The 2026 Gil and Ruth Fleer Lecture at Central Methodist University will take place on Wednesday, March 25, as Dr. Scott Paeth is set to speak on “Public Theology and Democratic Pluralism.” The lecture will take place at 7 p.m. in the Inman Lecture Hall (Stedman 200).

Paeth is a professor of religious studies and peace, justice, and conflict studies at DePaul University. Working in the fields of Christian ethics and public theology, he is the author or editor of eight books and numerous articles. He is currently co-editor of the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics. He has lectured around the world, including in Beirut, Lebanon; Pune, India; and Dunedin, New Zealand.

Besides his contributions to the academic profession, Professor Paeth is also an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and he has worked with a wide variety of organizations, including SCUPE/OMNIA, Interfaith Playdate, Chicago Interfaith Worker Justice, and the Confessing Christ National Steering Committee. A prolific author and a popular speaker, he has written editorials for a number of newspapers, and was featured on PBS’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. His most recent book is Christianity and Identity: Authoritarianism, Democracy, and Public Theology (Cascade, 2026).

About the lecture series

Former faculty member and sponsor of Alpha Phi Gamma (MOKERS), Dr. Gilbert “Gil” Fleer ’55 and his wife, Ruth Hombs Fleer ’58, had a vision to enhance the spirit of excellence at CMU. Their passion for their alma mater and the love of their son, Jeffrey, led them to make gifts to the university in hopes of enriching the Central experience for students for generations to come.

Gil Fleer was an assistant professor of religion at Central from 1959 to 1965. Before his passing, Dr. Fleer was a social science professor at Western Texas College and a United Methodist counselor. He spent many years counseling young adults in unconventional settings.

The couple’s strong support of leadership training led them to fund the Gil and Ruth Fleer Fund for Excellence in Values-Based Education at CMU. The lecture is funded by the generosity of Gil and Ruth Fleer.