D. Stephen Long, Cary M. Maguire University Professor in Ethics at Southern Methodist University, will be the featured speaker for Southwestern College’s 2016 Smith-Willson lecture Monday, Feb. 22, at 4 p.m. in Wroten Hall.  There is no admission charge.

The title of the lecture is “Let's Get Speculative: The Importance of the Doctrine of God for Everyday Life.”

Long earned his Ph. D. in theological ethics at Duke University.  He has previously taught at Marquette University, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and Duke Divinity School. He is the author of “Christian Ethics: A Very Short Introduction” (Oxford University Press), “Divine Economy: Theology and the Market” (Routledge), “The Goodness of God” (Brazos Press), “John Wesley’s Moral Theology” (Kingswood Books), “Living the Discipline: United Methodist Theological Reflections on War,” “Civilization, and Holiness” (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), “Speaking of God” (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), and “Tragedy, Tradition, Transformism: The Ethics of Paul Ramsey” (Wipf & Stock Publishers).

“He is one of the leading scholars in Christian ethics, and he has published original research concerning the role of philosophy within Methodist theology,” says Jacob Goodson, assistant professor of philosophy at Southwestern College.  

Long’s former students include Goodson and Jackson Lashier, assistant professor of religion at Southwestern.  Kirsten Guidero, visiting scholar at Southwestern, is a current student of Long’s. 

The Smith-Willson lectureship was established by Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Willson to call attention to the important moral and religious aspects of education.  National leaders on various related topics are asked to speak at the annual lecture.