Walton named Memorial Church minister

Harvard President Drew Faust today announced the appointment of Jonathan L. Walton as Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church and Plummer Professor of Christian Morals, effective July 1. A recently tenured professor of religion and society at Harvard Divinity School, Walton focuses in his research on the intersections of religion, politics, and media culture.

Walton is an ordained Baptist minister with Ph.D. and master of divinity degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary, and has preached actively while building his academic career. Walton’s appointment concludes a yearlong search that commenced after the death of the Rev. Peter J. Gomes, who led the Memorial Church from 1970 until 2011.

“I am delighted that Jonathan Walton will bring his remarkable talents to Memorial Church,” said Faust. “He is among the country’s foremost scholars of African-American religion, a powerful preacher, a thoughtful pastoral presence, and a wonderful human being. His scholarly and ecclesiastical callings are mutually enriching in the best traditions of campus ministry. Professor Walton will bring new life to spirituality and religion at Harvard, as intellectual pursuit and lived experience.”
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