Named Clergy of the Year in 1998 by Religion in American Life, Professor Peter Gomes will bring his message to Denison this month. Sponsored by the Laura C. Harris "Gendered Borders" series, Gomes will speak on "Race, Anti-Semitism, Feminism, Homosexuality: A Challenge of Inclusion" at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday (March 27) in Swasey Chapel. His presentation is free and open to the public and is also sponsored by the Black Studies Program and the Women's Studies Program.

Gomes is the Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and the Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church at Harvard University. Ordained by the American Baptist Church, he is widely regarded as one of America's most distinguished preachers. He serves on the faculty of both the Divinity School and on the faculty of the Arts and Sciences at Harvard. He was presented with the Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Award at Harvard in 2001 and with the Preston N. Williams Black Alumni/ae Award by Harvard Divinity School in 2006. As an openly gay member of the clergy, Gomes has become an advocate for wider acceptance of homosexuality in American society.

His most recent books are "Strength for the Journey: Biblical Wisdom for Daily Living," and "The Good Life: Truths That Last in Times of Need," a New York Times best-seller in 2002. He also has published 10 volumes of sermons. He is the recipient of 33 honorary degrees and is an honorary fellow at Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge, England, where the Gomes Lectureship is established in his name. Gomes fulfills preaching and lecturing engagements throughout America and the British Isles. He delivered the University Sermon before the University of Cambridge in 2000 as well as the Millennial Sermon in Canterbury Cathedral. He also participated in the inaugurations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING: Denison University, Granville -- The Laura C. Harris "Gendered Border" program presents the Rev. Peter Gomes, Memorial Church, Harvard University, speaking on "Race, Anti-Semitism, Feminism, Homosexuality: A Challenge of Inclusion"; 7:30 p.m., Tuesday (March 27), Swasey Chapel (300 Chapel Drive). Free and open to the public. Contact 740-587-6297 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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