Harvard Divinity Scholar Karen King To Lecture at Holy Cross

Thursday, September 11, 2014

GoLocalWorcester Lifestyle Team

Karen King – the first woman to be appointed as the Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School – will present a lecture at the College of the Holy Cross on Thursday September 18th in the Rehm library at 4:30pm.

The lecture – titled “Hallowed Pain: Representing the Slave Blandina and Jesus’ Brother James as Martyrs” – will use the stories of two martyrs to explore questions about justice and the nature of God, the self and norms, and how to deal with the isolation that pain and suffering brings.

Specializing in the history of Christianity, King has been at Harvard Divinity School since 1997, and was notably named Hollis Professor of Divinity in 2009, making her the first woman to be appointed to the oldest endowed chair in the United States. Previously, she served as the Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History from 2003 to 2009.

Her specific research interests include the discourses of right and wrong, gender studies, and religion and violence. Her books include “Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity” with Elaine Pagels, “The Secret Revelation of John,” “The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle,” and “What Is Gnosticism?”

Her lecture at Holy Cross is co-sponsored by the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, the Class of 1956 Chair in New Testament Studies, and Women’s and Gender Studies.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Learn more and watch lectures online at http://www.holycross.edu/mcfarlandcenter.