Martin Marty, known as one of the nation’s most prominent interpreters of religion and contemporary culture, will speak tonight on the differences between Eastern and Western Christianity.

His speech begins at 7:30 p.m. in Altgeld Hall auditorium and opens the W. Bruce Lincoln Endowed Lecture Series, which was established to bring a prominent scholar to lecture once a year, said NIU history professor David Kyvig.

Lincoln was among the best-known and most widely-admired historians ever associated with NIU’s history department, Kyvig said. He thought historical research and analysis should be made interesting and understandable to a broad audience.

Marty is an excellent choice to inaugurate the lecture series, said Kenton Clymer, chair of the NIU Department of History. He is one of those unusual intellectuals with “stellar” academic credentials who is able to communicate effectively with non-specialists and with the general public.

Marty marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Ala. and was one of few Protestant ministers who participated in Vatican II, the Roman Catholic Church’s historic summit meeting.

Now, Marty is a professor emeritus of religious history at the University of Chicago, a Lutheran pastor, a columnist for The Christian Century magazine and author of more than 50 books.

He is regularly interviewed for his views on religious developments in the United States and the world, Clymer said. Marty’s public lectures are invariably profound, yet humorous and interesting.

Marty is a very warm and engaging public speaker who does a good job of connecting with his audience, Kyvig said.

“I think anyone who has any interest in religion or the history of religion will find Martin Marty a very stimulating and interesting speaker,” Clymer said. “I am very pleased that he was available to be the one to inaugurate the new endowed lecture series.”

The lecture should offer a chance for NIU students to broaden and enrich their university education, Kyvig said.

“I expect that the lecture will be interesting and thought-provoking,” Kyvig said. “Martin Marty is one of the most thoughtful and articulate participant-observers of the American religious scene.”