Bretherns' House

Events

Revolutionary Conversations: Founding Ideals and America's 250th Anniversary

Revolutionary-Conversations

As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, the Institute for Moravian History and World Heritage at Moravian University invites you to a landmark series of public dialogues.

Starting in April 2026, "Revolutionary Conversations" explores Moravian 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? Moravian 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, Moravian University 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.
Register Here

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 Moravian 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 Moravian 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: Moravian Women and Founding Era Rights

  • Date: January 20, 2027 | 7:00 PM
  • Facilitator: Dr. Katie Faull, Executive Director, Institute for Moravian History and World Heritage and World Heritage Site Manager for Moravian 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 Moravian women unprecedented economic and social autonomy compared to their Revolutionary-era peers.

Registration coming soon.

4. Healing and Healthcare: Moravian Medicine and American Innovation

  • Date: April 28, 2027 | 7:00 PM
  • Facilitator: Bryon Grigsby, President, Moravian University and Moravian Church Settlements—Bethlehem Council member
  • Venue: Old Chapel / Apothecary's Garden
  • Cost: Free
  • Investigate the Moravian 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 22, 2027 | 7:00 PM
  • Facilitator: Paul Peucker, Archivist of the Moravian Church in America, Northern Province and Editor, Journal of Moravian History
  • Venue: Moravian Archives, 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: Moravian University-Parking & Directions.
Moravian University 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 Moravian University 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 Moravians and the American Revolution (Opening May 2026)
  • A French Nobleman in Moravian Bethlehem: (Opening August 2026)