James Cone, the Charles A. Briggs Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology at Union Theological Seminary, returns to Denison University for a Goodspeed Lecture at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday (Sept. 22) in Slayter Hall Auditorium. Cone, who has been a frequent lecturer at Denison (most recently in 2003) will discuss "The Cross and the Lynching Tree" on this visit, his eleventh.

"Beginning with his first work,Black Theology and Black Power, Cone has set the terms upon which the Christian faith has been interpreted in the Black Community," says Professor David Woodyard, the chair of the religion department at Denison. "He is also the most widely read theologian by Denison students. While relentlessly intellectual, he appeals to general audiences as well."

Cone's lecture is funded by the Goodspeed Lecture Series, which features scholars whose work is in the field of religion or is related to religious issues. The fund is named in honor of the late Edgar J. Goodspeed, an 1890 Denison graduate, who was one of nine biblical scholars who worked on the Revised Standard Version of the Scriptures, published in 1946, which has superseded the King James Version in official usage in many American denominations.

Cone is the author of 11 books includingA Black Theology of Liberation, Martin & Malcolm & America: A Dream or Nightmareand, most recently,Risks of Faith: The Emergence of a Black Theology of Liberation, 1968-1998. He has also published more than 150 articles and lectured at more than 1000 colleges, universities, divinity schools and community organizations throughout the United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. "He is credited by many with being the foremost interpreter of the Black Reality in a religious framework," says Woodyard.

Cone is a contributing editor to Sojourners and he is a frequent contributor to many other scholarly publications. His work has been translated into Dutch, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Malayalam, Portuguese and Spanish.

In 1999, Cone was awarded the Fund for Theological Education Award given by the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature for his contributions to theological education and scholarship. He also received a Theological Scholarship and Research Award from the Association of Theological Schools in 1994 and Ebony Magazine's American Black Achievement Award in the category of Religion in 1992. He is the vice president of the Society for the Study of Black Religion and a member of both the American Academy of Religion and the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians.

Cone earned a bachelor of arts degree from Philander Smith College and a bachelor of divinity degree from Garrett Theological Seminary. He also earned a master of arts degree (1963) and a doctor of philosophy (1965) from Northwestern University. In 1986, Denison awarded Cone an honorary doctor of humane letters.

Calendar Listing:

Calendar listing: Denison University, Granville Goodspeed Lecture series presents James Cone, Professor of systematic theology at Union Theological Seminary, speaking on "The Cross and the Lynching Tree"; 7:30 p.m., Thursday (Sept. 22), Slayter Hall Auditorium (200 North Road). Free and open to the public. Call 740-587-6241 to confirm information.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

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