SPAFER Home Page

Martin Emil Marty is an American Lutheran religious scholar who has written extensively on 19th century and 20th century American religion. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1956, and served as a Lutheran pastor from 1952 to 1962 in the suburbs of Chicago. From 1963 to 1998 he taught at the University of Chicago Divinity School, held an endowed chair, and now holds emeritus status.

He has served St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota since 1988 as Regent, Board Chair, Interim President in late 2000, and now as Senior Regent. He has been a columnist for The Christian Century magazine since 1956. He has authored over 5,000 articles and been conferred with 75 honorary doctorates.

His published works include Righteous Empire: The Protestant Experience in America (1970), for which he won the National Book Award, the encyclopedic five-volume Fundamentalism Project[1], co-edited with historian R. Scott Appleby, and the biography, Martin Luther (2004).

The Paradoxes of American Religion

October 23 & 24, 2009
Shades Valley Lutheran Church
720 Shades Creek Parkway
Birmingham, Alabama 35209

Dr. Marty will give three lectures, all drawing on his expertise on American the American religious experience of the 20th and now 21st centuries. Friday night's lecture, The Paradoxes of American Religion, will set the stage for Saturday's lectures by describing Dr. Marty's views on our current religious scene.

On Saturday he will give two back-to-back lectures with the provocative titles, Wildly Religious and Mildly Irreligious: the American Scene, followed by Mildly Religious and Wildly Irreligious: the American Scene. Don't miss this opportunity to hear one of America's outstanding religious scholars and experts talk about the American religious scence today.

Place (all events): Shades Valley Lutheran Church , 720 Shades Creek Parkway , Birmingham, Alabama 35209 across the street from Brookwood Mall. - For various driving directions, click here. For out-of-towners, a list of nearby hotels can be visualized by using Google maps, and enter "motels near 720 Shades Creek Parkway, Birmingham, AL". Parking for the event is available in the church parking lot.

~ Lecture Two (Saturday, Oct. 24, 9:00 am). Wildly Religious and Mildly Irreligious: the American Scene

~ Lecture Three (Saturday, Oct. 24, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm): Mildly Religious and Wildly Irreligious: the American Scene

After Oct. 19 prices are $40 for Friday-Saturday, $20 for Friday evening only, and $30 for Saturday only. Prepayment is closed. Please pay at the door. We have plenty of room in the church.

To join SPAFER or make a donation, please click here. All memberships will apply to the 2007 year.