Barry McNamara  |  Published October 16, 2019

Exploring Democratic Socialism

‘Towering figure’ Gary Dorrien to discuss ‘Democratic Socialism: Black & White, Christian & Not, Then & Now’ Oct. 24 in annual Samuel M. Thompson Memorial Lecture.

MONMOUTH, Ill. – An accomplished author and scholar who has been called “the preeminent social ethicist in North America today” will present the next Samuel M. Thompson Memorial Lecture at Monmouth College.

GARY DORRIEN: Has been called the preeminent social ethicist in North America. GARY DORRIEN: Has been called “the preeminent social ethicist in North America."Gary Dorrien will deliver the talk at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Morgan Room in Poling Hall. Titled “Democratic Socialism: Black & White, Christian & Not, Then & Now,” the lecture is free and open to the public.

“Gary is a towering figure in the field and a dynamic speaker,” said Monmouth philosophy and religious studies professor Dan Ott. “The focus on democratic socialism as put forward both by religious and secular thinkers is likely to be quite relevant to some of the debates going on among Democratic presidential candidates.”

Dorrien teaches social ethics, theology and philosophy of religion as the Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary and as a professor of religion at Columbia University. He is the author of 20 books and more than 300 articles that range across the fields of social ethics, philosophy, theology, political eco¬nomics, social and political theory, religious history, cultural criticism, and intellectual history.

Several of Dorrien’s books have been honored, including his recent work Breaking White Supremacy: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Black Social Gospel, which won the American Library Association’s Choice Award. The book has been described as “intellectual history at its finest … a triumph of careful scholarship, rigorous argument, clear prose, unblinking judgments and groundbreaking conclusions. … Indispensable.”

The Thompson Lecture is annually presented in memory of the legendary Sam Thompson, who graduated from Monmouth College in 1924. Thompson taught philosophy at the College for 46 years after earning his Ph.D. at Princeton University in 1931.

The lecture series was made possible by Thompson’s two daughters, the late Jean Thompson Follett ’51 and Roberta Thompson Fassett ’56, and the College’s Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.

If You Go …

Gary Dorrien will discuss “Democratic Socialism: Black & White, Christian & Not, Then & Now” at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Morgan Room in Poling Hall.

Back to News & Events

Did you know?

  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> 98% of Monmouth graduates were employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation.</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/wackerle-center/career-services/" target="_blank">Career Preparation</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College offers several international trips each year during 2-week Scots Terms in January and May. Recently students have traveled to Botswana, Greece, Scotland, Japan, and more. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_urls"><a href="https://monmouthcollege.edu/offices/global-engagement/" target="_blank">Scots Term</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> 99% of Monmouth students received some type of scholarship or financial assistance.</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/offices/student-financial-planning/types-of-aid/scholarships/" target="_blank">Scholarships</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College covers the cost for all current students to get a U.S. passport. Unlock access to over 198 different countries! We’ll even help with the paperwork :)</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/study-abroad/" target="_blank">Study Abroad</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> We’re no stranger to winning. Last year the Fighting Scots won Midwest Conference championships in Football, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Basketball and Men’s Track and Field. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_urls"><a href="https://monmouthscots.com/" target="_blank">Fighting Scots</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College has an educational garden and 6.7 acre farm. Students grow and harvest fruits and vegetables to sell at the local farmer’s market. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_urls"><a href="https://monmouthcollege.edu/academics/only-at-monmouth/educational-garden-farm/" target="_blank">Garden & Farm</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College has an active Pipe & Drum Band. Each year on Scholar’s Day in April the bagpipers wake students up at 6:00 a.m. by playing in the residence halls!</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/music/pipe-band/" target="_blank">Pipe Band</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> We offer a certified Peace Corps Preparation program that gives Peace Corps bound graduates a leg up in the application process.</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/peace-corps-prep/" target="_blank">Peace Corps Prep</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College is proudly test optional. Applicants may choose whether or to submit SAT or ACT scores for admission and scholarship consideration. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/admission/apply/test-optional/" target="_blank">Test Optional</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College offers unique academic minors in Global Public Health and Global Food Security for students who want to use their education to address global challenges. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/global-public-health/" target="_blank">Global Public Health</a></li><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/global-food-security/" target="_blank">Global Food Security</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p><strong>Monmouth College is the birthplace of the women’s fraternity movement. Pi Beta Phi, the first such collegiate women’s organization, was founded at Monmouth in 1867. It was followed three years later by Kappa Kappa Gamma. The two pioneering organizations today boast a total of 275 active chapters nationwide.</strong></p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/student-life/sororities-fraternities/" target="_blank">Sororities & Fraternities</a></li></ul></div></aside>