The Reformation 500 Lecture Series celebrates the rich history of the Reformation and connects that history to a vibrant future. The lectures are presented by leading scholars in Reformation studies and are free and open to the community. The lectures begin at 7:00 pm and are each preceded by a meal at 6:00pm; both the lecture and meal are free and open to the public. A free will offering will be collected at each event.
May 17, 2017; 7:00pm: Luther & Copernicus: From Reformation to Revolution by Rev. Dr. Ted Peters
2017 marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses; we recall the hammer and nails of 1517 that sparked the Protestant Reformation. In 1543 Nicolaus Copernicus published his theory that the Earth orbits the Sun; and this sparked the Copernican Revolution. Are they connected? This is a historical mystery. Lutherans today love natural science. Could Copernicus be the reason?
Ted Peters is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is now Distinguishtedpetersed Research Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology and Ethics at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and co-editor with Robert John Russell of the journal, Theology and Science, at the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences. For the 2017 commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, he has just published Sin Boldly! Justifying Faith for Fragile and Broken Souls (Fortress 2015). He is also author of the forthcoming book: God in Cosmic History: Where Science and History Meet Religion (Anselm 2017). Visit his website for more resources: TedsTimelyTake.com.