Marcus J. Borg - Marcus Borg is a contemporary Jesus Scholar and religious author. He holds a D.Phil. from Oxford University and is Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture, an endowed chair at Oregon State University. He lectures widely and occasionally appears in the national news media. He is currently president of the Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars and a columnist for Beliefnet.com.
Patricia de Jong - Patricia de Jong has been Senior Minister of the First Congregational Church of Berkeley (FCCB) since 1994. She is a graduate of Western Michigan University and Pacific School of Religion. Before coming to Berkeley she served as Minister of Education for Christian Discipleship at The Riverside Church in New York City (1984-88) and as Senior Minister of the Urbandale United Church of Christ in Des Moines, Iowa (1988-94).
Pat de Jong's special interests include reading, old movies, Native American art, international travel, theater and the arts. She is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry Program at United Theological Seminary in New Brighton, Minnesota.
Huston Smith - Huston Smith is Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion and Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Syracuse University. For fifteen years he was Professor of Philosophy at M.I.T. and for a decade before that he taught at Washington University in St. Louis. Most recently he has served as Visiting Professor of Religious Studies, University of California, Berkeley.
Holder of twelve honorary degrees, Smith’s fourteen books include "The World’s Religions" which has sold over 2.5 million copies, and "Why Religion Matters" which won the Wilbur Award for the best book on religion published in 2001. In 1996 Bill Moyers devoted a 5-part PBS Special, The Wisdom of Faith with Huston Smith, to his life and work. His film documentaries on Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Sufism have all won International awards, and The Journal of Ethnomusicology lauded his discovery of Tibetan multiphonic chanting as “an important landmark in the study of music."
Internationally known biblical and Jesus scholar, professor and author Marcus Borg joins Huston Smith, one of the world's leading scholars of comparative religions, for a special Friday evening lecture at The First Congressional Church of Berkeley.
Marcus Borg's newest book, "Jesus: The Life, Teachings and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary," joins his previous books, including "Reading the Bible Again for the First Time and The Heart of Christianity." Huston Smith's most recent book is "The Soul of Christianity," which follows thirteen other books, including "The World's Religions: A Guide to Our Wisdom Traditions" and "Why Religion Matters." These two great friends and colleagues offer a dynamic discussion during this very special visit- Codys Books