On Wednesday, Oct. 8, students, faculty and community members gathered in Kinlaw Boardroom for an informative presentation by Dr. John Wilsey entitled: “Well-Ordered Liberty vs. Magisterial Christian Nationalism: Is There a Conflict?” The presentation was a part of a series of talks hosted by the Asbury University Joe Pitts Center for Public Policy.
Wilsey, professor of Church History and Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Church History at The Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, began his talk by articulating his understanding of American conservative thought and highlighting the ways in which “freedom and moral responsibility are often in tension with one another.”
Wilsey also asserted the idea that “government is not competent to decide the highest good of all people.” It is this assertion that led him to critique Stephen Wolfe’s “The Case For Christian Nationalism” and ideas about Christian Nationalism as a whole.
Following the informative presentation, those in attendance were invited to attend a dinner at Windsor Manor, followed by an informal Q&A with the speaker. While this is not always the case, the Q&A session that followed proved to be especially engaging, as attendees expressed a wide range of perspectives and engaged in thoughtful discussion. Despite differing opinions, the exchange remained respectful, something Pitts Center organizer, Dr. Steve Clements, views as central to the purpose of such events.
“Civil discourse is what you’re supposed to be learning in a context like this, how to disagree with one another charitably and amicably,” noted Clements, Department Chair of Social Science and History. “I don’t know that that was our intention going into that conversation, but anytime we get a chance to do that, I think we do.”
This conversation reflected what the Pitts Center aims to do: create a space where difficult and often divisive topics can be discussed honestly and respectfully. The Pitts Center, which has been in operation since 2018 and is funded by an endowment from former Representative Joe Pitts, has hosted speakers on a wide variety of topics since its inception, including Christian Nationalism, human trafficking, the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict, immigration and more.
In talking about some of the previous events held by the Pitts Center, Clements especially noted the civil discourse that took place during a presentation on the electoral college, “that was a magnificent demonstration of taking different views on an important American institution, disagreeing deeply, but doing so in a very respectful and historically informative way and that’s one of our goals, no matter what the topic of a Pitts talk is.”
The Pitts Center hosts several events each semester, each providing opportunities for education, reflection and civil discourse. The upcoming Pitts Center event will be a part of the Kusche-Thacker Speaker Series in collaboration with the Department of Social Work. The series is titled “Building a Community of Care: Transracial Adoption.” The series will begin with a community presentation called “Building a Community of Care for Transracially Adopting Families” on Nov. 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Reasoner 214.
The following day will feature a talk entitled “The Work of a Social Worker” in Reasoner 214 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. This will be followed by a chapel message entitled “Standing Firm in Faith” in Hughes Auditorium. Students, faculty and staff are then invited to attend an informal lunch and talk-back session in the eatery from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
As Asbury University’s Pitts Center continues to provide a platform for learning and civil discourse, these events provide students, faculty and community with the opportunity to learn more about social and political issues through a lens of thoughtful engagement and respectful dialogue.
Photo courtesy of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
