Brooke Bailey
Reporter
Catholic and evangelical scholars are speaking across denominational boundaries as part of the third annual Wilken Colloquium.
The colloquium aims to unite the Christian community through open conversation about different denominational interpretations of Scripture.
“People develop friendships that result in Christian unity, despite denominational divisions,” said Dr. Thomas Hibbs, dean of the Honors College.
Dr. Tracey Rowland will lead the discussion from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Armstrong Browning Library.
Rowland is dean of the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family, located in Melbourne, Australia.
Rowland is one of the leading theologians in the world, Hibbs said.
Hibbs said Rowland is an ideal speaker because she is an internationally known theologian with knowledge about both Catholic and non-Catholic views.
Rowland’s Friday night lecture “The Humanism of the Incarnation: Catholic, Barthian and Dutch Reformed” is free and open to the public. The lecture pulls from a number of theological traditions and gives a comparison.
“Students who have a background or a high level of interest in theology are encouraged to attend,” Hibbs said.
The Catholic and evangelical dialogue will continue Saturday with a series of lectures.
Faculty members from Baylor and other visiting universities will present papers and discuss theological issues together at the all-day event. Faculty are invited to participate based on scholarship and contribution to the field. Saturday’s lectures and discussion is closed to the public.
Hibbs said the discussion provides an intensive way for faculty to explore theological issues and research together.
The Wilken Colloquium is held annually every spring at Baylor. Hibbs said the Colloquium gives people a chance to interact with theology scholars at Baylor and abroad. It’s also a positive experience for Baylor, he said.
“It’s an opportunity for Baylor to host some of the top scholars in theology today,” Hibbs said.
The Center for Catholic-Evangelical Dialogue provides the forum with support from the Honors College and the Canada Research Chair for Interpretation, Religion, and Culture at Trinity Western University.
