Bridgewater College scholar to speak on John Kline martyrdom

By Mary Kay Heatwole

Carol A. Scheppard will deliver the 2014 John Kline Lecture at the John Kline Homestead in Broadway, Va., on April 6 at 3 p.m. This year marks the sesquicentennial of Kline’s assassination, and Scheppard will discuss Kline’s death and the concept of martyrdom.

The title of Scheppard’s talk is “Perceptions of Martyrdom and John Kline.” She will explore John Kline's identity as a martyr by various generations of Brethren and compare these martyr stories with others throughout Christian history. In particular, she will describe the link between stories of martyrs and popular understanding of Christian identity and salvation.

John Kline was a Brethren minister and elder from Broadway, Va., and a denominational leader who did much to preserve Brethren unity during the Civil War. The Brethren were among the few denominations to escape the conflict without dividing into northern and southern branches. In June 1864, neighbors shot Kline for his pacifism and perceived Unionism.

Scheppard is professor of religion and vice-president and dean for academic affairs at Bridgewater (Va.) College, and an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren. She holds a doctorate in religious studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

The John Kline Homestead sponsors the lecture series. This will be the fourth in a series of five annual John Kline Lectures that commemorates the Civil War Sesquicentennial. The lecture will be held at the John Kline Homestead followed by 19th-century style refreshments.

Admission is free, but seating is limited and reservations are required. For reservations and additional information, contact Paul Roth at proth@bridgewater.edu or Linville Creek Church of the Brethren at 540-896-5001.

In more news from the John Kline Homestead, a second weekend of Candlelight Dinners will be held April 25 and 26, at 6 p.m. Make reservations by contacting 540-896-5001 or proth@eagles.bridgewater.edu. Cost is $40 per person, and groups are welcome. Seating is limited to 32.

-- Mary Kay Heatwole is editorial assistant for media relations in the Office of Marketing and Communications at Bridgewater College.

Source: 4/1/2014 Newsline