Speaker to address Christianity, freedom

CLU lecturer examines Martin Luther treatise

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The Rev. Kapp Johnson will discuss “Liberty for Whom, Freedom for What? Reflections on Luther’s ‘Freedom of a Christian’ in a Post-Christian World.”

Photo: Brian Stethem

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Jan. 30, 2008) A lecture examining one of Martin Luther’s works and its implications today will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at California Lutheran University.

The Rev. Kapp Johnson will discuss “Liberty for Whom, Freedom for What? Reflections on Luther’s ‘Freedom of a Christian’ in a Post-Christian World.”

In 1520, Martin Luther wrote a treatise titled “The Freedom of the Christian” in which he contended that a Christian is “free Lord of all, subject to none” and at the same time “servant to all, and subject to all.” Johnson’s lecture will examine the treatise in light of the era in which Luther wrote and suggest the work’s implications for our own time. CLU history professor Michaela Reaves and political science professor Jose Marichal will respond.

Johnson, a senior lecturer in religion and business at CLU, holds degrees in economics, theology and law. His teaching areas include business ethics, business law and scripture at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He is deeply interested in the intersection between daily life and Christian faith.

The spring Reformation Heritage Seminar program is sponsoring the free lecture. The program is a series of meetings, including two public lectures, that will culminate with 12 CLU faculty members and 12 community members traveling to Germany in May to learn how the protestant tradition has shaped the life of the church and the university.

The event will be held in the Roth Nelson Room, located on Mountclef Boulevard near Memorial Parkway. For more information, contact Joe Everson at (805) 493-3238 or everson@callutheran.edu.

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