On the Christian Uses of King Lear

The E. Beatrice Batson Shakespeare Society at Wheaton College presents "On the Christian Uses of King Lear," a lecture by Richard Gibson on Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 7:00 PM.

King Lear has long been viewed as theologically problematic and has even been accused of being an irreligious play. In this talk, Dr. Richard Hughes Gibson will examine the responses of writers who own up to the play’s bleakness and yet nonetheless find in it profound religious insights. Drawing on the works of George MacDonald, Leo Tolstoy, W.H. Auden, Frederick Buechner, and Wendell Berry, this talk will reveal how particular episodes from Lear have fueled meditations on grace, compassion, and the power of moments of divine absence.

This event is free and open to the public and will take place in Marion E. Wade Center,   Room 130 Bakke Auditorium,   located at 351 East Lincoln Avenue in Wheaton on the Northwest corner of campus at the intersection of Washington Street and Lincoln Avenue. For more information, contact Archives Wheaton at 630.752.5910 or archives@wheaton.edu.