Howard Payne University alumnus Dr. Gary Manning recently edited, updated and published a book written by the late Dr. Nat Tracy, a member of the HPU Bible faculty from 1950-1975. Dr. Manning is professor of religion at Wayland Baptist University and one of three lecturers during HPU’s third annual Currie-Strickland Distinguished Lectures in Christian Ethics on April 14. This year’s lectures will focus on the ethical teachings of Dr. Tracy.

The book, entitled A Search for Authentic Christianity, was published in December 2009. For the past 25 years, Dr. Manning had been using the unpublished manuscript by his former professor as a text in his spiritual formation course at Wayland. Dr. Tracy passed away shortly after completing the text in 1979 and it wasn’t until 2008, when Dr. Manning took a sabbatical to work on this project, that the book’s publication became a reality.

According to Dr. Manning, A Search for Authentic Christianity provides a theological basis for spiritual formation. In the book, “Dr. Tracy asks two main questions – Have American Christians come very close to missing authentic Christianity? What does Christianity mean to God?” Manning said.

“Dr. Tracy’s understanding is that much of our Christianity is a very shallow and man-centered approach rather than looking at God’s character of servanthood and other-centeredness,” he continued. “Christianity from God ought to produce other-centeredness and Christlikeness. American Christians have pretty well been satisfied with being safe. Safety has become our main motivation for accepting Christ rather than transformation into Godly people.”

The Currie-Strickland Lectures will be held on Wednesday, April 14, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Richard and Wanda Jackson Conference Room of HPU’s Paul and Jane Meyer Faith and Life Leadership Center. During the lectures, Dr. Manning will speak on “The Character of God as the Basis for Christian Ethics.”

Additional lectures will be presented by Rev. Robert Williams, founder and director of The Encouragers in Dallas, Texas, and Dr. Bill Fowler, assistant professor of Christian Studies at HPU. Williams and Fowler are also HPU alumni and former students of Dr. Tracy.

Admission is free, but reservations are required. For reservations, please contact Howard Payne University’s Office of Marketing and Communications by e-mail at currie-strickland@hputx.edu or by phone at 325-649-8409.