Lecture Series: The Beginning

A Three Year Historical Lecture Series: 1610 to 2010
by The Rev. James L. Hutton, III
Part IV

Third Tuesday of the month
September - November 2008
7:00 p.m.

St. John’s Episcopal Church began it’s life as The Elizabeth City Parish in colonial Virginia. It is the oldest English speaking church on the North American continent in continuous use.

In this monthly lecture series, beginning in January of 2007 and ending in May of 2010, we will trace the church’s history, its culture and its corporate life in the context of our own nation emerging over time. Its history reflects one way our nation has dealt with the issues of God and society in American life over an impressive span of history, through which St. John’s has been a continuing instrument of God’s grace seeking expression through time.

Each lecture will be given in the Parish Hall of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Hampton, Virginia on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.

Part Four: “Now We Become Ourselves:
The Transition from English Oppression to Freedom” (Cont.)

September 16, 2008

Lecture 14
"SACRED SPACE, Part II"

We are going to explore the reason we have buildings and architecture, and then we’ll pay attention to the ethos of our worship. How did such a thing as sacred space come to be? How did the church modify its space over time to reflect changing theological and cultural values? When we attend church, what are we attending, and why? How has the worship of Christ evolved over time? What difference does it make?

October 21, 2008

Lecture 15
"SLAVERY AS AN INSTITUTION
REBELLION AS A RESPONSE"

In this lecture we will explore how slavery was formed into the pre-eminent, dominant force within Virginia. We’ll also explore slavery as the economic basis for the southern economy (for a long while,) and as the necessary darkness to maintain an aristocratic orientation reflecting the Virginian landholders origins in the British Isles. Owning land grants prominence and power in the social order. The response of slaves was to invent a covert society under the oppression of the landowners, and to rebel against them at certain times. We will look at the institution of slavery and the revolts against it; starting with the Barbary Captive Narratives and moving to the rebellion in the Americas.

PLEASE NOTE
THERE IS NO DECEMBER LECTURE

November 18, 2008

Lecture 16
"THE PRINCETON UNIVERSITY THEOLOGIANS: SLAVERY AS A THEOLOGICAL PLAN BY GOD"

The theological arguments for slavery were numerous. Such arguments were formally issued by Princeton divines who had seek to buttress the institution of slavery by making it a theological norm instituted by God. The use of scripture to maintain culture is a very old one. We need only look at Eusebius’ slavish devotion to the political and theological drives of Constantine to find an equally rabid and less odious example. Psalm 45 is, in part, a commercial for the continuing court of David and a rationale for the political polygamy of Solomon. These arguments will be rehearsed. Some of them revolve around the fact of Paul not manumitting Onesimus, and others are based on the incest betrayal of Noah by his really bad seed Ham. Lo! How bad theology prospers in a greedy world. We will also look at why racism still remains the major problem in our social fabric.

Lecture 1, Lecture 2, Lecture 3, Lecture 4

A Three Year Historical Lecture Series: 1610 to 2010 by The Rev. James L. Hutton, III Part IV

Third Tuesday of the month September - November 2008 7:00 p.m.

Part Four: “Now We Become Ourselves: The Transition from English Oppression to Freedom” (Cont.)