Election Year Speaker Series
Whitworth University's Election Year Speaker Series is designed to help the campus and local community engage in critical thinking and civil discourse in anticipation of the 2024 elections. We welcome speakers and scholars who represent a broad range of perspectives and ideas, certain that we are sharpened when we engage with the broadest spectrum of thought.
Please note the views presented in the Election Year Speaker Series are solely those of the speakers and do not represent official views held by Whitworth University.
Whitworth Faculty Presentations
Registration is not required.
Patricia Bruininks & Megan Hershey | Hope & Democracy Discussion
Oct. 2, 4 p.m., Dixon Hall 206, Whitworth University
Whitworth Professor of Psychology Patricia Bruininks and Professor of Political Science Megan Hershey will present their recent research on the intersection of hope and democracy, considering what factors influence one's hope for a democratic future and how this hope might shape political engagement. Q&A to follow.
Aaron Hitefield | Exploring the 2024 Presidential Election
Oct. 16, 6:30 p.m., Cowles Music Center Recital Hall, Whitworth University
Whitworth Assistant Professor of Political Science Aaron Hitefield will provide an overview of the upcoming presidential and congressional elections, highlighting what to look out for and what we might expect in the 2024 elections.
Previous Election Year Speaker Series Events
Miranda Zapor Cruz | Faith-Filled Political Engagement: Christian Convictions in the Public Square
Presented in partnership with Whitworth's Speakers & Artists program.
What is the right relationship between Christian faith and American politics? Should Christians keep our convictions separate from our policy positions? Or is it our job as Christians to use representative government to enact faith-based legislation? These questions ought to challenge us and draw us into tension. Whitworth alumna Miranda Zapor Cruz '05, Ph.D., professor of historical theology at Indiana Wesleyan University, will explore faithful approaches to Christian political engagement, drawn from Christian history and theology. This nonpartisan talk will equip Christians to follow Jesus faithfully into the political sphere.
Click here to view a recording of this presentation.
Matthew Kaemingk | Polarization and the (Im)Possibility of Christian Hospitality
It often feels like America is being torn apart by its deep political, religious and cultural differences. Matthew Kaemingk, Ph.D., is a political ethicist and public theologian from Fuller Theological Seminary. He is also a proud Whitworth alum. In this lecture, Kaemingk offers a surprising claim: America's deep differences are not, in fact, a problem that needs to be solved. The true issue is how Americans choose to navigate those deep differences. Kaemingk explores the rich theological resources available to both conservative and progressive Christians for how they might navigate America's deep political, cultural and religious differences.
Click here to view a recording of this presentation.
David French | Politics, Christianity & Moral Formation: Finding a Path to Restoration
How can America, a country with deep moral, cultural and religious differences, navigate this time of polarization and chart a course toward restoration? David French – author, opinion columnist and former U.S. Army and constitutional law attorney – will join Whitworth President Scott McQuilkin in a conversation addressing this question. Together, they will explore some of the various elements it takes to engage with people who have opposing viewpoints and to live and work side by side, preserving and strengthening our country. French's most recent book, Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation, was published in 2020.
Anne Snyder | Social Architecture: Creating a Scaffold of Social Life for the Common Good
Presented in partnership with Northwest Passages Book Club and Community Forum.
Anne Snyder is the editor-in-chief of Comment magazine, which looks at contributors to "social architecture," the institutions "that serve as the scaffolding and skeleton of social life – our families and financial systems, politics and education, museums and labor unions, and more." Her book, The Fabric of Character: A Wise Giver's Guide to Renewing our Social and Moral Landscape, was published in 2019. Snyder also hosts The Whole Person Revolution podcast.
Alexandra Hudson | The Soul of Civility: Toward Meaningful Engagement & Change
Presented in partnership with Whitworth's Speakers & Artists program.
Are you interested in finding ways to talk about important topics with others, even in a time of polarization? You're not alone. We face this challenge today and have faced it throughout human history. Fortunately, history also offers us a solution. Erica Salkin, Whitworth professor and interim dean of the Colleges of Arts & Sciences, will interview author Alexandra Hudson about civil discourse – both what it is and what it is not (spoiler alert: it's different from being polite). Hudson will share examples you can apply to help yourself, your family, your community and our country thrive. Hudson's recent book, The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves, was published in 2023.
Click here to view a recording of this presentation.