Neustadt Lectures
The Neustadt Lectures were established in 1983 by Walter and Dolores Neustadt of Ardmore, Okla., for the purpose of strengthening understanding of the great contributions of the Judaic religious tradition to Western civilization and thought. Scholars are invited to the campus to speak on informative themes in the areas of Hebrew Scriptures, Judaic thought and Jewish ethics and art.
Lecture #1: “Learning from Difficult Texts: A Trauma-informed Approach to Divine Punishment in the Hebrew Bible”
Lecture #2: “Remember What?: Traditions of Slavery and Foreignness in Egypt”
Lecture #3: “Who Needs Bible Commentary (and Why Create a New One)?”
Elsie Stern is professor of Bible at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. She earned her B.A. at Yale University and her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago Divinity School. She is the author of From Rebuke to Consolation: Exegesis and Theology in the Liturgical Anthology of the Ninth of Av Season and is a co-editor of the Dictionary of the Bible in Ancient Media. She has also contributed to the Jewish Study Bible, Torah: A Women’s Commentary and the forthcoming Westminster Study Bible as well as other essay collections for scholars, clergy and lay readers. She is currently the general editor for the New CCAR Torah Commentary, which will serve as the main Torah commentary for the Reform movement of Judaism. In her teaching and research, Dr. Stern explores how Jews and Jewish communities have engaged with scripture over the centuries.
Willson Lectures
The Willson Lectures are provided by an endowment from James M. and Mavis Willson of Floydada, Texas. The lectures are directed to the interest of students in the area of religion and society.
The Willsons were outstanding members of the United Methodist Church. Their Christian vision was truly ecumenical in its outreach. Since 1953, their gift to Oklahoma City University has brought to campus speakers of international stature from the areas of religion, science, Christian theology and ethics, church history, biblical studies, and liturgical studies.
1 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15
Lectures in the Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel
The 2026 Willson Lectures feature Dr. Rebekah Miles, the Albert Outler Professor of Wesley Studies at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. She is the author or co-editor of eight books and many articles. Her research areas include Christian ethics and theology, Methodist studies, spirituality, political ethics, Christian realism, and feminist and women’s studies. Miles, an ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church, has three young adult children, including one who graduated from OCU. She is currently working on a book on catalysts for ecstatic religious experiences and co-editing one of the volumes in The Bicentennial Edition of the Works of John Wesley.
Three Lectures:
1 to 1:50 p.m. in the Sanctuary of the W. Angie Smith Chapel at OCU: Sharing in the Divine Life
2:30 to 3:45 p.m. in Watson Lounge of the W. Angie Smith Chapel at OCU (lower level): Encountering Grace: A Field Guide to Ecstatic Religious Experience
7 to 8:15 p.m. in Watson Lounge of the W. Angie Smith Chapel at OCU (lower level): Moving Grace: A Wesleyan Guide to Using Grace and Ecstasy for Good in the World
These events will be livestreamed for those who need to attend remotely.
Contact Dr. Mark Davies, [email protected], for more information.
