Yale theologian Willie James Jennings presents a public lecture marking the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Honorary Doctorate (1965–2025) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Talk of hope today is pervasive, filled with the energy and promise of change. Yet, in a world of mounting crises, where solutions feel out of reach, and setbacks seem to outpace progress, hope can feel fragile—slipping away just when we need it most. How do we hold on to hope when reality seems to push against it?
On 3 June Willie Jennings will explore hope, not just as an aspiration or a feeling, but as a discipline and as work to be done. Hope requires courage, cultivation and deep wells of spirituality to keep from fading in the face of exhaustion and despair.
Programme
The programme will begin with a brief welcome by VU Rector Magnificus Prof. Jeroen Geurts and host Dion Forster. This will be followed by the lecture from Willie Jennings, with responses from Azza Karam, and Amisah Bakuri. The evening will conclude with a conversation on the theme. Throughout the event, the gospel choir G-Roots will provide musical accompaniment.