On Tuesday, April 25, Ellen Davis, Amos Ragan Kearns Professor of Bible and Practical Theology at Duke Divinity School, came to Luther Seminary to present The Robert William Ruotsalainen Rutlen and Elizabeth Jane Runn Rutlen Lecture on Faith and Creation. Davis was introduced by one of her former students, Luther Seminary’s Associate Professor of Old Testament and Bible Division Chair Kathryn Schifferdecker. Davis’ topic for the lecture was “Land as Kin: Reimagining Our Humanity through the Bible.” Davis structured her lecture around five sections of scripture and a Wendell Berry poem, arguing that God created humanity and the land as siblings, and therefore humanity must protect and preserve the land. Davis also worked to establish connections between creation and the themes of silence and wisdom.
Following the lecture, Ellen Davis engaged in a public conversation with another of her former students, Krista Tippett, host of the public radio program and podcast On Being and curator of the Civil Conversations Project. Their public conversation sought to further develop some of the themes of Davis’ lecture, particularly the nuances around knowledge and wisdom.
On Wednesday, April 26, Davis preached in chapel. Her text for the day was, as she called it, a psalm for farmers: Psalm 126. In this sermon she reflected on farming and ministry as two of the most countercultural but highly important vocations of our day. She explored the connections between patience and humility in farming and ministry.
You can access a video recording of the lecture, public conversation and chapel sermon. You can also see pictures from the lecture online.