For April’s Weter Lecture, Associate Professor of Theology Brian Bantum examined how Protestant reformers such as John Calvin, Martin Luther, and their white male successors became like icons.
They were seen as symbols of Christian faithfulness that shaped the Protestant understanding of what it means to be human and who can reflect God’s image. In light of this, Bantum asked the audience to consider what it might mean if we saw artists as holding a vital priestly function in Christian life, responsible for creating new and diverse images of faithful Christians.
Delivered each year by an SPU faculty member, this lecture — established in 1975 to honor Professor Emerita of Classics Winifred E. Weter — celebrates and upholds the values and heritage of the liberal arts.
Bantum’s teaching and research focus on the ways Christian identity is revealed and challenged by the realities of race, ethnicity, and gender.
