African Theologian To Lecture Feb. 25-26

Renowned African theologian John Mbiti will serve as the featured speaker of Baylor University's annual John N. Jonsson Peace and Justice Lecture Series, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 25-26. Mbiti, professor of missiology at the University of Bern, Switzerland, will lecture on "Emerging Images of Jesus Christ in African Christianity" at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Miller Chapel and on "Healing and Caring in African Independent Churches" at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Seventh and James Baptist Church sanctuary. The lectures are free and open to the public.
Mbiti was born in Kenya and earned his doctorate from the University of Cambridge, England. He has taught theology and religion at several academic institutions, including Makerere University in Uganda, the University of Geneva, University of Zurich, Harvard University and Princeton Theological Seminary. He also has worked as professor and director of the Ecumenical Institute with the World Council of Churches in Geneva.
Mbiti is the author of numerous books, essays and articles, including African Religions and Philosophy, Introduction to African Religion, Concepts of God in Africa and Bible and Theology in African Christianity.
Dr. John N. Jonsson, for whom the lecture series is named, is professor of religion at Baylor. A native of South Africa, he served as minister of the Central Baptist Church of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and co-founded Treverton College, a private interracial institution in South Africa. He openly protested apartheid and in 1977, he was a candidate for the South African Parliament. He began his tenure at Baylor in 1992. The lecture series is sponsored by Baylor's African studies program, the department of religion, University Ministries and Seventh and James Baptist Church.
For more information, contact Dr. Blake Burleson, senior lecturer of religion and director of African studies, at 710-4215.