A prominent theologian and author will discuss “The Soul of the Nation at a Time of White Nationalism” at Ithaca College on Thursday, Sept. 26. Free and open to the public, the talk by the Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas will be held at 7 p.m. in Emerson Suites, Campus Center. It is sponsored by the Peggy Ryan Williams Difficult Dialogues Symposium
Douglas is currently dean of the Episcopal Divinity School and professor of theology at Union Theological Seminary. She also serves as the canon theologian at Washington National Cathedral. Considered a leader in the field of womanist theology, racial reconciliation, and sexuality and the black church, Douglas has authored five books, including “Sexuality and the Black Church: A Womanist Perspective” and “Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God.”
The symposium was created to explore complex and controversial subjects and engage audiences in civil and respectful dialogue by bringing to campus a speaker or speakers to address topics that are challenging and thought-provoking. It is named in honor of Ithaca College President Emerita Peggy Ryan Williams, who has been an advocate for open discourse and a staunch defender of academic freedom and active, open inquiry.
One of the first 10 black women to be ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church, Douglas served for over 20 years as an associate priest at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. She holds a Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary and has previously taught religion and theology at Goucher College, the Howard University School of Divinity and Edward Waters College.