Author Richard Beck to Speak at 43rd Annual William M. Green Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture
On Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at 7 PM, Pepperdine Libraries’ Rushford Center for Research on Churches of Christ and the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement will present the 43rd Annual William M. Green Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture by Richard Beck, professor and chair of the department of psychology at Abilene Christian University in Texas. The lecture, titled “Stranger God: Meeting Jesus in Disguise” (based on his 2017 book of the same name), will be held in the Surfboard Room of the Payson Library on the Malibu campus.
The theme of Beck’s lecture comes from Matthew 25:36: “I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” As he writes in his introduction to Stranger God, “This is a book about Matthew 25—about how Jesus comes to us in disguise, in foreigners and refugees, in the homeless and the outcasts, in the prisoner and the hungry. This is a book about the strangeness of a God who comes to us in strangers.”
The award-winning author of seven books, Beck is a popular blogger and speaker whose work often explores the intersection of psychology, theology, and popular culture. He also serves as a prison chaplain and leads a weekly Bible study at the French Robertson Unit, a maximum-security state prison in Texas.
“It is a pleasure to welcome Dr. Beck back to Pepperdine,” said Mark Roosa, the University’s dean of libraries. “We look forward to learning more about his ministry and engaging him in conversation with our community.”
Established in 1980 and named in honor of William M. Green, professor of ancient Christian literature at Pepperdine from 1962 to 1974, the William M. Green Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture program provides a public forum for the advancement of Christian research by inviting an outstanding scholar to speak to the University community each year.
Beck’s lecture is free and open to the public.