The Danforth Lecture Series continues Monday, Oct. 16, with a program featuring John C. “Jack” Danforth on “Faith and Politics,” the title of his new book.
The event, free and open to the public, will be held at 4 p.m. in Graham Chapel. The lecture will be simulcast in Holden Auditorium on the first floor of the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center at the School of Medicine.
In his book, the three-term former Republican senator from Missouri and ordained Episcopal priest calls for moderation and tolerance in religious and political life, and a return to the separation of church and state.
Decrying the narrow interpretations of religious orthodoxy, he supports an inclusive philosophy that embraces conflicting opinions and beliefs.
Danforth retired from the U.S. Senate in 1995, having served 18 years. Since then, he has served the country as a special envoy to Sudan, as leader of the federal government’s investigation into the Waco incident, and as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
He entered politics at an early age. In 1968 — at age 32 — he won his first election as Missouri’s attorney general; he was re-elected to the post in 1972.
Widely known and respected as a leader in the Episcopal faith, Danforth officiated at the funeral of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
He is a partner in the international law firm Bryan Cave LLP, based in St. Louis.
A book signing/reception will be held in Ridgley Hall’s Holmes Lounge immediately following the talk.
The book, Faith and Politics: How the ‘Moral Values’ Debate Divides America and How to Move Forward Together, will be available for purchase in both Graham Chapel and Holmes Lounge.
The Danforth Lecture Series’ overarching theme is the university’s role in society as an institution with “A Higher Sense of Purpose.”
P. Roy Vagelos, M.D., former chairman and CEO of Merck & Co., will give the series’ final lecture, “The Social Responsibility of Business,” Nov. 13.
For more information on the series, call 935-5285 or go online to danforthcampus.wustl.edu.