History of the Knippa Lecture

In recognition of the distinguished ministry of the Rev. Dr. Clarence W. Knippa, an endowment fund for a lecture series was established on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of his ordination. The purpose of the Knippa Interfaith/Ecumenical Lecture Series is to foster and promote understanding, respect and appreciation for the religious and ethical traditions and concerns of others. 

The 34th Annual Knippa Lecture

The 34th Annual Knippa Lecture streamed live on Sunday, January 31. Dr. Serene Jones, President of Union Theological Seminary, was the guest lecturer for the event. A replay of the lecture is available here. 

About Rev. Dr. Serene Jones

A highly respected scholar and public intellectual, the Rev. Dr. Serene Jones is the 16th President of the historic Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. The first woman to head the 182-year-old institution, Jones occupies the Johnston Family Chair for Religion and Democracy. She is a Past President of the American Academy of Religion, which annually hosts the world’s largest gathering of scholars of religion. Jones came to Union after seventeen years at Yale University, where she was the Titus Street Professor of Theology at the Divinity School, and Chair of the University’s Program in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She is the author of several books including Trauma and Grace and, most recently, her memoir Call It Grace: Finding Meaning in a Fractured World. Jones, a popular public speaker, is sought by media to comment on major issues impacting society because of her deep grounding in theology, politics, women’s studies, economics, race studies, history, and ethics.  Jones grew up in Enid, Oklahoma, and earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Oklahoma; her family also has deep roots in Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory prior to statehood.  In her book Call It Grace she speaks powerfully of a faith shaped by the particular dynamics of race, religion and family in this part of the country.