Sixth Bethlehem Conference on Moravian History & Music coming Oct. 11-13

presentation in front of church

How can the Moravian memoir be useful in the 21st century? What roles did women play in the Moravian missions? How can the stories of enslaved people living in Moravian communities be made meaningful for visitors to Moravian sites today? These are only a few of the many questions that will be discussed during the upcoming Bethlehem Conference on Moravian History and Music.

Historians and musicians from Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, North and South America, and Australia will meet in Bethlehem, Pa., October 11-13, 2018, to present the findings of their recent research. Anyone interested attending their presentations or hearing their musical performances is welcome to come!

Events will begin with an opening reception at the Moravian Archives at noon on Thursday, October 11. Special highlights include a lecture by Dr. Winelle Kirton-Roberts from St. Thomas on how Christian missions shaped Caribbean imaging of God, and the lecture by Dr. Craig Atwood on how the General Synod of 1957 dealt with the consequences of World War II and shaped the worldwide Moravian Church during the Cold War and the end of the colonial era.

Featured performances include a Night of Moravian Music, presented by the Moravian Music Foundation, and lecture/recitals by Alissa Duryee and Christina Ekström. During the conference banquet on Saturday, Oct. 13, the David A. Schattschneider Award of Merit will be presented by the Center for Moravian Studies to Dr. Katherine Faull, Bucknell University.

Conference registration is $120 (with special rates for students and seniors). Visit the conference website for more details and to register: www.moravianconferences.org.

The conference is sponsored by Moravian College, Moravian Archives, the Center for Moravian Studies and the Moravian Music Foundation, in partnership with the Moravian Historical Society and Moravian Theological Seminary. Special funding for international travel grants has been provided by Bethlehem Area Moravians. 

Dr. Paul Peucker is archivist for the Moravian Church Northern Province Archives in Bethlehem, Pa.