- The Wimberly School of Religion will host Dr. Rebekah Miles, Albert Outler Professor of Wesley Studies at SMU, for the annual Willson Lectures on Oct. 15.
- The free, public three-part series takes place at the Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel (1 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.) and focuses on divine life, ecstatic religious experience and Wesleyan ethics.
- Dr. Miles is an author of eight books who specializes in Christian ethics, theology and Methodist studies.
BY ROD JONES
OCU MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
A Christian realist and theologian will share her thoughts on grace, divine life and ecstatic religious experience during a visit to Oklahoma City University on Oct. 15.
OCU’s Wimberly School of Religion will host renowned scholar and theologian Rebekah Miles for the annual 2026 Willson Lectures. The series will feature three presentations held in the Bishop W. Angie Smith Chapel on the OCU campus. All events are free to the public.
Miles is the Albert Outler Professor of Wesley Studies and Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor at the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Her presentations will examine themes of grace, spiritual encounter and Wesleyan ethics:
- “Sharing in the Divine Life,” 1-1:50 p.m.
- “Encountering Grace: A Field Guide to Ecstatic Religious Experience,” 2:30–3:45 p.m.
- “Moving Grace: A Wesleyan Guide to Using Grace and Ecstasy for Good in the World,” 7-8:15 p.m.
OCU ethics professor Mark Davies, the founding director of the World House Institute for Social and Ecological Responsibility, said Miles is known for research that combines theological scholarship with the lived human experience.
“It only takes a few conversations with her colleagues, students and former students to learn how beloved and engaging Dr. Miles is as a teacher and scholar,” Davies said. “We are very much looking forward to learning from Dr. Miles’ insights concerning mysticism and the expressions of grace and doing good that might come from ecstatic religious experience.”
Miles is an author, editor and scholar in Christian ethics, theology, Methodist studies, spirituality, political ethics and feminist studies. She is the author, co-author or editor of eight books, including “The Future of Christian Realism: International Conflict, Political Decay, and the Crisis of Democracy,” “Georgia Harkness: The Remaking of a Liberal Theologian” and “The Bonds of Freedom: Feminist Theology and Christian Realism.”
She is currently writing a book on catalysts for ecstatic religious experience and co-editing a volume for “The Bicentennial Edition of the Works of John Wesley.” Her honors include a Henry Luce Fellowship in Theology, two Lilly/Louisville Institute Sabbatical Grants, a Ford Research Fellowship and the Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Award.
