FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  |  March 22, 2016

Chambersburg, Pa. — The 2015-16 Orr Forum on Religion at Wilson College, which has been examining the multitude of apocalyptic themes in today’s world, will feature two lectures by Matthew A. Sutton, author of American Apocalypse: A History of Modern Evangelicalism, on Tuesday, March 29.

Sutton’s book has been acclaimed as the first comprehensive history of modern American evangelicalism to appear in a generation. His lecture at 6:30 p.m. will discuss his book, with the focus on American fundamentalists and evangelicals across the 20th century who took to the pulpit and airwaves to explain how Biblical apocalyptic prophecy made sense of a world ravaged by global wars, genocide and the threat of nuclear extinction.

In his “Preparing for Doomsday” lecture at 11 a.m., Sutton will analyze the work of cult leader David Koresh, end-of-times broadcaster Harold Camping and televangelist Billy Graham. While most Americans may want to separate the violent prophecies of Koresh, the date-setting urgency of Camping and the mainstream evangelicalism of Graham, the work of these prophets of apocalypse has far more in common than most realize, according to Sutton.

Both lectures are free and open to the public, and will be held in Wilson’s new Lenfest Learning Commons, located in the John Stewart Memorial Library.

Sutton is the Edward R. Meyer distinguished professor of history at Washington State University. He is currently working on a new book tentatively entitled FDR’s Army of Faith: Religion and Espionage in World War II. He is also the author of Jerry Falwell and the Rise of the Religious Right: A Brief History with Documents, and Aimee Semple McPherson and the Resurrection of Christian America. He has published articles in venues ranging from the Journal of American History to the New York Times and has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the U.S. Fulbright Commission and the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation.

The Orr Forum brings together an interdisciplinary group of scholars and artists to engage in a theme through a series of performances and lectures. In “The Return of the Apocalyptic,’’ this year’s Orr Forum has discussed apocalyptic visions, both religious and secular—from the popular culture of “The Walking Dead” to 21^st-century jihadist movements. “It seems that that apocalyptic has returned, if it ever went away, and that for all the anxiety about the future, the apocalyptic is a force here and now,” said forum organizer David True, chair of Wilson’s Department of Philosophy and Religion.

For more information, visit: http://www.wilson.edu/common-hour.

MEDIA CONTACT:       
David True, Associate Professor of Religion
Phone: 717-264-4141, Ext. 3396
Email: david.true@wilson.edu

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Founded in 1869, Wilson College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college offering bachelor’s degrees in 29 majors and seven master’s degrees. Wilson is committed to providing an affordable education that offers value to its students beyond graduation. Located in Chambersburg, Pa., the college has a fall 2015 enrollment of 923, which includes students from 22 states and 16 countries. Visit www.wilson.edu for more information.