Dr. Scott Thumma Gives Prestigious Yale Lecture

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Dr. Scott Thumma, Professor of Sociology of Religion and Director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, gave the prestigious Ensign Lecture at Yale Divinity School on Wednesday, Oct. 12. His topic was An Endemic Church: Exploring its Perils and Possibilities. 

The Loring Sabin Ensign Lectureship in Contemporary Interpretation of Religious Issues was founded in 1994 by church members and other friends to honor Loring S. Ensign, M.Div. 1951, for his 25 years of service as pastor of the Southport (CT) Congregational Church.

Dr. Thumma, the principal investigator of the five-year study Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations, addressed concerns such as COVID-19’s dramatic impact on faith communities and the practice of religion; the future of congregations; the implications for attendance, giving, congregational life, and religious leadership; and which changes are simply amplifications of existing trends and which might offer new avenues for ministry. 

The presentation explored patterns within the first three surveys of the study and speculated on the future trends for churches and the practice of religious life. Congrats to Scott!

Watch the lecture.