The Wittenberg Series is a selection of cultural activities annually presented by Wittenberg University. All Wittenberg Series events are admission-free. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the beginning of each lecture or performance.
2018-19 Wittenberg Series Schedule
Tuesday, August 21, 2018, Opening Convocation
"Light Upon Light"Author of Baptism by Fire: An Investigation of the Experiences and Multicultural Competence of Diversity Staff in Higher Education, Abdullah is an emerging scholar-practitioner whose research on cultural diversity connects the imperative of inclusion to the core enterprises of teaching and learning. Learn more...
Event Time:
- 11:45 a.m., Weaver Chapel
Wednesday, October 3, 2018, Allen J. Koppenhaver Literary Lecture
"On The Writing Life"
Hillary Jordan, Author of Mudbound
Winner of the 2006 Bellwether Prize for Fiction and named the NAIBA Fiction Book of the Year, Jordan’s international bestseller Mudbound – and its critically acclaimed 2017 film adaptation – explores themes of racial inequality, poverty and violence in America. Learn more...
Event Times:
- 4:30 p.m., Colloquium, Bayley Auditorium
- 7:30 p.m., Lecture, Bayley Auditorium
Monday, October 22, 2018, Kenneth H. Sauer Luther Symposium
"The Art of Faith in the Midst of Suffering: Reflections on Martin Luther's Theology"
Ronald Rittgers, Author and Theologian
The first Erich Markel Chair in German Reformation Studies at Valparaiso University and author of three books, Rittgers writes, researches, and teaches about the history of theology, devotion, and culture in medieval and Reformation Europe. Learn more...
Event Times:
- 3:30 p.m., Q&A, Weaver Chapel
- 7:30 p.m., Lecture, Bayley Auditorium
Thursday, October 25, 2018, Dance Concert
Catapult
Known for its appearance on Season 8 of America's Got Talent, Catapult presents an evening of imaginative shadow dance/theatre works which tell stories and showcase the magic of shadow illusions. Learn more...
Event Time:
- 7:30 p.m., John Legend Theater at The Dome, 700 S. Limestone St., Springfield
Sunday, October 28, 2018, Chapel Service
Festival Choral Eucharist for Reformation
The Wittenberg Choir, Wittenberg Handbell Choir, and Bishop Craig Alan Satterlee
This service commemorates the Reformation and thanks God in Word, Sacrament, and song for the reconciliation in the Gospel that is occurring in the one, universal Church. Learn more...
Event Time:
- 7:30 p.m., Weaver Chapel (Music begins at 7 p.m.)
Wednesday, November 7, 2018, Fred R. Leventhal Family Lecture
"Let There Be Water: Israel's Solution for a Water-Starved World"
Seth M. Siegel, Author
Activist, speaker and entrepreneur, Siegel is author of the New York Times best-seller Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World. Learn more...
Event Times:
- 4 p.m., Q&A, Bayley Auditorium
- 7:30 p.m., Lecture, Weaver Chapel
Friday, December 7, 2018, Candlelight Chapel Service
Lessons and Carols for Advent and Christmas
Offering a time of music and reflection as the Advent season unfolds, this service concludes with a candlelit singing of “Silent Night.” Learn more...
Event Time:
- 7:30 p.m., Weaver Chapel (Music begins at 7 p.m.)
Monday, January 21, 2019, Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation
"A Prosecutor's Vision for a Better Justice System"
Adam Foss, Former Assistant District Attorney of Suffolk County in Boston, Massachusetts, Advocate for Criminal Justice Reform, and Founder of Prosecutor Impact
Recognized by the Mandela Foundation as the 2017 Nelson Mandela Changemaker of the Year, Foss advocates redefining the role of the prosecutor in the criminal justice system to help end mass incarceration. Learn more...
Event Time:
- 11:15 a.m., Weaver Chapel
- 2:45 p.m., Q&A, 105 Joseph C. Shouvlin Center for Lifelong Learning
Tuesday, February 26, 2019, Vocal Concert
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
This all-male choral group from South Africa has recorded more than 70 albums, earning 19 Grammy nominations and five Grammy Awards. Learn more...
Event Time:
- 7:30 p.m., Weaver Chapel
- 6:30 p.m., Doors Open. Tickets are not required.
Wednesday, March 13, 2019, William A. Kinnison Endowed Lecture in History
"Sacagawea's Capture and the History of the Early West"
Elizabeth Fenn, Author
Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People, Fenn will present an illustrated slide-lecture that uses the circumstances of Sacagawea’s capture to illuminate a deeper history of the Northern Plains and Rockies. Learn more...
Event Time:
- 7:30 p.m., Bayley Auditorium
Wednesday, March 27, 2019, IBM Endowed Lecture in the Sciences
"Why Can't We All Just Get Along? The Challenges of Race Relations in America"
John Dovidio, Author and Yale Psychology Professor
A prolific scholar and leading researcher on aversive racism, Dovidio explores issues of social power and social relations, particularly conscious and unconscious influences on how people think about, feel about, and behave toward others based on group membership. Learn more...
Event Times:
- 4 p.m., Colloquium, Room 105 of the Joseph C. Shouvlin Center for Lifelong Learning
- 7:30 p.m., Lecture, Room 105 of the Joseph C. Shouvlin Center for Lifelong Learning