Lewis Ayres and Paul KollmanThe Dean’s Lecture Series will host two Catholic scholars in the month of April, both focusing on aspects of the history of Christianity. These lectures begin at noon and are free and open to the public.

On Wednesday, April 3, Lewis Ayres will deliver “Inventing ‘Christianities’: Gnosticism and the Remodeling of the Second Century.” Ayres is professor of Catholic and historical theology at Durham University in England and a former Candler faculty member. In 2009 he was appointed the inaugural holder of the Bede Chair in Catholic Theology at Durham’s Centre for Catholic Studies. His research interests include Trinitarian theology in Augustine and in the Greek writers of the fourth century, as well as modern Catholic fundamental and dogmatic theology.

On Friday, April 12, Paul Kollman will deliver “Understanding the World Christian Turn in Theology and the History of Christianity.” Kollman, a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, is associate professor of theology and executive director of the Center for Social Concerns at the University of Notre Dame. Kollman’s research focuses on African Christianity, mission history, and world Christianity.

Both lectures will be held in room 252 of the Rita Anne Rollins Building of Candler School of Theology. A free boxed lunch is available to those who register one week before the lecture. To register, visit the Candler Calendar, navigate to the date of the event, and click “Sign Up.”