Emmanuel Katongole spoke on March 24 at the latest lectures in the Myron Taylor Lectures in Preaching and Pastoral Ministry series. Katongole gave three lectures on the lecture theme, The Gift of Reconciliation.
Katongole is a Professor of Theology and Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame and holds a joint appointment with the Keough School of Global Affairs where he serves as a full-time faculty of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. Before joining the University of Notre Dame in 2013, he served as Associate Professor of Theology and World Christianity at Duke University, and as founding co-director of the Duke Center for Reconciliation.
“As I understand it, it’s reconciliation that frames the Christian ministry of preaching,” he said. “And it is in fact reconciliation that frames the whole of the Christian life”.
This idea was demonstrated in his lectures as his message to listeners was that reconciliation is how we as Christians can heal the world.
Katongole’s first lecture of the day began at 10:30 a.m. and was titled “On Being from Another Planet.” He concluded this lecture with three main points.
“One, Christian ministry, preaching in particular, starts here, in discovering the big picture of what God is doing in the world. The second conclusion, good preaching is about stories,” he said. “The third conclusion, the purpose of Christian preaching is to highlight hope.”
In his second lecture “On Winning,” Katongole shared three stories that he hoped would point to the idea of reconfiguring our bodies into the body of Christ. His last lecture, “On Kissing the Ground,” began at 7 p.m., and it focused on the invitation to reconnect with mother earth as an aspect of the journey of reconciliation.
Both Milligan and Emmanual Seminary Students were in attendance, as well as other members of the community. Milligan’s Professor of Theology and Philosophy, Philip Kenneson, even attended the lectures and shared his appreciation for the opportunity.
“As a serious student of scripture and a compelling storyteller, Dr. Katongole bore compelling witness to God’s work of reconciliation in the world and to the ways we have been called to be part of that work, he said.” “All three lectures left me with a renewed sense of gratitude both for God’s life-giving gift of reconciliation and for our faithful sisters and brothers around the world who are beacons of hope in a world marked by division.”
To watch the recordings of each lecture, visit the Emmanuel Christian Seminary youtube page here.
Headline photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/room-chair-lot-356065/
Headshot from https://ecs.milligan.edu/lectures/