Threshold Series
-
In This Section
A platform for intellectual and cultural engagement, the Saint Vincent College Threshold Series has brought a diverse array of distinguished speakers—scholars, experts, authors, artists and public figures—to the Latrobe campus.
Community & Events
Established in 1981 through a generous grant from the Kennametal Foundation, Threshold aims to inspire intellectual curiosity, foster meaningful dialogue and enrich the region’s cultural landscape. By deepening their understanding of the subject matter, attendees can connect theoretical concepts to real-world applications and seek additional knowledge beyond the lecture.
Threshold has become an important institution at Saint Vincent for students, faculty and members of the local community.
Threshold Lecture: Dr. Jonathan Lee Walton
January 21, 2026 | 5 p.m. at the Fred M. Rogers Center
Admission is free of charge.
Registration will open soon.
January 2026 Speaker
Dr. Jonathan Lee Walton, President of Princeton Theological Seminary
Jonathan Lee Walton, Ph.D., is a social ethicist, religious educator, and influential scholar known for engaging American evangelical traditions. On January 1, 2023, he became the 8th president of Princeton Theological Seminary.
He is the author of two critically acclaimed books, Watch This! The Ethics and Aesthetics of Black Televangelism (NYU Press) and A Lens of Love: Reading the Bible in Its World for Our World (Westminster John Knox Press). Dr. Walton has also contributed to over a dozen journal articles, chapters, and essays in prestigious academic publications.
His insights have been featured in national and international media outlets, including the New York Times, CNN, Time Magazine, and the BBC. Before his appointment at Princeton Seminary, he served as the Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church of Harvard University. Additionally, he was Dean of the School of Divinity and held the Presidential Chair in Religion & Society at Wake Forest University.
Dr. Walton earned his Ph.D. and Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and his BA from Morehouse College, where he was honored with the distinguished Benjamin Elijah Mays Alumni Award in 2016. He also received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Wake Forest University in 2015.
He is married to Cecily Cline Walton, a children’s book author, and they are parents to three children, residing in Princeton, NJ. Dr. Walton's life and work continue to inspire academic and public dialogues on ethics, religion, and societal challenges, reflecting his dedication to scholarship and moral leadership.
Threshold Lecture: Dr. Jonathan Lee Walton
January 21, 2026 | 5 p.m. at the Fred M. Rogers Center
Admission is free of charge.
Registration will open soon.
Past Speakers
Pictured: (header) November 2025 speaker Ambassador John T. Hennessey-Niland, (from top left) Stanley Jaki, Robert Jarvik, John Stacks, Joyce Carol Oates, John Noble Wilford, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Alex Haley, Michael Medved, (second row) Strobe Talbot, Isaac Asimov, Harold S. Kushner, Jane Bryant Quinn, Roger Malina, Carl Sagan, Robert Claiborne, Martin E. Marty, Lt. General James A. Abrahamson. Not Pictured: Br. Guy Consolmagno, S.J., Claire Bloom, Stephen F. Cohen, Ralph Nader, Archduke Rudolph of Austria, Roger Cossack, Heinz-Joachim Fischer, Jerome Oetgen, Benjamin Zander, Colleen Carroll Campbell, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Steven Johnson, David Shedloski, Dr. Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Gene Steratore.