“What’s On the Other Side?” Death, Immortality, and Hope in Theological Reflection
Kyle Roberts, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean and Schilling Chair as Professor of Public Theology and the Church and Economic Life
Death is inevitable; that basic truth can instill fear and anxiety. This is especially true in a time of Pandemic. Theologians have often wrestled with the problem of death and have articulated visions of afterlife, immortality, and resurrection. This lecture explores a variety of perspectives on immortality and afterlife (from literal to the symbolic) in Christian theological traditions and considers the contributions of Ernest Becker to the relation between the inevitability of death, the anxiety it produces, and perspectives on immortality in religious thought. The lecture will also consider the question, “What is our hope in the face of death?”
United’s Faculty Favorite Lecture Series
Every teacher has one—the lecture that they love the best, the one that they can literally feel in their bones when they deliver it in class. In this series we invite you to get to know United’s current faculty and get a taste of what happens in the classrooms at United. These favorite lectures will be delivered on Zoom, so enjoy it with a family member, invite a far away friend, or host your very own “watch party.” Whatever the format, take this opportunity to learn what it is like to experience the transformative learning experience that happens in the classrooms at United. All lectures are free and open to the public.