The Clarke Forum’s second annual Wesley Lecture featured Reverend Kristen Leslie, who presented a talk about sexualized violence and faith. Leslie, an ordained Methodist elder, discussed ways of addressing sexualized violence on an individual basis and as a community on Wednesday, Nov. 2 in her lecture, “Noisy Believing: Spiritual Responses to Sexualized Violence.”

Reverend Donna Hughes  introduced the speaker along with Clarke Forum Student Project Manager, Shelby Friedel ’17. Hughes spoke about Dickinson’s role as a Methodist-affiliated college, stating that this does not mean that the school is Christian, but rather open to “responsible education” and “deep, meaningful conversations.” Reverend Leslie then spoke about Wesley’s philosophy and social activism and how it can inform present day reactions to sexualized violence.

Leslie outlined the steps to healing that she has developed throughout her career. The first step is believing the victim. Believing the victim helps them functionally through medical counseling; mentally, through recognizing they have been wronged and deserve justice; and through what Leslie calls “meaning-making.” She defines this concept as the victim understanding that “your pain makes sense, your suffering is real, your changed understanding of yourself is logical, and your changed relationships with others is reasonable.”

Reverend Leslie described Noisy Believing as “connecting ethical commitments and public actions to support the silenced.” This is accomplished through clear policies around affirmative consent, public lamentation and protest, and public solidarity. Public lamentation and consent include protests like the 1990 Brown University “Rape List.” Solidarity is demonstrated through events like Take Back the Night.

The Wesley Lecture was established in honor of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and is selected to reflect his legacy. Reverend Hughes says, “My desire is to find a Wesley scholar that relates the tenets of Methodism to modern culture and life on a college campus… I wanted others to hear how responding to sexualized violence is an inherently spiritual and faithful practice and that our heritage as a Methodist affiliated college can give us tools to deal with sexualized violence and other problems of our day.” She hopes the event will become more popular each year.

Claire Connors ’19 said she “was initially unsure of the talk’s relevance to college life, but I found Reverend Leslie very engaging. Her emphasis on the ability of everyone to make a difference was extremely motivating.”

Clarke Forum Executive Director Dr. Amy Farrell said, “Leslie did a great job of illuminating the ways that Wesley’s ideas of “doing all the good in all the ways at all times” is a vital and relevant idea for the entire community.”

Leslie has worked as an advisor to colleges and the United States military, parish minister, college chaplain, rape crisis advocate, and seminary professor. The talk was sponsored by the Center for Service, Spirituality, and Social Justice and the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues, as well as the Office of the President, the Prevention, Care, and Advocacy Center, the Women’s and Gender Resource Center, Dickinson Christian Fellowship, and the Churchill Fund.

This was the second annual Wesley Lecture, and was held in Allison Hall Great Room to an audience of about twenty faculty, staff, and students.

For more information about these offices and related events, visit Landis House or the Dickinson website. The confidential 24 hour advocacy hotline number is (717) 831-8850.