dr. Mary Collins, OSB, chair of the Department of Religion and Religious Education, The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., and the Rev. Gordon W. Lathrop, professor of liturgy and chaplain, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.
The lecturers have the task of answering some key questions about how Christians will worship God from the growing diversity of cultures in North America, such as "What are the principles of the cultural adaptation of Christian liturgy? When is it faithful? When is it 'dumbing down' or misleading?"
Collins begins the series Feb. 4 at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C.; Feb. 16 at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.; Feb. 25-26 at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.; and March 9 at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.
Lathrop continues the discourse Feb. 11 at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa.; April 22 at Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa; April 28 at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago; and May 5 at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio.
The Hein-Fry Lecture Series predates the ELCA which was formed in 1988. The endowed theological lecture series fosters original scholarship and enriches theological dialogue throughout the church. It combines the Dr. Carl Christian Hein Memorial Seminary Lectures of the former American Lutheran Church and the Franklin Clark Fry Theological Lectures of the former Lutheran Church in America.
The series is coordinated through the ELCA Division for Ministry.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
