Willie Jennings

Dreaming the End of Racial America

Monday, January 21


Willie Jennings is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Africana Studies at Yale University.  He is the author of The Christian Imagination: Theology and the Origins of Race (Yale, 2010), which won the American Academy of Religion Award of Excellence in the Study of Religion the year after it appeared and, in 2015, the Grawemeyer Award in Religion, the largest prize for a theological work in North America. Englewood Review of Books called the work a “theological masterpiece.”  Jennings is an ordained Baptist minister, is in high demand as a speaker, and is widely recognized as a major figure in theological education across North America.  A Calvin College graduate, Jennings received his M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. in religion and ethics from Duke.

Rachael Denhollander

A Time to Speak: Addressing Justice and Forgiveness

Tuesday, January 22


Rachael Denhollander is an advocate and educator who became known internationally as the first woman to file a police report and speak publicly against Larry Nassar, one of the most prolific sexual abusers in recorded history.  As a result of her activism, over 250 women came forward as survivors of Nassar’s abuse, leading to his life imprisonment.  In 2018, she was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.  A devout Christian, lawyer and teacher, Rachael has clearly and graciously challenged Christian institutions to live more faithfully as communities resistant to abuse and safe for survivors.  She holds a Juris Doctorate from Oak Brook College of Law and is a member of the California Bar Association.

Mary Robinson

Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience & the Fight for a Sustainable Future

Wednesday, January 23


Mary Robinson first rose to international prominence as President of Ireland from 1990-97. She is widely regarded as a groundbreaking and transformational leader who elevated the public role of the Irish presidency, helping to shape modern Ireland in a period of rapid and unprecedented economic growth. From 1997-2002, Robinson served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, also transforming that office through highly visible public advocacy. She is a founding member of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders formed by Nelson Mandela to tackle the world’s most pressing problems and leads The Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice.  Earning consistent praise as an unforgettable keynote speaker, President Robinson brings the thought leadership of a former head of state, a grandmother’s passionately felt concern for the future and the compelling stories of the thousands she has met traveling the world as a champion for climate justice, human rights, gender equality, and corporate responsibility. Known for touching hearts, expanding mindsets and sparking meaningful conversation, Mary Robinson frames humanity’s most daunting threat in highly solvable terms, leaving audiences hopeful and inspired to change the course of our planet’s future. sustainably, in deep community and in balance with nature.