Return & Learn Recordings 

Below are recordings from past Return & Learn sessions. To register for an upcoming session, visit the Alumni Events webpage.

"Religion and Politics" with Dr. Lee Barrett | Mar. 7, 2024

"The World Heritage of the Moravian Settlements" with Rev. Dr. Craig Atwood S’87 | Feb. 8, 2024

"Were the Hebrew Prophets Social Activists" with Dr. Julia O'Brien | Nov. 9, 2023

"Wrestling with the Angels: Religious and Spiritual Struggles and Mental Health" with Rev. Dr. Beth Toler | Oct. 12, 2023

"Advice on Prayer from Spiritual Teachers: Thomas Swalwell's Marginalia on Prayer" with Dr. Anne Thayer | Sept. 26, 2023

"The Changing Christian Landscape" with Dr. Lee C. Barrett | Mar. 7, 2023

The religious environment of the United States is changing rapidly and dramatically. Because of accelerating ideological polarization, secularism, and religious indifference, many of the faithful are worried about the future of the church. We will explore the ways in which new styles of being the church may be necessary to grapple with our shifting cultural context.

"Hear Her Voice: The Women Coworkers of Paul" with Dr. Brigidda Bell | Feb. 8, 2023

"Preach Less, Sing More: A Faithful Response to Congregational Stress" with Dr. Catherine E. Williams | Jan. 17, 2023

A sermon infused with or surrounded by music lands differently in the hearts of listeners. This lecture demonstrates how preaching might utilize the gift of congregational song to “make the wounded whole.”

"Reading the Bible for the Sake of the Planet" with Dr. Julia M. O'Brien | Oct. 18, 2022

What does it mean to read the Bible in the context of the environmental crisis of our time? In this session, Dr. O’Brien overviews interpretative strategies that do (and don’t) provide helpful resources for the future.

"Worship at the Beginning of Endemic Covid: What the Church Can Learn from What We Learned from Covid" with Rev. Dr. C. Riddick Weber | Sept. 28, 2022

The outbreak of COVID motivated many churches, both congregations and denominations, to make changes they never thought they would or could make. This evening we will raise questions about what churches could or should do to “return to normal,” and what adaptations might we want to retain?