The Asbury University Honors Program will welcome three distinguished speakers to campus this spring for its Honors Program Sponsored Colloquium series, featuring conversations that engage history, faith, literature, and public life. The Spring 2026 lineup brings educator David Kennedy, poet and theologian Malcolm Guite, and historian and author Molly Worthen to Asbury for three evenings of learning and dialogue.
The series begins Wednesday, January 14, 2026, with Kennedy’s lecture, “Auschwitz as a Place of Learning: The History and Work of the International Youth Meeting Centre in Oświęcim,” from 7:00–8:00 p.m. in the Kinlaw Boardroom. Kennedy will explore the origins and ongoing mission of the International Youth Meeting Centre, located in the Polish city of Oświęcim (known as Auschwitz during the German occupation in World War II). Established nearly 40 years ago through a collaborative effort, the Centre stands between the city and the former Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp.
Kennedy will examine how the Centre continues to guide young people in confronting the Holocaust’s legacy through the guiding principle of “Auschwitz as a place of learning.” A Polish-American with deep family ties to Oświęcim, Kennedy has worked since 2007 as an educator at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, where he guides visitors through the site’s history.
The colloquium continues Monday, February 2, 2026, with “An Evening with Malcolm Guite,” at 7:00 p.m. in the Shaw Collaborative Learning Center (CLC) Auditorium. A poet, priest, academic, and musician, Guite writes and lectures widely on theology and the arts, often focusing on the power of imagination in Christian life. His notable works include “Lifting the Veil: Imagination and the Kingdom of God,” “What Do Christians Believe,” and “The Singing Bowl.” His forthcoming poetic retelling of Arthurian legend, ‘Galahad and the Grail,’ releases in early 2026.
The series concludes Thursday, March 5, 2026, in the Gyertson Screening Room with Molly Worthen and her talk, “The Holy Ghost in American Politics: How to Make Sense of Charismatic Leaders, Then and Now.” Worthen will investigate charisma in American history and politics, drawing from Christian tradition to illuminate how concepts like transcendence and idolatry remain relevant in understanding public leadership today. Worthen, whose latest book “Spellbound” traces charisma’s evolving influence over the last 400 years, teaches and writes widely on religion, politics, and higher education.
All events are free and open to the campus community and the public. Learn more at asbury.edu/honors.