Lecture Series: “Reformed Thought and the Dilemmas of Early American Democracy”

This lecture series is presented as part of the 250th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the Old Presbyterian Meeting House in 1772. The Meeting House is an active congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), located in the heart of Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia. Our speaker for this lecture series is Dr. Mark Valeri who is the Reverend Priscilla Wood Neaves Distinguished Professor of Religion and Politics at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis, MO.

SUMMARY:
Certain issues have vexed American democracy from our very beginnings. This series of four lectures explores how the Reformed tradition and its biblical understandings informed the way that the English and European settlers understood the colonization of North America, independence from Great Britain, and the meaning of personal freedoms in the American Constitution. Topics covered include “Providence and Commerce,” “Indigenous Encounters,” “Conversion and Revolution,” and “Freedom, Slavery, and Law.”

This is a 4 part lecture series: March 3, 4, and 5 from 7-8 PM and March 6 from 9-10 AM. These sessions will be available in person and live-streamed at opmh.org.

To register to participate: https://reformdedthoughtanddemocracy.eventbrite.com