Tobias Winright, a scholar of Christian ethics and a former law enforcement officer, will deliver the Reverend Alexander G. Brown, Jr. Memorial Lecture inside Birdsong Hall on the campus of Randolph-Macon College on Wednesday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Winright’s lecture, entitled “Policing in America: A Christian Ethical Perspective,” poses the question of what a Christian ethical perspective might contribute to the public debate around police reform, and seeks to answer it by exploring the history of policing, various models of policing, and the purpose of policing in relation to a Christian ethic of love for neighbor and neighborhood.

Winright brings a unique perspective and expertise to the subject matter. A professor of moral theology at St Patrick’s Pontifical University in Maynooth, Ireland, he previously served as a law enforcement officer in both corrections and policing. Before St Patrick’s, Winright taught at Simpson College, Walsh University, and Saint Louis University. He has taught ethics for police departments and has published extensively on issues in criminal justice ethics. He also teaches and writes about the ethics of war and peace, bioethics and healthcare ethics, and ecology and environmental ethics.

The Brown Memorial Lecture endowment was established in 1943 with a gift from Dr. Alexander Gustavus Brown, Jr. an alumnus of the college, in honor of his father who served as a Trustee of the college from 1871 to 1900. The Brown Memorial Lecture brings outstanding ministers or religious experts, without restriction to denominational affiliation, to speak to students and the community, as well as to hold an open forum with those preparing for the ministry.

Refreshments will be served and the event is open to the public.