The 2016 Schaff Lectures were held April 6. Brad R. Braxton, founding senior pastor at The Open Church in Baltimore, Md., presented two lectures and a chapel talk on the theme "The Beloved Community: Preaching in a Pluralistic World.”
“A Blueprint for the Beloved Community: Vocation, Values, and Voice”
The “beloved community” is an ongoing experiment of people transcending the barriers of creed and color in order to enjoy mutually shared abundance and transform the world. This lecture investigates the kind of leadership necessary to create such communities. To create and sustain diverse, peaceful communities, leaders must be motivated by noble vocations, committed to commendable values, and mindful of the moral “tone” of their unique leadership voices.
“Street Corner Religion: Public Theology for a Pluralistic World”
In his second lecture, Dr. Braxton addressed “Street Corner Religion” – the implications of a public theology that takes seriously God’s loving involvement in the world through practices of charity, compassion, hospitality, and hope.