The 2008 Theologian-in-Residence Series

February 5, 12, 19, 26, 2008
Lead by Oliver Thomas

An author, attorney, educator and minister with notable credentials, whose latest book challenges the modern church to take a fresh look at historically divisive issues, will lead the 2008 Theologian-in-Residence lecture series at Tusculum College in February.

Oliver Thomas is Executive Director of the Niswonger Foundation of Greeneville. Before coming to Greeneville, he served as a minister, attorney, author, teacher and community leader. Mr. Thomas is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Tennessee, where he graduated first in his class. He earned a Master of Divinity from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he also graduated first in his class and was chosen as the school's outstanding divinity student. Mr. Thomas received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee College of Law where he was Order of the Coif and earned his Master of Law from the University of Virginia.

As a minister, Rev. Thomas served churches in Tennessee and Louisiana. As an attorney, Mr. Thomas has practiced at every level of state and federal courts including the United States Supreme Court. His clients have included the National Council of Churches, Southern Baptist Convention and Children's Defense Fund. He has appeared as an expert witness before the Judiciary Committees of the United States Congress on numerous occasions.

As an educator, Mr. Thomas taught First Amendment Law at Georgetown University Law Center. He also has lectured at such universities as Harvard and Notre Dame. More recently, Mr. Thomas served on the Maryville Board of Education completing three years as its chairman. He has provided training to teachers and administrators from more than five hundred school districts from North Carolina to California.As an author, Mr. Thomas co-authored The Right to Religious Liberty. He also co-authored Finding Common Ground, the First Amendment handbook endorsed by the Department of Education and used in many of the nation's public schools.

Mr. Thomas's articles have appeared in a variety of national publications, and he has been a guest commentator on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, C-Span, and National Public Radio. He is also a regular contributor to USA Today. Mr. Thomas's most recent book is 10 Things Your Minister Wants to Tell You (But Can't Because He Needs the Job). Published in 2007 by St. Martin’s Press, the book addresses issues including human and world origins, miracles, the nature of the Bible, the place of women and gay individuals in the church, Christianity's relation to other religions, as well as the issues of death and the end of the world.

Mr. Thomas is married to the former Lisa Trammell of Oak Ridge. They have two daughters: Rachel, a graduate of the University of Virginia, and Sarah, a graduate of Tulane University. Rachel is now attending law school, and Sarah is working at Penguin Press in New York.

SESSION SUMMARIES

Session 1: In the Beginning… How did we get here? For what purpose? The answers to these questions form the foundation for all that follows. Without these answers, we cannot know how to live. This first session will also explore the current debate over teaching "intelligent design" in public schools.

Session 2: The Bible: What it is; what it isn't. At the heart of the Judeo-Christian tradition stands the Bible. No Bible? No Judaism or Christianity? But, what exactly is the Bible, and how should it be studied and used? Is it inerrant as many conservative Christians suggest? Infallible? Or, is it Judaism's and Christianity's witness to the majesty and mystery of God?

Session 3: How should the church treat women and homosexuals? For centuries, women have been boxed out of the pulpit and key leadership positions in the church. Gays and lesbians aren't even welcome in many congregations. What if we're wrong? Is the church in danger of losing its moral credibility here? Might science have the final word? This session will explore the most divisive issue to confront American churches since slavery.

Session 4: Death and Beyond. What happens after we die? How will it all end? The popularity of the Left Behind series and Hal Lindsay's Late Great Planet Earth before it, compel a closer examination of "last things" and more particularly of the Book of Revelation.