Tutu to Speak at Butler
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAn internationally-renowned peace advocate is coming to Butler University next month. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu's lecture at Clowes Memorial Hall will be free and open to the public. August 8, 2013
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Butler University and Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) are honored to welcome Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, 1984 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, to Butler’s Clowes Memorial Hall for a public address at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12. Generous support for this event is provided by The Dungy Family Foundation.
The lecture is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Ticket distribution to the public will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 19 at the Clowes Hall box office, 4602 Sunset Avenue. There is a limit of two tickets per person.
Archbishop Tutu's visit comes three months after Butler and CTS announced that South African theologian Allan Boesak was jointly appointed by both schools as the first occupant of the Desmond Tutu Chair of Peace, Global Justice, and Reconciliation Studies.
“Butler University is once again pleased to partner with CTS on such an exciting opportunity for our institutions and the Indianapolis community,” Butler President James M. Danko said. “The Archbishop is one of the most admired religious leaders of our time, and we are extremely pleased to welcome him to the Butler campus for what promises to be a memorable address.”
CTS President Matthew Myer Boulton said that Archbishop Tutu's visit to Indianapolis underscores the close collegial and personal relationship he has had with Dr. Boesak, particularly during the anti-apartheid struggle, as well as the important work that remains to be done in promoting reconciliation in the world today. “Archbishop Tutu is coming not only to give his personal blessing to Dr. Boesak’s leadership, but also to inspire us all to carry forward the cause of reconciliation in our own lives and communities,” Boulton said.
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is one of the greatest living icons of our time. The first black South African Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, and primate of the Anglican Church of South Africa, he played a crucial role in the fight against the apartheid regime.
In 1984, he received a Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to that cause. And in the years that followed, Tutu became a principal mediator in the transition to democracy in South Africa.
In 1995, former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela appointed Tutu chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a body set up to probe gross human-rights violations that occurred under apartheid.
In recent years, Tutu has turned his attention to health, humanitarian, and peacemaking initiatives. He is active in the global campaign against HIV/AIDS and continues his peacemaking work in situations of conflict through his leadership in the Elders, a group of Nobel Peace Prize laureates which includes former President Jimmy Carter. Tutu also devotes his time and leadership to family and education issues, particularly quality education for female children in the global South.
Today Archbishop Tutu is regarded as an elder world statesman with a major role to play in reconciliation, and as a leading moral voice.
Tutu, 81, spoke at Butler in 2002 as part of the University's May Commencement ceremony.
About Butler University
Challenging and enabling students to meet their personal and professional goals has guided Butler University since 1855. Today, Butler is a nationally recognized comprehensive university that blends the liberal arts with first-rate pre-professional programs. It seeks to prepare each graduate not simply to make a living but to make a life of purpose, in which personal flourishing is intertwined with the welfare of others. Butler is known for its vibrant campus, superior academics, and dedicated faculty. The University enrolls more than 4,700 undergraduate and graduate students in six academic colleges: Arts, Business, Communication, Education, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Located just six miles from downtown Indianapolis, Butler’s urban setting affords students internship opportunities that provide excellent graduate school and career preparation.
About Christian Theological Seminary
Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) is a fully accredited ecumenical seminary, open to all, affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It offers eight graduate-level degree programs, including programs in theology, ministry, and counseling, with specializations in ministries that emphasize the arts and programs for lifelong learning. More than 30 denominations are represented among CTS faculty and students.
Source: Butler University