Seeds of Discord: Christianity, Democracy, and Our Present Crisis

“First Thursdays at the Farm” is a distinctive dinner series hosted at The Farminary, Princeton Theological Seminary’s 21-acre farm. Featuring a unique line-up of speakers, the intimate dinners are designed to generate meaningful conversation. No big presentations; just big ideas and delicious food in a one-of-a-kind venue.

COST: $125 per person; those who buy 3+ tickets get 15% off the total cost.

Seeds of Discord: Christianity, Democracy, and Our Present Crisis

Heath W. Carter is associate professor of American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he teaches and writes about the intersection of Christianity and American public life. He earned a BA in English and theology from Georgetown University in 2003, an MA from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 2005, and a PhD in history from the University of Notre Dame in 2012. He came to Princeton from Valparaiso University, where he was on faculty from 2012 to 2019. He spent the 2016–2017 academic year as the William S. Vaughn Visiting Fellow at Vanderbilt University.

Carter serves in a variety of professional leadership roles: he is an Editor-at-Large for William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company and co-editor, with Kathryn Gin Lum and Mark Noll, of the press’s award-winning Library of Religious Biography series. He is co-editor, with Nancy Taylor, of the Journal of Presbyterian History. He is also a member of the Louisville Institute’s Advisory Board.

Carter speaks and moderates public conversations about the relationship of Christian faith to a variety of pressing public questions, including everything from racial injustice and economic inequality to runaway political polarization. In recent years these conversations have often focused on the Future of American Democracy.

Chef: James Graham is the Owner & Executive Chef of Jagrah’s Restaurant. Chef James developed his love and passion for food at the young age 12 while shadowing his grandmother in her kitchen. His passion continued into his early twenties when he attended and graduated from The New York Food & Hotel Management School in New York. Chef James has worked for reputable companies such as Top of the Sixes, The Chart House, Sodehxo Services, American Express, Princeton University, and others. hef James later on joined Merri Makers at Bonnet Island Estates in 2012. Chef James was also the Executive Chef at Celebrate at Snug Harbor in Staten Island, NY, and later on to be the Executive Chef at Crave Events Group overseeing 10 event spaces and Corporate Dining and off-site catering throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania & New York. Chef James has also been an active member in his local Church serving as a Deacon, as well as leading the culinary division spanning six campuses. Chef James has appeared as a contestant on the popular cooking show, Food Network “Chopped” aired in 2017. James has also been featured On the C-Suites on Princeton TV. Chef James has also been a member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF). He is also a three-time award-winning Chef, winning 1st place in various cooking competitions. Chef James and his wife Stephanie launched Dining with the Bishop on multiple Social Media platforms in 2020.

ABOUT THE FARMINARY

The Farminary is a place where theological education is integrated with small-scale regenerative agriculture to train faith leaders who are conversant in the areas of ecology, sustainability, and food justice. It is designed to train students to challenge society’s 24–7 culture of productivity by following a different rhythm, one that is governed by the seasons and Sabbath. “The project’s main goal is to form leaders by cultivating ecological and agricultural sensibilities within them like paying attention to the seasons, understanding the interconnectedness of life and death, and becoming comfortable with failure,” says Nate Stucky, director of the Farminary Project.

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