Adult Forum Series: Lutheran Theology and “Race”

All are welcome to the fall adult forum series Lutheran Theology and “Race” following worship on select Sundays in October and November.

• Sunday October 5

• Sunday, October 19 and

• Sunday, November 9

Luther Seminary Professor of Theology Amy Marga will be presenting on what it means to be a “white” person and a Lutheran in America today! We’ll look at the history and concept of “whiteness” and how it relates to the image of God, ideas about salvation of people of different skin colors, and interpretations of Providence by white Europeans in North American land – all through the lens of Lutheran theology.

For those who remember the Orchard, this three-part series is a return to the popular Sunday adult learning format!

Sunday, October 5: “Whiteness” and the Image of God

What does it mean to be a “white” person and a Lutheran in America today with a session on the history and concept of “whiteness” and, turning to the Bible and theology, what it means to be created in the image of God.

Sunday, October 19: Saving the Soul But Not the Skin?

What does it mean to be a “white” person and a Lutheran in America today with a session on how American theology imagined the salvation of people of different skin colors. We’ll also explore our own individual histories.

Sunday, November 9: Becoming “White” in America and the Providence of God

How historically has the US defined race? How did white Europeans interpret the doctrine of Providence for colonizing North America? How should we interpret Providence and God’s will for us today? Who is “us?”

About Amy Marga:

Amy Marga, PhD, has been a professor at Luther Seminary for 19 years. A summa cum laude graduate of Concordia University, St Paul, MN (1995), she received a Master of Divinity (1998) and Doctor of Philosophy (2006) from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Over the years, she has taught in many churches throughout the Twin Cities. Many of her former students are serving in the Minneapolis Area Synod and throughout the country. She has taught on countless topics that include the Trinity, the Swiss theologian, Karl Barth, the Barmen Declaration, Hildegard of Bingen and Julian of Norwich, Mary and Protestantism, race and Protestantism, mothering and the Christian tradition, Ethics, and many others. Her earlier research focused on twentieth century European theology. A present, she is working on topics around mothering, children, feminist theology, and ethics. She lives in St Paul with her two teenage boys and a mini poodle.