ASHLAND, Ohio – Dr. Jacqueline Bussie, an author, professor and theologian will be the guest speaker at Ashland University’s Don Rinehart Lecture in Practical Theology to be held Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Miller Chapel on the AU campus.
Bussie will speak on “Outlaw Christian: Finding Authentic Faith by Breaking the ‘Rules’.” The event is free and open to the public.
Dr. Bussie is an author, professor, theologian, public speaker and student of life in all its messy beauty. Her first book, The Laughter of the Oppressed (2007), won the national Trinity Prize. An active servant-leader in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Bussie teaches religion and theology classes at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., where she also serves as the director of the Forum on Faith and Life.
In her new book, Outlaw Christian: Finding Authentic Faith by Breaking the ‘Rules’ (Thomas Nelson, 2016), Bussie encourages her readers to break the unspoken rules that govern the Christian life for too many: #1: Never get angry at God; #2: Never doubt; #3: Never question; #4: Never tell your real story; #5: Always speak in clichés about evil and suffering; and #6: Always believe hope comes easy for those who truly love God.
According to Bussie, living according to these rules is killing real Christian life. In Outlaw Christian, Bussie proposes a rebellious, life-giving, authentic alternative. Tackling difficult questions without political divisiveness, Bussie speaks to both progressive and conservative Christians in ways that unite rather than divide. And in doing so, she provides a new way to handle the most difficult and troubling questions of life in a broken world that God will never abandon.
The Don Rinehart Lecture in Practical Theology is an annual endowed public lecture honoring the memory and continuing the work of Dr. Don Rinehart who, in his 46 years of teaching at Ashland, inspired generations of students.
Dr. Bussie will be spending a couple of days on campus meeting with students in theology and Bible classes as well as preaching at the Well on Thursday, Oct. 20.
Dr. Peter Slade, chair of the Religion Department, said “We are delighted that Dr. Bussie agreed to give the first Don Rinehart Lecture in Practical Theology. In her work, she demonstrates a deep love for her students and a desire that they would ask the hard questions and find a vibrant authentic faith in God that stands up in the real world. I think these are all values that accord with Don Rinehart’s legacy.”
To read more about Bussie and her work, go to www.outlawchristianbook.com and http://jacquelinebussie.com. For more information on the lecture, contact Peter Slade at pslade@ashland.edu.
