Samson and Vischer next on talk list

     (NWPR-IN) – Christian author and a self-described scholar-activist, Will Samson of “Can Christianity Change the World?” is on the Forester Lecture Series roster for Tuesday, October 26 at 7:00 pm in the Merillat Centre for the Arts at Huntington University.

    The series is designed to bring topics of interest to the attention of students and the regional community. Free and open to the public, it is under the direction of Jeff Webb, professor of history at the university, can be reached 260.359.4243.

     Samson is also the author of “Enough: Contentment in an Age of Excess” (Cook 2009) and co-author with his wife Lisa of “Justice in the Burbs” (Baker 2007). They participate in Communality, an intentional Christian community in Lexington, Kentucky. The community worships together, lives near each other and those in need, and works on issues as diverse as racial reconciliation, community gardening and refugee resettlement. He holds membership in the American Academy of Religion, American Sociological Association, Appalachian Studies Association, Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, Society for the Study of Social Problems and the Southern Sociological Society. Dr. Samson also serves as an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Kentucky’s Georgetown College, and his academic research explores the areas of religion and social movements, sustainability, and food and the environment.

     “My Life as a Tomato” with artist and filmmaker Phil Vischer, who is best known as the creative genius behind the VeggieTales series is next on the lecture series at 7:00 pm at the Merillat on Tuesday, November 9. His original company, Big Idea Productions launched the series in 1991 and today VeggieTales videos, some fifty million, can be found in one-third of all American homes with young children. 

     Vischer’s current venture, Jellyfish Labs, produces and develops media content geared toward helping children grow in the Christian faith.  His presentation will recount his experiences with Big Idea Productions, and reflect on his contributions to the world of character animation and Christian filmmaking.

     Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington University is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in northeast Indiana. The university is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), offering a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. They hold a U.S. News & World Report ranking as one among the best colleges in the Midwest, and Forbes.com has listed the university as one of America’s Best Colleges. Additionally, Princeton Review has named the institution to its “Best in the Midwest” list.