Renowned author and New York Times commentator David Brooks will deliver the 3rd annual Scoper Lecture in Christian Thought in Old Cabell Hall on April 21, 2024 at the University of Virginia: the anchor event of an in person and livestreamed community-wide, intergenerational experience.

David Brooks will speak on the topic “Know Better: Deepening the Bonds of Communal Life” drawing on the themes of his new book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen and exploring his sources in Christian thought.

The academic lecture will illuminate Brooks’s foundational work on the complexities and urgencies of living well in a democratic society. Following the public lecture, Brooks and Melody Barnes, Executive Director at UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy will engage in a conversation around Brook’s assertion that “there is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society; the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen - to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued heard and understood.”

The Scoper Lecture in Christian Thought is an annual series building off the Capps Lectures that brings eminent speakers to the university to deliver public lectures exploring the breadth of Christian expression in the arenas of scholarship, science and medicine, the arts, and culture. The series is generously funded by Nancy and Stephen Scoper, M.D., through their gift to the University of Virginia, designated to Theological Horizons.

The onstage lecture and conversation will be framed by music from The Porter’s Gate, a sacred ecumenical arts collective whose projects include “Neighbor Songs” and “Table Songs.”

Directly following the lecture at 4:45, guests are invited to enjoy the Charlottesville Welcome Table reception: a special event in the UVA Amphitheater. Gather with us for warm conversations and delicious homemade pie. Let’s reflect on the keynote, practice the art of listening, and turn strangers into friends to deepen the bonds of community.