Pastoral imagination, the future of the ministry, preaching an ancient Gospel in a modern world, building bridges, and how we communicate “faith” to children, are some of the themes that will be featured at Louisville Seminary’s 2003 annual Festival of Theology.

The three-day event, comprised of the Caldwell and Greenhoe Lecture series and worship experiences, will be held March 3-5 in conjunction with the 150th Anniversary of the Seminary and the 2003 Reunion of its alumni/ae. The lectures and services are free and this year feature premier thinkers, preachers, and leaders in the study of American religion, religious history, and practical theology.

Craig R. Dykstra (March 4, 8 p.m.) will blend together themes of pastoral vision and imagination and the necessity of both in sustaining the future of ministry. Dykstra is Vice President for Religion at Lilly Endowment Inc., one of the nation’s largest philanthropic organizations, which makes grants in the areas of community, development, education, and religion. He oversees the national grant programs in religion which support theological education, research in theology and religion, and a wide range of other efforts to strengthen the ministry, enhance the religious lives of American Christians, and increase the American public’s understanding of religion and the role it plays in our public and personal lives.

Prior to his work at Lilly Endowment, Dykstra was a professor of Christian education at Louisville Seminary and later at Princeton Theological Seminary. A scholar in the field of practical theology, he is widely published and has recently focused his scholarship on “Christian Practices” as a key concept for thinking about what it means to live the Christian life, to organize the discipline of practical theology, and to re-think how the ministry of Christian education and formation is conducted.

Katherine Paterson (March 3-5, 11:10 a.m.), a practical theologian and writer, will bring recognized experience and scholarship to the discussion of faith among young people through her lectures, “What Shall We Tell the Children?”

She is the author of more than 30 books, including 14 novels for young people, and has twice won both the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award. Her books have been published in 25 languages, and she is the 1998 recipient of the most distinguished international award for children’s literature, the Hans Christian Andersen Medal. Her most recent publications include The Invisible Child (2001), a collection of essays on reading and writing for children, and The Same Stuff as Stars (2002).

She is an elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and served for four years as a missionary in Japan. She is married to Rev. Dr. John B. Paterson, a retired Presbyterian minister, with whom she co-authored Consider the Lilies and Images of God.

Rick L. Nutt (March 3-4, 2:30 p.m.) recently released a new history about Louisville Seminary entitled Many Lamps, One Light: Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary–A 150th Anniversary History (Eerdmans, 2002). A professor of religion at Muskingum College, Nutt will use his research for the new book to address the theological education of women and men for the modern context of today’s world. His lectures will also demonstrate how Louisville Seminary has played a key role in bridging divisions in several historical contexts.

Nutt earned degrees from Vanderbilt (Ph.D.) and Louisville Seminary (M.Div., ’80). His thorough knowledge of and love for the study of religion and culture in the United States, religion in the South, and Presbyterianism in America distinguished him as the chosen writer for Many Lamps, One Light. He has also written several books on American Protestantism and the Presbyterian Church, including The Whole Gospel for the Whole World: G. Sherwood Eddy and American Protestant Social Mission (Mercer University Press, 1997); Toward Peacemaking: Presbyterian in the South and National Security, 1945-1983 (University of Alabama Press, 1994); and Contending for the Faith: The First Two Centuries of the Presbyterian Church in the Cincinnati Area (The Presbytery of Cincinnati, 1991).

At the Festival worship services, Louisville Seminary will welcome Jeremiah Wright, Jr. (March 3-4, 10 a.m.), pastor of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ. Wright shepherded his congregation, which began as a storefront gathering, to become one of the leading churches in the country.

Born in Philadelphia, he earned degrees from United Theological Seminary (D.Min.), Howard University (M.A.), University of Chicago (M.A.) as well as three honorary doctorates. He is the recipient of three U.S. Presidential Commendations, a universally acclaimed writer, and in 1993, Ebony Magazine named him one of the top Black preachers of North America. Because of his ability to speak creatively with wisdom, passion, and perceptive insight, he has become one of the world’s most sought after preachers.

Henry P. Mobley, Jr. (March 5, 10 a.m.), will also preach during the Festival. He is well known locally and among Presbyterians nationally for his humor in life and sincere warmth and biblical insight in preaching, in addition to his caring, loving style of ministry.

Mobley was pastor to five churches between 1943 and 1981, including Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Ky., where he served nearly 23 years before his retirement.

He graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis (A.B., D.D.) and Louisville Seminary (M.Div. ’42). In 1960, he became a member of the Seminary’s Board of Trustees and served on the committee that directed the construction of the Alta Vista campus. Mobley was honored with the Distinguished Service Award in 1988, the Distinguished Alumni/ae Award in 1991, and later became an Honorary Life member of the Board.

The lectures and sermons will be presented in the Seminary’s Caldwell Chapel at 1044 Alta Vista Road. Worship is at 10 a.m. each day of the Festival. The lectures will be held at 11:10 a.m. (Paterson), 2:30 p.m. (Nutt) on March 3; 11:10 a.m. (Paterson), 2:30 p.m. (Nutt) and 8 p.m. (Dykstra) on March 4, and 11:10 a.m. (Paterson) on March 5. A detailed schedule and registration information can be found on the Seminary’s website, or by calling the Festival of Theology office at 502.895.3411 or toll free, 800.264.1839, ext. 450.