Events
Revolutionary Conversations: Founding Ideals and America's 250th Anniversary
As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, the Institute for ̽»¨Ö±²¥ History and World Heritage at ̽»¨Ö±²¥ invites you to a landmark series of public dialogues.
Starting in April 2026, "Revolutionary Conversations" explores ̽»¨Ö±²¥ Bethlehem’s unique role in the American Revolution. Through intimate, artifact-based discussions, we connect 18th-century innovations, in gender equality, healthcare, and multi-racial community building, to the contemporary questions shaping America’s third century.
The Discussion Series
Each 90-minute session features primary source analysis, expert facilitation, and small-group dialogue. Join us to explore local history with global significance.
1. What Makes a Place World Heritage? ̽»¨Ö±²¥ Bethlehem's Global Significance
- Date: April 21, 2026 | 7:00 PM
- Facilitator: Charlene Donchez Mowers, former President of Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites
- Venue: Payne Gallery, ̽»¨Ö±²¥ Priscilla Payne Hurd campus, 346 Main St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
- Cost: Free
- Note: Seats are limited.
- Explore the criteria behind Bethlehem’s 2024 UNESCO World Heritage inscription and what it means to be a steward of a globally significant landmark.
2. Pacifism and Patriotism: Can You Love Your Country and Oppose War?
- Date: October 2026 (Date TBA)
- Facilitator: Scott Gordon, Author, Andrew W. Mellon Chair at Lehigh University and scholar of ̽»¨Ö±²¥ history and the colonial history of the Lehigh Valley.
- Venue: Bethlehem Area Public Library, 11 West Church Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018
- Cost: Free
- Analyze the tensions between ̽»¨Ö±²¥ pacifist theology and the demands of the Revolutionary War, and how those lessons apply to modern dissent and civic duty.
Registration coming soon.
3. Equality Before God: ̽»¨Ö±²¥ Women and Founding Era Rights
- Date: January 19, 2027 | 7:00 PM
- Facilitator: Dr. Katie Faull, Executive Director, Institute for ̽»¨Ö±²¥ History and World Heritage and World Heritage Site Manager for ̽»¨Ö±²¥ Church Settlements, Bethlehem
- Venue: Gemeinhaus / Single Sisters’ House, 66 W Church St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
- Cost: Free
- Discover the "Choir" system that allowed 18th-century ̽»¨Ö±²¥ women unprecedented economic and social autonomy compared to their Revolutionary-era peers.
Registration coming soon.
4. Healing and Healthcare: ̽»¨Ö±²¥ Medicine and American Innovation
- Date: April 27, 2027 | 7:00 PM
- Facilitator: Bryon Grigsby, President, ̽»¨Ö±²¥ and ̽»¨Ö±²¥ Church Settlements—Bethlehem Council member
- Venue: Old Chapel / Apothecary's Garden
- Cost: Free
- Investigate the ̽»¨Ö±²¥ community health model, their Revolutionary-era hospitals, and the integration of European medicine with local herbalism.
Registration coming soon.
5. Memory and Commemoration: How We Remember Our Founding
- Date: September 21, 2027 | 7:00 PM
- Facilitator: Paul Peucker, Archivist of the ̽»¨Ö±²¥ Church in America, Northern Province and Editor, Journal of ̽»¨Ö±²¥ History
- Venue: , 41 W Locust St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
- Cost: Free
- A critical look at how historical narratives change over time, whose stories get told, and how we choose to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
Registration coming soon.
Event Parking
Parking is available in lots behind Foy Hall or under the Hill-to-Hill Bridge. This web page can be used for reference: ̽»¨Ö±²¥-Parking & Directions.
̽»¨Ö±²¥ encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact Office of Conference and Event Management at events@moravian.edu or 610-861-1491 at least one week prior to the event.
Digital Storytelling: The Podcast Series
Can’t attend in person? Follow the journey through our Revolutionary Conversations Podcast.
Produced by ̽»¨Ö±²¥ students in collaboration with regional partners, this 6-episode series features interviews with scholars, project experts, and community members. Each 20–30 minute episode breathes life into primary documents and explores the same core themes as our live discussions, making academic scholarship accessible for commuters and families alike.
Partner Exhibitions
"Revolutionary Conversations" is designed to complement two major exhibitions at Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites:
- Patriotic Pacifism: Bethlehem ̽»¨Ö±²¥s and the American Revolution (Opening May 2026)
- A French Nobleman in ̽»¨Ö±²¥ Bethlehem: (Opening August 2026)