Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969), the founding minister of Riverside Church in New York City, was regarded by Martin Luther King, Jr., as ‘‘the greatest preacher of this century.” One of liberal Protestantism’s most influential voices, Fosdick was a proponent of ecumenical Christianity, pacifism, and civil rights, whose radio sermons and writings reached millions.
Since 2016, Augsburg Campus Ministry has hosted the Fosdick Lecture on Preaching. Gifted preachers and storytellers have shared their insights on preaching and topics important to them.
Shall Untruth Win? Faithful Preaching in an Age of Mistrust and Misinformation
Presenter: Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis
Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.
Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center
625 22nd Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55454
Register for the 2025 Fosdick Lecture
The lecture and chapel service will be live-streamed. Please register in advance at this link if you wish to join the webinar. Register for the Zoom webinar.
Observers have offered provocative words and phrases to describe our cultural and political moment. Post-truth. The fall of reason. Alternative facts. Can good news penetrate the noise of propaganda and conspiracy in our national discourse? Can a word of hope break through the cynicism and nihilism of cruel and radicalized politics? Now more than ever, from one-on-one meetings with parishioners to our proclamations from behind the sacred desk to our public utterances, courageous preachers must freshly voice the enduring wisdom of the Bible, the tradition, and religious experience to a people awash in propaganda and misinformation delivered through an inflammatory media landscape. Harry Emerson Fosdick summoned the courage to speak truthfully and faithfully during his time of rapid change and discoveries. Will we?
About our speaker
Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis joined Plymouth Congregational Church as Lead Minister in December 2020.
The son of two ministers and the youngest of fifteen children in Mississippi, Dr. Davis earned his BA (Magna Cum Laude) at Howard University and an MA at the University of Maryland (College Park). He was awarded an MDiv with Honors at Wesley Seminary (District of Columbia) and a DMin at Luther Seminary (St. Paul). He is ordained in the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. He’s married to Kareem Murphy, director of Government Relations for Hennepin County.
Dr. Davis brings a gift for preaching, an appetite for partnerships, a commitment to liberal theology and social justice, as well as experience in public policy work. Previously he worked as a policy analyst in the Office of Governmental Relations for the Episcopal Church, as a lobbyist for Sallie Mae, and a decade as a Senior Legislative Assistant for three members of the U.S. Congress. Most recently he served as Senior Pastor of All God’s Children congregation in Minneapolis.
Previous Fosdick Lectures
2016 William Kent Krueger, Minnesota Author, “Storied by God”
2017 Rev. Dr. Amy Butler, Minister, Riverside Church, “Good New/Bad News: Preaching the Gospel and the Headlines”
2018 Rev. Mark Hanson, Founding Director of Interfaith at Augsburg, “Unbind Them! Let Them Go! Preaching Resurrection Hope”
2021 Rev. Dr. David Lose, Senior Pastor, Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN, “Does Preaching Still Matter? More than Ever!” The 2021 Fosdick Lecture is available on YouTube.
2022 Rev. Ingrid Rasmussen, Lead Pastor, and Rev. Angela Khabeb, Senior Associate Pastor, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN, “Preaching in a Time of Crisis.”
2023 Senator John Marty and Mindy Greiling, “Hearing. Helping. Healing our Neighbors with Mental Health Challenges” Addressing Mental Health Concerns in Religious Communities.” The 2023 Fosdick Lecture is available on YouTube.
2024 Rev. Barbara Lundblad, Joe R. Engle Professor of Preaching Emerita at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, “Shall the Christian Nationalists Win?” Recording of the 2024 Fosdick Lecture on Preaching
Previous Lectures
