Rachel Harding: How We All Get Free Series

Join us for Iliff’s Pulpit+ Exchange Series, an inspiring series of in-person and virtual gatherings where clergy, lay leaders, activists, scholars, ministers, journalists, and community organizers come together to wrestle with the most pressing questions of our time. Together, we’ll explore powerful stories of hope, healing, and action—each rooted in a shared vision of justice and liberation.

African Spirtiuality

Rachel Elizabeth Harding is a poet, historian and scholar of religions of the Afro-Atlantic diaspora.  A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Harding writes about religion, creativity and social justice in the experience of communities of African descent in the US and Brazil.  She is associate professor emeritus and former chair of the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado Denver.  

Dr. Harding is author of numerous essays, poems, and scholarly articles, as well as two books: A Refuge in Thunder, a history of the Afro-Brazilian religion, Candomblé; and more recently, Remnants: A Memoir of Spirit, Activism and Mothering, co-written with her mother, Rosemarie Freeney Harding, on the role of compassion and mysticism in African American social justice organizing.  Remnants was chosen by the editors of Duke University Press and one of the most influential books of the decade (2010-2020).

Dr. Harding is an ebômi (ritual elder) in the Terreiro do Cobre Candomblé community in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.  She also co-directs the Veterans of Hope Project – an interdisciplinary initiative on religion, grassroots democracy and healing, founded by her parents, Vincent and Rosemarie Freeney Harding.  (www.veteransofhope.org) 

5:00 – 5:45 PM (MST): Light meal and connection

5:45 PM: Lecture begins, followed by Q&A and deep discussion

Location: In-person at Iliff or online via livestream. Unable to attend in person? Register to receive the livestream link.

Because change starts in community. This is a space to be challenged and inspired, while meeting others who share your passion for faith-rooted justice, equity, and collective liberation.

Come for one evening or all. Stay for the conversation. Leave with new energy, new insights, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Whether you’re a faith leader, community builder, or someone seeking meaningful connection, this is more than a lecture series—it’s an invitation to be part of a growing network of changemakers committed to building a more just and equitable world.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Iliff School of Theology