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By Tracy Simmons SpokaneFAVS.com On the heels of theologian John Calvin’s 500thbirthday, Whitworth University political science professor Julia Stronks will present her first Lindaman Chair lecture, “If a Calvinist had Coffee with a Feminist,” at 7 p.m. on March 28, according to a press release. Time Magazinehas called “new Calvinism” one of the 10 most influential areas of thought affecting the world currently. During her lecture, Stronks will demonstrate common ground between feminism and Calvinism by focusing on public policy issues that are important to both of them. She says that Calvinist theology provides an intellectual way to think about the role of government and other institutions in society, while feminism highlights injustices of which many Christians are unaware. “I grew up in the Christian Reformed Church, which means that for me the teachings of scripture were framed through the lens of John Calvin’s perspective,” Stronks said. “But, I am also a woman who has benefited from the work of feminists and I am indebted to them for making room for me to engage in my own calling as a scholar.” Stronks’ research focuses on faith, law and public policy. During her four-year tenure as Lindaman Chair, she will be working on several projects related to immigration; sex trafficking; high school curriculum that emphasizes citizenship and life-long learning; employment rights of faith-based institutions; and what it means to be a Christian lawyer. A number of students are working with Stronks on these projects. The lecture will be held at Robinson Teaching Theatre in Weyerhaeuser Hall at Whitworth. Admission is free. For information call(509) 777-4937.
Tracy Simmons is an award-winning journalist specializing in religion reporting and digital entrepreneurship. In her approximate 20 years on the religion beat, Simmons has tucked a notepad in her pocket and found some of her favorite stories aboard cargo ships in New Jersey, on a police chase in Albuquerque, in dusty Texas church bell towers, on the streets of New York and in tent cities in Haiti. Simmons has worked as a multimedia journalist for newspapers across New Mexico, Texas, Connecticut and Washington. She is the executive director of SpokaneFāVS.com, a digital journalism start-up covering religion news and commentary in Spokane, Washington. She also writes for The Spokesman-Review and national publications. She is a Scholarly Assistant Professor of Journalism at Washington State University.
