January 17, 2003
NASHVILLE, TENN. – While many attend church on a regular basis, few understand the Christian church’s complex and evolving relationship with politics and power throughout history. Patout Burns, the Edward A. Malloy Professor of Catholic Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School will lead “The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Church: Explorations of Christianity’s Quest for Power,” the fifth in a series of studies exploring religion in the global context of culture, art, politics and economics.
This community education course, co-sponsored by Vanderbilt Divinity School and the Scarritt-Bennett Center, will meet Jan. 27, Feb. 3, 10, 17 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Laskey Building at Scarritt-Bennett Center, 19 Avenue South at Scarritt Place.
Burns will explore Western church history from its ancient foundations, through the reformation and imperialism to the current realities and possibilities for the future. If you like the book Constantine’s Sword, you will enjoy this in-depth look at the church’s story and its impact on contemporary Christian communities and inter-religious conversation.
Burns is co-editor of the Journal of Early Christian Studies. Prior to coming to Vanderbilt, he taught theology at Loyola University, the University of Florida and Washington University in St. Louis. Burns’ research has focused on Christianity in Roman Africa.
The cost is $50 per person for four sessions. CEUs are available to the clergy. For more information and to register, call 615/340-7543 or e-mail spiritus@scarrittbennett.org. Registration is also available on-line at: http://divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/div/events/rr_register.html
Scarritt-Bennett Center is a not-for-profit conference, retreat and educational center committed to empowerment through cross-cultural understanding, education, creativity and spiritual renewal. Vanderbilt Divinity School is one of only four non-denominational university divinity schools in the nation with faculty and students from more than 35 religious affiliations. The Divinity School offers two professional master’s degree programs, a Ph.D. program ranked by the National Research Council as being in the top 10 nationwide and numerous community education series.
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