Theologian To Speak At Baylor on Friday

October 25, 2006

by Frank Raczkiewicz

Dr. Tony Baker, an assistant professor of theology at Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, will present his lecture on ""Fiddling with the Melody: Balthasar on the Symphony of Truth" at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, in the Treasure Room of the Armstrong Browning Library on the Baylor University campus.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is part of the Traditio Lecture Series. Traditio is an independent and interdisciplinary theological society at Baylor which seeks to promote the study of the Christian theological and philosophical tradition within the community.

"This presentation will be more like a seminar than a lecture because afterward there is a discussion and a question-and-answer period," said Dr. Peter Candler, an assistant professor of theology in the Honors College at Baylor who oversees Traditio. "The point is to educate all of us and habituate us into reading the world well as Christians no matter what discipline we happen to be in."

Before joining the faculty at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in 2004, Baker taught religious studies at the joint campus of Indiana and Purdue universities in Indianapolis. His academic interests center on theological critiques of modern and postmodern culture. His publications include articles on Darwinism, German philosophy and Russian Orthodoxy and he is currently working on a book, "Christian Perfection and the Perfect God."

Baker was a Doctoral Fellow of the Center on Religion and Democracy during his studies at the University of Virginia. He has been director of youth and children's ministries at a United Methodist Church in Virginia and has taught adult education classes in Indianapolis and in churches around the Austin area.