Harvard Divinity Scholar Karen King To Lecture on 'Hallowed Pain'

Karen King

Karen King, the first woman to be appointed as the Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School, will present a lecture at the College of the Holy Cross titled “Hallowed Pain: Representing the Slave Blandina and Jesus’ Brother James as Martyrs” on Thursday, Sept. 18 in Rehm Library at 4:30 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public.

In this lecture, King will use stories of two martyrs — the female slave Blandina in The Martyrs of Lyon and James, the brother of Jesus — to explore questions about justice and the nature of God, the self and norms, and how to deal with the isolation that pain and suffering bring.

Specializing in the history of Christianity, King has been at Harvard Divinity School since 1997, and was notably named Hollis Professor of Divinity in 2009, making her the first woman to be appointed to the oldest endowed chair in the United States. Previously, she served as the Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History from 2003 to 2009. Her specific research interests include the discourses of right and wrong, gender studies, and religion and violence. Her books include “Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity” with Elaine Pagels (Viking, 2007), “The Secret Revelation of John” (Harvard University Press, 2006), “The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle” (Polebridge Press, 2003), and “What Is Gnosticism?” (Harvard University Press, 2003).

Her lecture at Holy Cross is co-sponsored by the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, the Class of 1956 Chair in New Testament Studies, and Women’s and Gender Studies.

Learn more and watch lectures online at www.holycross.edu/mcfarlandcenter.

About the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture:

Established in 2001 and housed in Smith Hall, the McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture provides resources for faculty and course development, sponsors conferences and college-wide teaching events, hosts visiting fellows, and coordinates a number of campus lecture series. Rooted in the College’s commitment to invite conversation about basic human questions, the Center welcomes persons of all faiths and seeks to foster dialogue that acknowledges and respects differences, providing a forum for intellectual exchange that is interreligious, interdisciplinary, intercultural, and international in scope.  The Center also brings members of the Holy Cross community into conversation with the Greater Worcester community, the academic community, and the wider world.