Recognizing the numerous centers of Christianity in the world today, the George W. and Joan O. Braswell World Religions and Global Culture Center works alongside of ministerial students at Campbell University Divinity School to strengthen them emotionally, intellectually and spiritually by cultivating opportunities for them to learn different ways of practicing and articulating personal faith through the diverse experiences of believers around the world.
2025 Annual Symposium
“Retelling our Stories of Peace and Justice”
February 19, 2025 | 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Oscar N. Harris Student Union
Keynote Address by Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley, President of Fuller Seminary
The symposium this year promises to give us a constructive platform for a credible dialogue through symposia and keynote address on critical questions of interpretations of religion and spirituality. Interreligious dialogues will continue to find greater resonance among devotees of every religious tradition. When we have dialogues this can lead to an enlarged sense of religious community and mutual spiritual transformation.’
Additional details coming soon!
Tentative Symposium Schedule
Refreshments
9:00am – 9:30am
Location: More details to follow.
Join us for light refreshments as we gather for a day of listening and dialogue.
Morning Session: Keynote Lecture
9:30am
Location: More details to follow.
Following a a time of welcome and opening prayer, the keynote lecture will be delivered by Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley, President of Fuller Seminary.
Fellowship Lunch
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: More details to follow.
Enjoy fellowship around the table as a community of faith- all are invited. Be sure to register to save your spot for lunch!
Afternoon Session One: Panel Discussion
Time: More details to follow.
Location: More details to follow.
Panelists: Rabbi Eric Solomon, Mary Rose Marie Tresp, and Dr. Jerusha Matsen Neal|
Afternoon Session Two: Conversation
Time: More details to follow.
Location: More details to follow.
Join us for a conversation between Imam Muamar Dahnoun and Katrina Tatum facilitated by Dr. Caleb Oladipo.
Symposium Conclusion:
The day will conclude with a time of Q&A where symposia attendees may pose questions to any of the participating speakers and panelists.
A Word from the Center Director
Dr. Caleb Oladipo, Center Director, Braswell World Religions and Global Culture Center, is passionate about the growth and utilization of this center in the lives of Campbell Divinity students because of his own personal experiences with diverse expressions of the Christian faith.
“I was in a St. George Cathedral in Cape Town, when Archbishop Desmond Tutu conducted the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper in his native language as blacks and whites worshipped together. I was in India when Christians were singing in Malayalam language, and when I played my harmonica the church exploded in joyful celebration. I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina when Sarita Blanco asked me to join her Sunday School class of 7 and 8-year-old boys and girls, telling the children that my skin was darker because I was from Africa, and that God gave me this skin to protect me against the scorching rays of the African sun. She asked them to kiss me on the cheek and said that Christians in Africa pray for Christians in South America, just like Christians in Argentina pray for Christians in Nigeria and in North America. She told them that we all belong to God. Lastly, I was in Bukkittingi, West Sumatra, in Indonesia when an elderly gentleman testified that God loves the world and that we are connected as God’s creation whether we are from the North, South, East, or West. The socially constructed distinction between blacks and whites disappeared in my consciousness for a moment, as we became brothers and sisters of faith in God.” – Dr. Caleb Oladipo
Functions of the Center
- Encourage the integration of Christian faith with cross-cultural intellectual life.
- Support, encourage, and expect excellence in all undertakings at the Center.
- Provide a unique place for research on global academic Christian perspectives.
- Equip individuals to understand the confluence of knowledge across cultures in the Christian intellectual life.
- Facilitate the discovery of new knowledge in other religions that promotes and nurtures mutual respect and understanding.
- Anticipate and respond to changes in higher theological education in the world.
Contact Information
For information about the Braswell World Religions and Global Cultures Center, please contact:
Dr. Caleb Oladipo – Director of the Center
Snellings Chair of Evangelism and Missions
Campbell University Divinity School
B.A. in Theology – Wayland Baptist University
M.Div – Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
S.T.M. – Yale University Divinity School
Ph.D. in Theological Studies – Baylor University
Telephone: 1-800-760-9827 ext. 1805 | (910) 893-1805
E-mail: worldreligioncenter@campbell.edu