Old Salem Museums & Gardens will present the final two lectures in its series on Moravian history in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of Salem.
Three leading scholars in the fields of Moravian history and spirituality will take a deeper look into the town and the people who founded it. The lectures will take place in the James A. Gray, Jr. Auditorium in the Old Salem Visitor Center at 900 Old Salem Road. Each lecture is $5 per person, or $3 for college students with an ID. Tickets can be purchased by calling 800-441-5305.
Craig Atwood, a leading scholar in the field of Moravian history, will speak on “Salem: City of Peace” on August 9 at 7 p.m. The Moravians were one of the most controversial and dynamic religious groups of the 18th century. In this lecture, Atwood examines the spiritual and religious foundations of Salem and the way its social structure benefited the women and men who lived there. Craig Atwood is the Charles D. Couch Associate Professor of Moravian Theology and Ministry at the Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He is the author of more than 50 publications and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Moravian History and the Senior Editor of the series Pietist, Moravian, and Anabaptist Studies.
Scott Rohrer, a historian whose research focuses on religion’s influence on society and the American Revolution, will discuss the creation of American Identity in Wachovia, on October 18 at 7 p.m. He will explore the complicated influences on Moravian culture, how Wachovia’s Moravians became Americans, and how the impetus for change came not just from outside Wachovia but from within the Moravian movement itself. His 2005 book, Hope’s Promise: Religion and Acculturation in the Southern Backcountry, explored the impact of Hope, NC, and the two other Moravian farm settlements on Wachovia.
For more information on these lectures and additional events that will take place throughout 2017 in recognition of Salem’s 250th anniversary, visit www.oldsalem.org/250-2/.