Wake Forest University School of Divinity to Convene Leading Voices on the Future of Liberation Theology
Winston-Salem, N.C. — The Wake Forest University School of Divinity will host the 2026 Margaret A. Steelman Lecture on Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Broyhill Auditorium at Farrell Hall. The theme for this year’s lecture is “The Future(s) of Liberation Theology” will bring together five distinguished theologians for a series of moderated conversations exploring the enduring significance of liberation theology for the church, the academy, and public life.
“Faithful witness in our time requires both moral imagination and courageous action,” said Corey D. B. Walker, Dean and Wake Forest Professor of the Humanities. “The Margaret A. Steelman Lecture brings together leading voices in liberation theology to help us think deeply about what faith demands in an era marked by democratic fragility, global conflict, and profound social transformation.”
This year’s participants include:
Kelly Brown Douglas, Visiting Professor of Theology at Harvard Divinity School and Canon Theologian at the Washington National Cathedral, is an internationally recognized scholar of womanist theology, racial reconciliation, social justice, and sexuality and the Black church. Among her many honors, she is the 2023 winner of the Grawemeyer Award, one of the most prestigious prizes in religion.
Robert Ellsberg, Publisher, Executive Director, and Editor-in-Chief of Orbis Books, has played a central role in shaping the publication and dissemination of liberation theological voices and global Catholic thought through decades of editorial leadership.
Edgardo Colón-Emeric, Dean and Ruth and A. Morris Williams, Jr. Professor of Theology and Christian Ministry at Duke Divinity School, is a scholar of Wesleyan theology and global Christianity whose work explores the theological and ecclesial dynamics of Christianity across the Americas.
Dwight N. Hopkins, Alexander Campbell Professor of Theology at University of Chicago Divinity School, is internationally recognized for advancing Black theology and expanding liberationist thought through sustained engagement with culture, philosophy, and lived religious experience.
Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Professor of Theology at Earlham School of Religion, is a leading voice in systematic theology, postcolonial thought, and global Christianity whose scholarship extends liberation theology into intercultural and ecological conversations.
The conversations will be moderated by Elizabeth O’Donnell Gandolfo, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Earley Associate Professor of Catholic and Latin American Studies, and Dean Corey D. B. Walker.
The Margaret A. Steelman Lecture is the oldest endowed lecture series at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. Established in 1998 with a gift from Sanford L. Steelman, a distinguished biochemist from Hickory, NC, in honor of his wife Margaret A. Steelman, the Steelman Lecture features distinguished scholars addressing critical issues on theology, ethics, and public life.
The event is free and open to the public and may be attended in person or online via livestream.
About the Wake Forest University School of Divinity
Founded in 1999, Wake Forest University School of Divinity is a graduate, professional school that is Christian by tradition, Baptist in heritage, and ecumenical in outlook. Guided by the University’s motto, Pro Humanitate, the School prepares leaders informed by a theological understanding of vocation and equipped to serve as agents of justice, reconciliation in a complex world. The School offers masters and doctoral degree programs including dual degree programs in bioethics, counseling, education, law, management, and sustainability.
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