It is 1 a.m., 37 degrees. Between two noisy bars, twelve people are trying to sleep in their tents, four more are drinking coffee and holding watch. We talk to drunks as they pass by; sometimes we find allegiance that may or may not be remembered in the morning, and sometimes we just bore potential attackers into docility by inviting them to explain their politics. Tent-kickers are rarely brave enough to kick a person, and “Get a job!” is easily answered by “I have two, but unemployment in North Carolina is over ten percent.” This is the Occupation of Chapel Hill. It is the morning of Halloween.
Keynote Address Electrifies Claremont Lincoln University Launch
Selecting an academic keynoter to launch a new kind of boundary-breaking theological institution was surely a daunting assignment. Attendees at the September 6 opening convocation of Claremont Lincoln University were clearly excited about seeing the world’s first intentionally multireligious school of theology come to life. But they probably didn’t expect to be electrified by the keynote address, didn’t expect to jump to their feet with cheers and applause when it ended. Which is what happened.