The School of Religion as well as its Humanities Program and centers host a variety of events that include featured speakers, panels and lectures. Find below videos of recent events and use the links to the right to view past events.
A Peculiar People or Christian Nation? Toward an Adventist Critique of Christian Nationalism
Sabbath, April 11, 2026
Symposium moderated by Zdravko Plantak, Humanities Program Director.
Presenters:
- Gary Chartier, JD, PhD
- Jerome C. Crichton, DMin, PhD
- Jeffrey Rosario, PhD
- Bettina Krause, JD
- Alan J. Reinach, JD
- Jeffrey Gang, DMin
- Nicholas Miller, JD, PhD
Sponsored by the Humanities Program
The World Religions and Mental Health: What the Latest Research Shows Us
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Dr. Harold Koenig, editor of The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Health, and respondents provided a timely look at the intersection of religion and mental health, highlighting recent evidence-based findings across Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism.
Respondents:
- Sigve Tonstad, PhD, MD, Research Professor of Religion, Loma Linda University
- Bruce Feldstein, MD, Founder and Emeritus Director, Jewish Chaplaincy Services serving Stanford Medicine, and Adjunct Clinical Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine
- Siraj Mowjood, DO, Clinic Director for the UMMA Health Al Shifa Clinic, formerly attending physician at Arrowhead Family Medicine Group
- Igor Kokhan, PhD, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, La Sierra University
Sponsored by Loma Linda University Center for Understanding World Religions
Annual Dalton Baldwin Memorial Lecture: Tihomir Lazić
Sabbath, February 28, 2026
Tihomir Lazić, Principal Lecturer in Systematic Theology at Newbold College, presented on 'Present Truth as a Communal Quest: Discernment, Otherness, and Faithful Improvisation.'
The Fastest Growing Religion is “None”
Sabbath, May 17, 2025
How can a faith-based health sciences institution connect with people who have given up on religion? The session explored the latest research on why so many young people in this country today are leaving their religions and what impact that reality may have on institutions of faith. Presentations explored the topic from both the scholarly research perspective and first-hand experience. Moderated by Jon Paulien, Center Director.
Speakers:
- Elizabeth Drescher, PhD, Director of the Living Religion Collaborative, Santa Clara University
- Jihad Turk, EdD, Founding President of Bayan Islamic Graduate School
- Jean Clouzet, Lead Pastor at Wichita South Seventh-day Adventist Church, Kansas
Sponsored by Loma Linda University Center for Understanding World Religions
Adventism and Political Activism: A Symposium on the History of Adventist Social and Political Engagement
Sabbath, April 12, 2025
This symposium featured new research that challenges and deepens our understanding of Seventh-day Adventist history. From its radical abolitionist beginnings to the overlooked influence of Adventist women in 19th-century Christian activism, we trace the church’s evolution—including its shift toward fundamentalism and the effect this conservative turn had on social and political engagement. Moderated by Jeffrey Rosario, Assistant Professor, School of Religion, Loma Linda University.
Speakers:
- Kevin Burton, Director of the Center for Adventist Research and Associate Professor at Andrews University
- Michel Lee, Assistant Professor of History, Southern Adventist University
- Michael Campbell, Director of NAD Archives, Statistics & Research
Co-sponsored by Loma Linda University School of Religion, Loma Linda University Humanities Program and North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists
Faith in Times of Conflict: Responding to Violence in Sacred Texts
Sabbath, February 22, 2025
At a time when many conflicts seem aggravated by religion, people wonder how to read sacred texts in a way that supports reconciliation and healing. The panel addressed this issue from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim perspectives. Panel moderated by Jon Paulien, Center Director.
Speakers:
- Rabbi Sheldon Lewis, author of The Torah of Reconciliation
- Dr. William Webb, Tyndale Seminary and author of Bloody, Brutal and Barbaric? Wrestling with Troubling War Texts
- Dr. Mohsin Ali, Instructional Design and Outreach Specialist for UCLA's Eugene and Maxine Rosenfeld Management Library and Charles E. Young Research Library
Presented by the Center for Understanding World Religions
Narrative, Doctrine, and Practice: Reflections on Adventist Identity in History and Theology
Sabbath, October 26, 2024
David Trim, Director of Archives, Statistics, and Research at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, presented on 'Narrative, Doctrine, and Practice.' David Larson and Sigve Tonstad responded.
Annual Dalton Baldwin Memorial Lecture: John McVay
Sabbath, April 13, 2024
John McVay, president of Walla Walla University, presented on 'Health and Healing in the New Testament: Miracles, Reconciled Community, and Eschaton.'