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Chicago UBF (Illinois)

Chicago UBF invited Dr. Martin E. Marty to give a special lecture on “Spirituality” in America today. Dr. Martin E. Marty was ordained a Lutheran pastor and is a world-renown scholar. As a professor of the Divinity School at the University of Chicago for 35 years, he founded the Martin Marty Center for advanced studies in the Department of History. He has written more than 60 books including Righteous Empire for which he won the National Book Award. Other books include Martin Luther: A Life (Penguin Lives) and Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from Prison: A Biography (Lives of Great religious Books).

His special lecture topic was titled: Some of the main trends in the light of American Christian history, emphasis on “spirituality” today. He divided his lecture into seven parts which are as follows: 1) American “spirituality,” 2) “Christian spirituality,” 3) Bonhoeffer: “Christ exists as community,” 4) Christian community (“church”) trends in emerging culture, 5) Theologic agendas, 6) Suffering under and contributing to cultural, religious, political “polarization”, 7) What “abides,” 1 Corinthians 13.  Due to time constraints, he was only able to share on the first four parts. He promised to visit us again and share the remaining three parts at a later time.

Even though he is 84 years-old, his lecture was energetic, dynamic and enthusiastic and full of humor. We enjoyed his lecture and humor.