Meet Our Speakers
Lisa Sharon Harper
Lisa Sharon Harper is the founder and president of Freedom Road, a groundbreaking consulting
group that crafts experiences that bring common understanding and common commitments that
lead to common action toward a more just world. Lisa is a public theologian whose writing,
speaking, activism and training has sparked and fed the fires of re-formation in the church from
Ferguson and Charlottesville to South Africa, Brazil, Australia and Ireland. Lisa’s book, The Very
Good Gospel was named 2016 “Book of the Year” and the Huffington Post identified Lisa as one
of 50 Women Religious Leaders to Celebrate on International Women’s Day. Lisa is host of the
Freedom Road Podcast, cohost of The FOUR Podcast and author of her weekly column on Substack, “The Truth Is...”. Her much anticipated book, Fortune: How Race Broke My Family And The World--And How To Repair It All, is now available!
José R. Irizarry
The Reverend Dr. José Ramon Irizarry became Austin Seminary’s tenth president in June 2022. Since 2016, Irizarry has served as Vice President of Education at the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). A scholar in the field of practical theology, Irizarry teaches at Villanova University and has held teaching and administrative positions at various educational and theological institutions including The University of Cambridge (Visiting Fellow), Lutheran School of Theology, the Pacific School of Religion, and McCormick Theological Seminary.
John Pavlovitz
John Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor, and activist from Wake Forest, North Carolina. A 25-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, John is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—both inside and outside faith communities. When not actively working for a more compassionate planet, John enjoys spending time with his family, exercising, cooking, and having time in nature. He is the author of If God Is Love, Don’t Be a Jerk, A Bigger Table, Hope and Other Superpowers, Low, Rise, and Stuff That Needs to Be Said.
Kara Powell
Dr. Kara E. Powell is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) and Chief of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary. The mission of FYI is to equip diverse leaders and parents so faithful young people can change our world. Named by Christianity Today as one of “50 Women to Watch”, Kara completed her PhD in Practical Theology from Fuller Seminary with a focus on Pastoral Role Expectations in 2000, an MDiv from Bethel Theological Seminary in 1994, and a BA degree with Honors from Stanford University in 1991. In addition to her roles at Fuller Seminary, Kara serves as a Youth and Family Strategist for Orange, and volunteers in student ministries at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena. She is the author or co-author of 3 Big Questions that Change Every Teenager, Faith in an Anxious World, Growing With, 18 Plus, Growing Young, The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith Curriculum, Can I Ask That?, Deep Justice Journeys, Essential Leadership, Deep Justice in a Broken World, Deep Ministry in a Shallow World, and the Good Sex Youth Ministry Curriculum.
Nominate a future speaker
Contact
Contact Us
TheoEd@emory.edu
404-727-3324