Alum Probes Harlem's Affect on Bonhoeffer

Westmont alumnus Reggie Williams ’95, a doctoral candidate in Christian ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary, will examine the intersection between social interpretations of Christ and social ethics in a free, public lecture Tuesday, April 5, at 3:30 p.m. in Adams Center 216. “The Impact of Harlem Renaissance Theology on the Incarnational Ethics of Dietrich Bonhoeffer” will detail Bonhoeffer’s experience in Harlem and eventual involvement in the church struggle against Nazi Christians.

“Bonhoeffer demonstrated that attention to justice can aid in our efforts to live faithfully for Christ in an increasingly diverse world,” says Williams, who was recently appointed to a faculty position at Baylor University.

Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor and theologian, was executed for his involvement in plans to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Williams says Bonhoeffer was one of the most inspirational Christian martyrs of the 20th century, helping to light the way for Christian living at a time when the Christian life in Germany had become confused and darkened by Nazi Christianity.

“He gained important insight into the harm caused by the mixture of Christianity and oppression from what he called the ‘rather hidden perspective’ of an African American worldview in New York during the Harlem Renaissance,” Williams says.

The lecture is sponsored by the Westmont Religious Studies Department and Intercultural Programs.