Mass Incarceration, the Gospel, and the Theological Mandate of Abolition

Register to join us for the 2026 Scherer Lecture on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, from 4:00–5:30 p.m. CST, offered both in person and online.

In this year’s lecture, Dr. Michelle Clifton will explore the intersection of gospel and mission in relation to the inherent sin of mass incarceration in the United States.

Captivity besets our global community. A U.S.-designed system that thrives at home and abroad, mass incarceration fuels shame, isolation, and violence. We are all complicit. For those who care about restoration, despair can be a natural response.

Drawing from the power of the incarnate Word in John’s Gospel, Jesus’ revelation in Matthew 25, and her experience teaching and learning alongside individuals in custody in Illinois, Dr. Clifton will examine the realities of mass incarceration and the theological mandate of abolition. Her lecture will invite us to consider how Christian faith and mission might challenge systems of incarceration and seek creative, equitable, accessible, and restorative alternatives.

Register to participate either in person or online. This is a free symposium. For virtual participants, Zoom details will be provided in the weeks leading up to the event.

About the Speaker

Dr. Michelle Clifton (Ph.D., Loyola) is Director of the Prison Education Program at Lewis University. In 2018, she founded the School of Restorative Arts, an M.A. program serving incarcerated men and women at Stateville and Logan Correctional Centers.

Dr. Clifton’s work and witness seek to challenge and displace overreliance on incarceration by finding creative alternatives that are equitable, accessible, and restorative.

For questions related to this event, contact: Samantha Adindu (Samantha.adindu@lstc.edu), Ken Sawyer (ksawyer@mccormick.edu), or Roger Schroeder  (rschroeder@ctu.edu).