The First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville, (FUUN) will hold its annual Robert C. Palmer Lecture on Human Rights in the church sanctuary and on Zoom as part of its year-long Widening the Circle of Concern program. The event is free and open to the public.

FUUN is honored that Dr. Elías Ortega will be delivering this year’s lecture, titled “Dignity, Friendship, and Self-Regard: Human Rights and Universalist Ethics.” Dr. Elías Ortega is an interdisciplinary scholar working at the intersection of the sociological study of religion and religious ethics. His academic and community work is shaped by the aspiration that centering the lives of those most impacted by systems of oppression is necessary for liberation. It is Dr. Ortega’s belief that lifting the Universalist heritage can inspire us to do the necessary work to realize a better tomorrow. Currently, Dr. Ortega serves as President and Professor of Religion, Ethics, and Leadership at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, IL. He also served on the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Commission on Institutional Change, which authored the Widening the Circle of Concern report.

The Palmer lecture was established by FUUN in 1983 to honor the legacy and service of the Rev. Robert Palmer, the church’s first called minister. Rev. Palmer was a social activist on many fronts, including the United Nations, nuclear disarmament, and the Civil Rights Movement. For more information and to register for Zoom access, please visit our Palmer Lecture page at https://www.firstuunash.org/palmer-lecture.