Faculty, staff and students found themselves in Founders Pub this past Tuesday discussing God over a few beers during Pub Theology. With this year marking the five-hundred year anniversary of the Lutheran reformation, Wittenberg University has been “filled to the brim” with celebratory activities. At the tail end of the festivities was an open discussion about Christian Theology set at the Founders Pub.
The idea to host a talk about God in such a place as a bar came to junior Megan Mong earlier this year and she later proposed to have the event. The room was full as inquisitive students, educators and chapel staff as they sat amongst each other at various tables and held conversations about their personal beliefs and ways of thinking, as well as questions that they wanted others’ opinions on. This laid-back environment gave everyone a safe and comfortable place to talk about their faiths. Among the discussions brought up were the separation of church and state, how one should serve his fellow neighbor, how to have productive debates with those whose beliefs are different from one’s own and the decline of college students attending church.
AOne of the biggest supporters of the event was Morgan Beechey, a senior business major.
“Pub theology was a great way to bring people from all walks of life together,” Beechey said. “It was a nice blend of casual conversation and serious discussion about a lot of complex topics and I hope that more events like it can be put on in the future.”
Towards the end of our conversation, I was beginning to be perplexed as to how a pub coincided with Lutheranism. I asked the question to my table and was delighted by a response given by none other than the chair of the religion department, Paul Nelson.
He brought up a quote by Martin Luther, himself, saying, “Whoever drinks beer, he is quick to sleep; whoever sleeps long, does not sin; whoever does not sin, enters Heaven. Thus, let us drink beer.”
