May Line-up
1st Amendment Freedoms
Sanctuary: A Legal Perspective
In-Depth Bible Study: First Corinthians
Download the brochure: AE May 2018
Please note: there will be no Adult Education Classes on May 20 (Confirmation) or May 27 (Memorial Day Weekend).
Our First Amendment Freedoms
Americans have abruptly stumbled—with almost no preparation—into an era of corrosive anxiety. In the space of two or three years, respected political scientists and policy experts have come to worry that our democracy itself is at risk. We will also consider whether leaders past have not left us the tools to save our unique political system now.
May 6
Making Use of Our First Amendment Freedoms in the Midst of Dangerous Times
Gustav Niebuhr
9:15 a.m.
Assembly Room
In a year in which so many feel overwhelmed by signs of debilitating disruption and savage eruptions, can we draw inspiration and action from the ideals of the Founders? The rights they left us may be the greatest defense of our civic culture that we have.
Gustav Niebuhr is Director of the Carnegie Religion & Media Program and Associate Professor at Syracuse University in New York. During a 20-year career in journalism, most recently at The New York Times and, prior to that, at the Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Gustav Niebuhr has established a reputation as a leading writer about American religion. His work has been published in books, magazines and online, and he provides occasional commentary on religion for NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Niebuhr is the author of Beyond Tolerance: Searching for Interfaith Understanding in America (Viking, 2009). He was previously a visiting fellow and scholar in residence at Princeton University.
May 6
Using Our Freedoms
Gustav Niebuhr
5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Sanctuary
In partnership with Princeton Public Library
How do the first 16 words in the Bill of Rights point us toward a better society than the one that so challenges our sense of decency now? We will look at a vital legacy of James Madison, 18th century genius whose ideas can act on our behalf now.
Sanctuary
Part of the continuing process of discernment regarding this topic.
May 13
Immigration Law related to Church Sanctuary
9:15 a.m.
Assembly Room
Join us for a summary of the legal issues relevant to churches offering sanctuary to undocumented residents. Our guest will address questions about the status of those who enter the US and remain without immigration classification; obstacles to gaining immigration status on one’s own; and possibilities for undocumented workers, particularly those who have houses, jobs, families with American children. Also explore questions about a church’s role and process, including risks and expectations. Following a presentation there will be some time for questions which have not been addressed.
Sally L. Steinberg is an Attorney, Arbitrator and Mediator, practicing Immigration Law as well as Family Law since 1980. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the New Jersey State Bar Association and Immigration Court Volunteer Lawyer Project. She participates in the Ask a Lawyer sessions at the Princeton Public Library and actively works with politicians, lobbies for Immigration Reform and works with local Immigration clients. Her office is located at 281 Witherspoon Street, Princeton.
1 Corinthians In Depth
Sunday, May 6 & 13, 9:15 a.m.
Maclean House (Garden Entrance)
George Hunsinger leads a verse-by-verse examination of the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. In this epistle the Corinthian congregation wrestles with doctrinal and ethical issues in conversation with their “founding pastor,” Paul, and Paul offers compelling good news in his understanding of the cross, the resurrection, worship, and life together in Christian community.
George Hunsinger is Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is the founder of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.