Popular theologian, author and podcaster Pete Enns will deliver the annual Gladden Lecture at First Congregational Church on Saturday, October 4, and will preach at First Community Church on Sunday, October 5.

Enns has attracted a wide following for his interpretations of the Bible that reconcile biblical stories with science and modern biblical scholarship and that speak to the faith concerns of many contemporary Christians. He also is co-host of the podcast “The Bible For Normal People.”

He will deliver the Gladden Lecture at 2 p.m. on October 4 in the Parish Hall of First Congregational Church, 444 E. Broad St. His lecture, “The Case for Social Justice,” will be followed by a question-and-answer session and a book signing. Weather permitting, a reception will be held in the adjacent Washington Gladden Social Justice Park.

Enns will be at First Community Church on October 5. He will preach at the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services at the church’s north location, 3777 Dublin Road, and at 10 a.m. service at the church’s south location, 1320 Cambridge Boulevard.

The lecture and worship services are free and open to the public. Advance registration for the lecture on October 4 is requested, but not required. The link to register is:

https://www.shelbygiving.com/App/Form/726e9129-31e5-4973-8034-854eb4f62bfe

Enns is the Abraham S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University, St. Davids, Pennsylvania. He has a master of divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary and master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Near Eastern languages and civilizations from Harvard University. He has written numerous books, including How the Bible Actually Works: In Which I Explain How an Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse Book Leads Us to Wisdom Rather Than Answers – and Why That’s Great News and The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires Our Trust More than Our ‘Correct’ Beliefs.

The annual Gladden Lecture is named for the Rev. Dr. Washington Gladden, pastor of First Congregational Church from 1882 to 1918 and a national leader of the Social Gospel movement. Gladden and Enns share a passion for making the Bible relevant to the common person.

Enns’ visit to Columbus is sponsored by First Community Church, the Spiritual Life and Learning Center, First Congregational Church, and the Washington Gladden Social Justice Park.