Religion editor for Newsweek to present Yoder Public Affairs lecture Oct. 19; Woodward opens 2004-2005 Goshen College lecture series

GOSHEN, Ind. – At a time in history when parts of the world seem polarized by ethnicity and religion – Muslim against Christian, Jew against Arab, families, communities and countries torn apart by spiritual scuffles – a writer on religion will speak to a Goshen College audience on the importance of seeking to understand differences and trying to live in acceptance of them.

In the first Yoder Public Affairs lecture of the 2004-05 academic year, Kenneth Woodward will share personal experiences from his 38 years as religion editor of Newsweek magazine. He has titled his lecture “Pilgrimage in an Age of World Religions.” The lecture at 8 p.m. Oct. 19 in Sauder Concert Hall is free and open to the public.

Woodward said he seeks to fully understand different religions. “You cannot know your own religion well unless you know another equally well,” he said. “And conversely, you cannot know another religion well unless you are deeply rooted in a religion of your own.”

He will speak in a campus convocation at 10 a.m. Oct. 20 in the Church-Chapel. This presentation, titled “Making Sense of American Religion,” is also open to the community. In this setting, he will discuss his own experiences as a journalist on the religion beat.

Woodward has reported from five continents and written more than 750 articles for publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. His numerous honors include 11 awards for the Best Magazine Article on Religion from the Religious Public Relations Society of America, and a 2003 Second Place for Commentary award from the American Academy of Religion.

Born in Detroit, Mich., Woodward earned an English degree with special honors from the University of Notre Dame. He continued his education at the University of Michigan Law School, the University of Iowa and the University of Strasbourg in France.

The author of several books on religion, Woodward’s Making Saints, published in 1993, has been used as a university textbook. His most recent book is The Book of Miracles: The Meaning of Miracle Stories in Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam.

The lecture and chapel are sponsored by the Goshen College Yoder Public Affairs Lecture Committee. The Yoder Public Affairs Lecture Series began in 1978 when Frank and Betty Jo Yoder of Goshen created an endowed lectureship to enable faculty, students and community members to hear widely known speakers address current issues.

Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit https://www.goshen.edu.

- by Melanie Histand

Editors: For more information, contact Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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