The Earl Lectures and Leadership Conference
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For more than a hundred years, PSR has hosted the Earl Lectures and Leadership Conference, a three-day event that addresses critical theological, pastoral, and social issues of the day.
Founded in 1901 with a gift from Edwin T. Earl, the purpose of the Lectures was, according to PSR's Board of Trustees, "to aid in securing...the adequate presentation of Christian truth, by bringing to Berkeley, California...eminent Christian scholars to lecture upon themes calculated to illustrate and disseminate Christian thought, and minister to Christian life..." Over the years, the content of the Lectures has reflected the important theological, political, economical, and social trends of their time, but one quality is constant: the Lectures have always featured a uniformly high standard of scholarship.
Lecturers have been Biblical scholars, educators, historians, authors, activists, church leaders, and scholars of literature, among others; some of the featured Lecturers were well-known within their field but little-known outside of it, while others were household names. Some of the names we recognize today include such international figures as Theodore Roosevelt, Elie Wiesel, Howard Thurman, Maya Angelou, Paul Tillich, Alice Walker, and Robert Reich.
The Lectures have taken different forms over the years: sometimes small gatherings held on the PSR campus, other times large gatherings that filled lecture halls at the University of California. For much of the last century, the Lectures were held yearly; beginning in 2012, they will be held biennially.
On these pages, you will find information about the upcoming Lectures in 2013, on the topic of "Faith and Family"; brief details about some of the past Lectures and Lecturers; and some featured Lectures from the PSR archives, including audio, relevant links, and Lecturer bios.
Contact the Earl Lectures office at 510/849-8218 or 800/999-0528, ext. 8218.
Photos on the Earl Lectures pages, unless otherwise indicated, are by Dana Davis Photography, Oakland, CA.
Earl Lectures Home • Next Lectures • Featured Lectures • History
