The Showers Lecture Series
Engaging Minds, Enriching FaithThe Shaheen College of Arts & Sciences proudly supports the Department of Philosophy and Religion in its stewardship of The Showers Lecture Series. Established and endowed in 1961, the Showers Lectures honor the Evangelical United Brethren Bishop and former University of Indianapolis trustee Dr. J. Balmer Showers in commemoration of his installation as Bishop of the West Central Area of the United States and Canada. The scope of the series invites deep thinking about the complexities and nuances of the Christian religion, including themes related to Christian theology, scripture, history, ethics, and self-care.
More than sixty lecturers, including influential scholars such as Martin Niemoeller, Stanley Hauerwas, Walter Wink, Karen King, and Jemar Tisby, have shared their work with our community and become part of the transformative education characteristic of the Shaheen College of Arts & Sciences.
WHAT THE BODY KNOWS: A CLINICAL AND CHRISTIAN INVITATION TO EMBODIED LIVING
- Date: March 30, 2026
- Panel Interview: 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET
- Lecture: 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET
- Schwitzer Student Center | UIndy Hall A
The 2026 Showers Series presents a thought-provoking panel discussion and lecture on What the Body Knows: A Clinical and Christian Invitation to Embodied Living.
Many of us have a complicated relationship with our bodies. In them, we experience joy and connection, yet also pain, stress, and trauma. Most feel their bodies aren't good enough. Maybe even our faith tradition has told us our body is wrong or bad. For many reasons, many of us feel disconnected from our bodies and, in turn, from ourselves and one another.
In this event, clinical psychologist Dr. Hillary McBride (author of The Wisdom of Your Body and Holy Hurt) invites us to explore how our bodies are an essential part of our lives, even our spiritual lives. While the Christian West has often sought to downplay or control the body, Dr. McBride points to another way: embodiment. Through insightful research, spiritual wisdom, mindful practices, and real stories of hurt and healing, Dr. McBride offers a compassionate and holistic path to living as integrated, embodied beings.
Moderated by UIndy’s own Nathan Johnson (Department of Philosophy and Religion), the Shaheen College of Arts & Sciences is pleased to welcome Dr. McBride and others to be announced to our campus community. Please join us for what is sure to be a fascinating panel discussion.
Registration to attend is not required. This event is free and open to all.
Contact: Nathan Johnson, johnsonn002@uindy.edu
| Year | Lecturer(s) | Position and Information |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Douglas V. Steere | Haverford College |
| 1963 | Martin Niemoeller | President of the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau; survivor of Nazi imprisonment |
| 1964 | Francis Gerald Ensley | Bishop of the UMC, Ohio West Area |
| 1965 | Martin E. Marty | University of Chicago Divinity School |
| 1966 | Harold A. Bosley | Senior Minister, Christ Church, Methodist, New York City |
| 1967 | Granger E. Westberg | Dean of the Institute of Religion, author of Good Grief |
| 1968 | Odd Hagen | President of the World Methodist Council |
| 1969 | Wallace E. Fisher | Senior Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
| 1970 | Gerald Kennedy | Bishop of the United Methodist Church over Southern California, Arizona, and Hawaii. |
| 1971 | Roy C. Nichols | First African American bishop in The United Methodist Church (Pittsburgh Area) |
| 1972 | Thomas J. Mullen | Professor of Applied Theology and Acting Dean of the Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, IN |
| 1973 | Peter A. Bertocci | Borden Parker Bowne Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Boston University; President of the Metaphysical Society of America |
| 1974 | Robert H. Reardon | President at Anderson University |
| 1975 | Robert W. Funk | Professor at the American School of Oriental Research in Jerusalem, Chairman of the Graduate Department of Religion at Vanderbilt University, and executive secretary of the Society of Biblical Literature; founder of Scholars Press |
| 1976 | James D. Glasse | President of the Lancaster Theological Seminary of the United Church of Christ in Lancaster, PA |
| 1977 | Cynthia Wedel | One of the World Council of Churches Presidents; First Female President of the National Council of Churches |
| 1978 | Ed Beck | Catholic priest of the Passionist congregation; published three books and a play |
| 1979 | Woodie White | First General Secretary of the United Methodist Church |
| 1980 | Avery and Marsh | Singing Duo; both ordained Presbyterian ministers; Avery founded the Hope Center in Port Jervis, a ministry to help the less fortunate; Marsh grew up in Singapore and Indonesia and founded the “Presby Players,” a joint venture between the First Presbyterian Church and Port Jervis community |
| 1981 | Langdon Gilkey | Lecturer at Kyoto University in Japan; locked in an internment camp in WWII |
| 1982 | James Armstrong | Pastor of the Broadway United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana; youngest Methodist bishop in the United States(43) |
| 1983 | Marjorie Suchocki | Professor of Systematic Theology and Dean of Wesley Theological Seminary |
| 1984 | Stanley Martin Hauerwas | Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School; also had a joint appointment at the Duke University School of Law |
| 1985 | Leroy C. Hodapp | Bishop of the Indiana Episcopal Area |
| 1986 | Harry Gamble | Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of Virginia |
| 1987 | Michael Marshall | Director of the Anglican Institute in St Louis, Missouri |
| 1988 | Leonard I. Sweet | President and Professor of Church History at United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio |
| 1989 | Rosemary Keller | Author; Professor of Religion and American Culture at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary |
| 1990 | Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez | Author; Professor Emerita of church history at Columbia Theological Seminary |
| 1991 | J. Carleton Hayden | Chaplain at Howard University |
| 1992 | James Barr | President of the British Association for Jewish Studies and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; served during WWII in the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy |
| 1993 | John Harwood Hick | H.G. Wood Professor of Theology at the University of Birmingham; enrolled in the Friends' Ambulance Unit during WWII as a conscientious objector |
| 1994 | Walter Wink | Peace Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace |
| 1995 | William H. Willimon | Author; Dean of the Chapel at Duke University; received 13 honorary doctorates |
| 1996 | Randall Balmer | Visiting Professor at Dartmouth College and at Rutgers, Princeton, Drew University, Emory University, Yale, and Northwestern universities; 2004 Democratic nominee representing the 111th District in the Connecticut House of Representatives |
| 1997 | L. Gregory Jones | Dean of the Duke Divinity School at Duke University |
| 1998 | Anthony Campolo | Spiritual adviser to President Bill Clinton; founder of Red-Letter Christians |
| 1999 | Karen King | Professor of New Testament and History of Ancient Christianity at the Harvard Divinity School |
| 2000 | Douglas Strong | Professor of the History of Christianity at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C |
| 2001 | Rodney Clapp | Christian author and editor; longtime associate editor for Christianity Today |
| 2002 | Robert Benne | Founder of the Roanoke College Center for Religion & Society |
| 2003 | Peter W. Ochs | Professor of Modern Judaic Studies at the University of Virginia; Member of the editorial board of Modern Theology |
| 2004 | Bernard Brandon Scott | Author; Darbeth Distinguished Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Phillips Theological Seminary |
| 2005 | Dr. Eugene Blair | n/a |
| 2005 | Rev. Glandion Carney | Carney was an associate pastor of pastoral care at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham, Alabama |
| 2006 | Elizabeth Dreyer | Professor Emerita of Religious Studies at Fairfield University |
| 2007 | Robert Roberts | Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Ethics at Baylor University |
| 2008 | Thomas Thangaraj, Scott Kisker (respondent) | D.W. and Ruth Brooks Professor Emeritus of World Christianity at Emory University, Professor of the History of Christianity at the United Theological Seminary |
| 2008 | Steve O'Malley, Radcliffe Ganda (respondent) | John T. Seamands Professor of Methodist Holiness History |
| 2008 | Beth Felker Jones, Gregory Clapper (respondent) | Professor of Theology at Northern Seminary; Retired Chaplain (colonel) from the US Air Force |
| 2008 | Stephen Graham, Michael Cartwright (respondent) | Director of faculty development and initiatives in theological education at the Association of Theological Schools |
| 2009 | Rev. Don Saliers | William R. Cannon Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Theology and Worship at the Candor School of Theology |
| 2010 | Fr. David Burrell | University of Notre Dame professor emeritus of philosophy and theology |
| 2011 | Richard Hays | Dean of the Duke Divinity School |
| 2012 | Steven Waldman | Author of "Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America" |
| 2013 | Steve O'Malley | John T. Seamands Professor of Methodist Holiness History at Asbury Theological Seminary |
| 2014 | Meic Pearse | Author and professor of history at Houghton College |
| 2015 | Charles Marsh | Commonwealth Professor of Religious Studies; Director, Project on Lived Theology and the University of Virginia |
| 2016 | Kevin Vanhoozer | Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity International University |
| 2017 | Kevin Radaker | Professor Emeritus of English at Anderson University |
| 2018 | Lane McGaughy & Joseph Bessler | Geo. H. Atkinson Professor of Religious and Ethical Studies, Emeritus Willamette University & Robert Travis Peake Professor of Theology at Phillips Theological Seminary |
| 2018 | John Bowlin | Robert L. Stuart Professor of Philosophy and Christian Ethics at Princeton Theological Seminary |
| 2019 | Jemar Tisby | New York Times bestselling author, national speaker, and public historian |
| 2019 | Jennifer Craft | Associate Professor of Theology and Humanities at Point University |
| 2020 | Postponed | n/a |
| 2021 | Postponed | n/a |
| 2022 | Esau McCaulley | Jonathan Blanchard Associate Professor of New Testament and Public Theology at Wheaton College |
| 2023 | Julia Lambert Fogg | Faculty Assembly chair and Chair of the inaugural California Lutheran University Faculty Senate member |
| 2024 | Julie Faith Parker | Visiting Scholar at Union Theological Seminary; Ordained in the United Methodist Church |
| 2025 | Heath Carter | Princeton Theological Seminary |
| 2025 | Jeremy Williams | Brite Divinity School and Vanderbilt University |
| 2025 | Sarah Posner | Jouralist, Author of Unholy |