SALZMAN LECTURE SERIES

The Difference Calvin Made
Dr. R. Bruce Douglass

Sunday, November 8, 2009
6:00 p.m. Light Refreshments 6:30 p.m. Lecture

2009 is the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, famed as a theologian and one of the founders of the Reformed religious tradition, but less recognized today for the profound role his ideas played in creating the patterns of thought of modern Western, especially American, culture. Dr. Douglass is noted both for his expertise on the subject and his ability to connect Calvin’s thought to modern concerns, inside and outside the church.

R. Bruce Douglass serves as an elder at the Lewinsville Presbyterian Church in McLean, Virginia. He led the establishment of the Reformed Institute of Metropolitan Washington, of which he is director. The Institute is sponsored by a coalition of area churches and aims to equip those who make use of its offerings with a clear understanding of what it means to be Reformed, and to help them make creative use of the Reformed tradition's resources in addressing contemporary problems and concerns. Dr. Douglass’s courses on Reformed history draw large classes at the many area churches where he has offered them. He teaches political theory in the Department of Government of Georgetown University, where his students say of him “hands-down one of the top two instructors I've been fortunate to have,” and “most incredible lecturer I've ever had.”

A graduate of Yale (M.Div.) and Duke Universities (M.A./Ph.D.), he has also served as the Dean of the Faculty of Georgetown College. His latest book is a collection of scholarly essays written by people of different faiths on the role of religion in American public life (edited with Joshua Mitchell) entitled One Nation under God? (Rowman & Littlefield 2000). His essays have appeared in various scholarly journals as well as such popular publications as The Responsive Community, The Christian Century, Commonweal, and Christianity and Crisis.

The Salzman Lecture Series was established in 1998 to honor the memory of Lewinsville elder and outstanding Presbyterian layman, Howard Salzman. The annual fall lecture is an opportunity for reflection on three areas central to Howard's own ministry: public affairs, global missions, and Christian education. Howard was an active contributor to evolving Presbyterian issues and programs during his 25 years at Lewinsville. In addition to his service as commissioner to the National Capital Presbytery, he was also vice chair of the Global Mission Ministry Unit of the General Assembly. Professionally, Howard's career included serving as an economist for the Pan American Union, and later, as a program executive for the Organization of American States. When he retired, he was Director of the Office of International Cooperation. Previous lecturers have included: Jim Wallis, E.J. Dionne, Glenn Tinder, LeRoy Walters, Katherine Marshall and Philip Wogaman.

Updated October 14, 2009