Join us for the Tenth Veninga Lecture on Religion and Society and the 2022 WIPPS VIP Reception
WIPPS is excited to continue the Veninga Lecture on Religion and Society this May. We hope you are able to join us for:
Tenth Veninga Lecture on Religion and Society:
“Citizen as Witness: A Theology of Grief and Solidarity for a Wounded World.”
The Rev. Dr. Veninga
May 23, 2022 at 7 p.m.
UW Center for Civic Engagement
Veninga Theater
Wausau, WI
The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Veninga, daughter of the late Dr. Jim Veninga, will speak on “Citizen as Witness: A Theology of Grief and Solidarity for a Wounded World.” Drawing on research for her current book project and her recent experience as a hospital chaplain, she will discuss how we are called to bear witness to the historical and present collective trauma and suffering of others.
Jim Veninga, former UW-Marathon County dean, religious studies professor and a founding father of WIPPS, created this annual lecture series to help engage people on religion and its relationship to society. His vision was to bring nationally acclaimed experts in the field to address topics that often are emotionally charged. Although he died in January 2014, his vision lives on through all of WIPPS programs, but most especially through his namesake religion and society lecture series.
We hope to continue this important lecture series for another ten years, but we need your help! A donation to WIPPS will ensure that quality educational programs, like the Veninga Lecture Series on Religion and Society, will continue for many years to come.
Prior to the lecture, WIPPS will be holding a special VIP Reception. During this event, we will be presenting the Bill Kraus Award for Lifetime Achievement in Civic Engagement to former Board of Regents, citizen activist, and advisor to Governor Lee Sherman Dreyfus, Mary Williams and, posthumously, to Shirley Abrahamson, former Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The award acknowledges and honors the accomplishments of an individual whose life and work demonstrate the highest qualities of civic leadership. WIPPS will also be awarding the 2022 Young Adult Civic Engagement Award.
These presentations will be part of a special award ceremony that will begin at 6 p.m., with a reception starting at 5:30 p.m., where guests will be able to socialize and enjoy hors d’oeuvres. If you are interested in attending the VIP reception, you can sign up for the WIPPS Member Program to receive an invitation. Attendance is limited to first come first serve, so sign up soon!