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Princeton, New Jersey — Princeton Theological Seminary will host “The Work That Endures: Celebrating the Teaching and Scholarship of Professors Dirk Smit, George Hunsinger, and Mark Taylor” on April 24 to honor the teaching, scholarship, and service of three retiring faculty members from the Theology Department.
The event includes farewell lectures from Smit, Hunsinger, and Taylor, and concludes with a celebratory reception.
Each of these long-serving professors leave an impactful legacy of theological excellence at Princeton Seminary, said Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. John R. Bowlin.
“In their lives and scholarship, each of these colleagues has shown us how to connect the sometimes abstract work of academic theology, of saying what God has done and is still doing, with the concrete work of prophetic witness — of naming social ills, standing in solidarity with the victims of injustice, and speaking on behalf of the incarcerated, the tortured, the colonized, and disinherited,” Bowlin said. “We give thanks to God for these colleagues, for their scholarship and witness, for their brilliance in the classroom, and for their friendship.”
“The legacy that Professors Taylor, Hunsinger, and Smit leave behind is immeasurable,” said Dr. Ki Joo Choi, Kyung-Chik Han Professor of Asian American Theology. “They were mentors and role models for countless numbers of students. Through their teaching, they have led generations of students to translate theological understanding into faithful and transformative action.”
The event will be held in the Theron Room in Wright Library on the Princeton Theological Seminary campus.
“The Work That Endures” Schedule
- 8-8:45 a.m. – Continental Breakfast | Theron Foyer
- 9-10:15 a.m. – Dr. Dirk Smit Farewell Lecture “On Hearing” | Respondent: Dr. Nadia Marais, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
- 10:15-10:45 a.m. – Coffee Break
- 10:45 a.m. – noon – Dr. George Hunsinger Farewell Lecture “Barth and Tolkien” | Respondent: Dr. Cambria Kaltwasser, Northwestern College
- 12:15-1:30 p.m. – Lunch in Mackay Dining Hall
- 1:45-3 p.m. – Dr. Mark Taylor Farewell Lecture “On Zionism: An Animating Ideology in Modernity’s Will to Genocidal Power?” | Respondent: Dr. Nimi Wariboko, Boston University
- 3:30-5 p.m. – Reception in Mackay Dining Hall Main Lounge
About Dr. Dirk Smit
Smit joined the faculty in 2017 as the Rimmer and Ruth de Vries Professor of Reformed Theology.
Smit is one of South Africa’s most significant theologians, having written extensively, in both English and Afrikaans, on the legacy of the Reformed tradition and its relevance to contemporary theological, social, and political questions.
He has been a particularly prominent and influential voice in the church’s repudiation of apartheid.
About Dr. George Hunsinger
Hunsinger is the Hazel Thompson McCord Professor of Systematic Theology.
A leading expert on Karl Barth, he was the 2010 recipient of the international Karl Barth Prize. He serves as an ordained Presbyterian minister, the founder of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (2006), and a delegate to the official Reformed/Roman Catholic International Dialogue (2011–17).
He first joined Princeton Seminary in 1997 as the director of the Center for Barth Studies before assuming his current role in 2001.
About Dr. Mark Lewis Taylor
Taylor is the Maxwell M. Upson Professor of Theology and Culture. His research has focused on the political philosophy of religious practices and theological discourse, particularly in Christian communities and broader social movements.
He frequently teaches and supports church communities in their efforts to organize on justice and peace issues. Taylor is also the founder of Educators for Mumia Abu-Jamal, a network of teachers and educators who have advocated for a new trial for political activist and journalist Abu-Jamal.
He first joined the Seminary faculty in 1982 as an assistant professor of theology.
Registration
“The Work That Endures” will be held on the Princeton Seminary campus (Theron Room, Wright Library). The event is open to the public, but advance registration is required.
About Princeton Theological Seminary
Founded in 1812, Princeton Theological Seminary equips women and men for faithful, compassionate and competent leadership in ministry, academia and public life, preparing them to serve Christ with integrity, scholarship and joy.
