Register Now For the 2025-2026 Free Webinar Series: Prayer in an Age of Authoritarianism
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech was a critical moment in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s.
But before that, there was prayer.
God grant that right here in America and all over this world, we will choose the high way; a way in which men will live together as brothers…This will be the day when white people, colored people, whether they are brown or whether they are yellow or whether they are black, will join together and stretch out their arms and be able to cry out: “Free at last. Free at last. Great God almighty, we are free at last.”
While the last lines are familiar from Dr. King’s iconic 1963 speech, it’s actually a portion of a prayer King gave in 1957 at the Second Annual Nonviolence and Social Change Conference at Holt Street Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.
And it’s that use of prayer—to bring attention to the issues of the day, to turn our focus to injustice—that Francisco Lozada, Jr., PhD, Vice President of Academic Affairs & Dean of the Faculty at Christian Theological Seminary, wants us to consider as he introduces the 2025-2026 Lifelong Learning webinar series, “Prayer in an Age of Authoritarianism.”
“People need hope right now,” says Lozada. “And in keeping with Christian Theological Seminary’s tradition of speaking to the present, this series will help pastors and lay people understand how to use prayer to be more attentive, reflective, and intentional in how they use prayer in liberative ways—to teach, mobilize, resist, and give a community hope.”
The webinar series for 2025-2026 will include talks from groundbreaking scholars, each with a unique focus on prayer. Each session will conveniently begin at noon—Dean Lozada suggests enjoying your lunch while you participate—and will start with a prayer from a pastor, who will co-host and offer practical reflection on the speaker’s talk for anyone seeking to engage in prayer in a public setting.
“Prayer is how we connect to the divine, but there’s not just one function of prayer,” says Lozada. “Through this series, we can consider how to use prayer to provide a counternarrative to authoritarianism.”
The series includes two tracks:
- Our Life in Common: Designed to foster public theological reflection
- Skills for Flourishing Congregations: Providing practical tools for faith leaders
For Lozada, this year’s Lifelong Learning series is an exciting chance for anyone interested in deepening their understanding of prayer to engage with top theologians from the comfort of their own desk.
“As theologians, we cannot refrain from speaking about the present,” says Lozada. “This series will show us how prayer can reveal and remind us that God is still with us in this turmoil.”
The schedule includes:
- September 24, 2025—The Role of Prayer in Community Solidarity, presented by Nick Peterson, PhD, Christian Theological Seminary
- October 22, 2025—Praying Well: The Push Against the Globalization of Indifference, presented by Daisy L. Machado, PhD, Union Theological Seminary
- November 19, 2025—When Prayer Meets Protest, presented by Keri Day, PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary
- January 28, 2026—Only Prayer Can Save Us! How To Stay Alive and Sustain Our People During These Times, presented by Cláudio Carvalhaes, PhD, Union Theological Seminary
- February 25, 2026—Prayer as Political Response and Accompaniment, presented by Yara González-Justiniano, PhD, Vanderbilt University
- April 8, 2026—For What or Whom Else Shall We Pray?, presented by Amy Lindeman Allen, PhD, Christian Theological Seminary
All are welcome—from pastors to lay people who seek a deeper reflection on prayer. While each webinar is free, registration is required. For more information and to register, visit the series page here.
