FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834

October 25, 2007

POLITICAL THEORIST TO DELIVER LECTURES AT GRINNELL COLLEGE

Political theorist William Connolly will deliver the Grinnell College Scholars’ Convocation on "Christianity, Capitalism, and the Tragic," on Nov. 8 at 11 a.m. in the Joe Rosenfield ’25 Center, Room 101, on the Grinnell College campus.

Connelly, who is the Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of Political Theory, International Relations in the Department of Political Science at The Johns Hopkins University, will also deliver the annual Gates Lecture on "Capitalism and Christianity, American Style," on Nov. 7 at 4:15 p.m. in the Rosenfield Center. The Gates Lecture was established in memory of former Grinnell College President George A. Gates in order to bring to campus the best of modern religious thought.

Connolly grew up in Flint, Mich., where his parents, both autoworkers, helped to shape his political concerns. He has in turn helped to shape the field of political theory as the author of several books, including "Terms of Political Discourse," which was awarded the Benjamin Lippincott Prize by the American Political Science Association for its impact on the discipline. Connolly’s other books, "Pluralism," "Neuropolitics: Thinking, Culture, Speed," and "Why I am Not a Secularist," reflect his non-theist approaches to U.S. politics and his own political activism.

Connelly’s appearance at Grinnell is part of the college’s Scholars’ Convocation series. For more information about the speaker series, go to http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/ce/convocations/. The Joe Rosenfield ’25 Center is located at 1115 8th Ave. on the Grinnell College campus.

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