DR. MARK STOLL, PROFESSOR, ENVIRONMENTAL AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES TEXAS TECH
Reformed Contributions to the Ecological Movement
Sunday, January 11, 2026, 7 p.m., Lewinsville Presbyterian Church
Mark Stoll teaches environmental history and the history of religion. He is an avid hiker and backpacker, a traveler, a fan of rock and classical music, a student of languages, and a professor of history at Texas Tech University.
Mark will present on how the Reformed churches in America, including Presbyterians, were, in his words, “ the undisputed leaders in environmental thought, art and action.” He will present the historical basis for how faith energized these Presbyterian and Reformed Christians towards a public mission to protect the environment. Dr. Stoll’s writings challenge Presbyterians to look at our history as a way to commit to energy, clarity and leadership in earth care today.
He recently published Profit: An Environmental History, an environmental history of capitalism, from Polity Books. He is also author of Inherit the Holy Mountain: Religion and the Rise of American Environmentalism, from Oxford University Press. Stoll has degrees from Rice University and the University of Texas at Austin.
About the Salzman Lecture Series
The Salzman Lecture Series was established in 1998 to honor the memory of Lewinsville elder and outstanding Presbyterian layman, Howard Salzman. The annual 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, Philip Wogaman, and the late Rep. John Lewis.
