2024-2025 Event Details
Eastern University’s distinctive lecture series, Windows on the World, features two or three dynamic speakers each semester. The purpose of Windows is to broaden the conversation on matters important to the pursuit of Faith, Reason, and Justice, by bringing renowned scholars to campus for a public lecture. Additionally, some speakers participate in special classes and workshops on campus. We have some exciting names lined up for the 2024-2025 academic year! Presentations are on Fridays (dates below) at 3 p.m., in McInnis Auditorium. They are sponsored by the Office of the Provost and open to the public.
October 18, 2024: David Klion & Andrew Kadi
David Klion, Writer and Contributor at Jewish Currents, and Andrew Kadi, Policy Member at Al-Shabaka
Windows on the World (October 18th at 3 p.m.): "Understanding the Israel-Palestine Conflict: Perspectives and Pathways Forward". Join us for a thought-provoking discussion, featuring David Klion, contributing editor at Jewish Currents and writer for The Nation and The New Republic, and Andrew Kadi, an activist and member of Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network. Through their unique perspectives, Klion and Kadi will explore the complexities of the Israel-Palestine conflict, drawing on their respective work in journalism, activism, and policy analysis. The conversation, moderated by Political Science Program Director Alexios Alexander, will provide an exploration of both the historical and current dynamics at play, offering insight into the ongoing struggle for justice and how we can engage in these discussions with empathy and clarity.
David Klion is a contributing editor at Jewish Currents and has written for The Nation, The New Republic, The New York Times, among other publications. He is working on a book about the legacy of neoconservatism. Andrew Kadi is an organizer active for the past 23 years in support of Palestinian rights and working on civil society initiatives among Palestinians. He is a member of Al-Shabaka: the Palestinian Policy Network, spent 9 years with Adalah-NY, and 9 years with the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. Kadi has written for or appeared in The Guardian, USA Today, The Forward, TRT, CityLab, the BBC, Electronic Intifada, and Mondoweiss.
November 1, 2024: Regina Young
Regina Young: State Representative, Pennsylvania 185th Legislative District
Windows on the World (November 1st at 3 p.m.): “My Journey as an Educator, Organizer, and Elected Official”. Hear about Regina G. Young’s life of public service and why she believes “teamwork makes the dream work” and “only good things can be produced when we work together”! A product of public-school education and native of New Haven, CT, Regina was elected to represent Pennsylvania’s 185th Legislative District in November 2020. State Representative Young is a community organizer, former educator, social service worker, and certified HIV and grief counselor. She is also a member of the PA Legislative Black Caucus.
Young earned a B.A. in Communications from Central Connecticut State University and a M.A. in Community Development and Urban Studies from Eastern University. Before running for office, she was a community schools coordinator in the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Education. She founded and served as executive director of Empowered Community Development Corporation and was a social service worker with Women’s Christian Alliance in Philadelphia. Rep. Young is married and the mother of two children.
March 21, 2025: David Gushee
David Gushee: Ethicist, Pastor, Author, Advocate
Windows on the World (March 21st 3 p.m.): “The Radical Moral Message of Jesus”. Based on Dr. Gushee's new book, The Moral Teachings of Jesus, this talk describes how Jesus turns our way of looking at the world, and living in it, entirely upside down. Are we ready to follow him?
Rev. Dr. David P. Gushee is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, Chair of Christian Social Ethics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Senior Research Fellow, International Baptist Theological Study Centre. He is also the elected past-president of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Christian Ethics. Dr. Gushee is the author or editor of 29 books, including the bestsellers Kingdom Ethics and Changing Our Mind. His other most notable works are Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies, After Evangelicalism, and most recently, The Moral Teachings of Jesus. He lectures and consults globally, and is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading Christian moral thinkers. Gushee and his wife, Jeanie, live in Atlanta, Georgia.