The Pacific School of Religion's annual Boswell lecturer this year will be the Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey, a United Methodist Elder in the New England Annual Conference. The event will be broadcast via Zoom at 7 p.m. ET Thursday, April 20.
She will speak on "The Big Lie and Its Old Hatred," according to the seminary's press release.
Pamela Lightsey
The Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey
The announcement continued: "American politics has long been a challenging system for its Black citizens. The fight to keep Black people from voting is a long and violent part of the American political and religious landscape. More recently in our history – with the push for marriage equality and abortion rights – the survival of Black families has become a wedge issue in major political campaigns.
"This lecture focuses on the ways Black queer bodies are used to leverage the aspirations of political candidates, church leaders, and power elites. It will demonstrate the ways the big lie – propaganda – is damaging the gains made during the civil and LGBTQ rights movements. While its primary focus will be the lives of Black queer women, this lecture will spotlight why all persons who believe in freedom and liberation must see this old hatred as a danger to all humanity."
Until 2018 Dr. Lightsey served as Associate Dean of Community Life and Lifelong Learning and Clinical Assistant Professor of Contextual Theology and Practice at the Boston University School of Theology, a United Methodist Seminary. She is now Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs and Associate Professor of Contextual Theology at Meadville Lombard Theological School.
Dr. Lightsey received her theological training at Gammon Seminary and Garrett-Evangelical Theological School.. Dr. Lightsey was unique among United Methodist seminary faculty in being both a cutting-edge Womanist Queer theologian and a social justice activist who is black, female, Lesbian, and an ordained United Methodist Elder.
Register here,