ABOUT THE LUMEN CENTER
A new initiative of the SL Brown Foundation started in 2024, the Lumen Center is a community of Christian scholars near the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison bringing the academic disciplines to bear on contemporary Christian culture by providing leadership in thought and formation for academic, ministry, and other Christians in the professions.
WHAT WE DO
The Lumen Center is a hybrid of a research institute and a center for study—a place for scholars and leaders committed to bridging academic knowledge and Christian faith. We engage the most vital questions at the intersection of university life and the church, integrating the academic disciplines and the Christian intellectual tradition.
Lumen Fellows are world-class writers and teachers who regularly publish, speak, and engage the broader public in dozens of venues each semester—all to shape Christian culture through rigorous academic expertise.
The Lumen Center hosts the annual Dallas A. Willard Lecture and works alongside other SL Brown Foundation initiatives to offer courses, learning communities, and workshops advancing the study of Christianity and culture at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and beyond.
Lumen Fellows are world-class writers and teachers who regularly publish, speak, and engage the broader public in dozens of venues each semester—all to shape Christian culture through rigorous academic expertise.
The Lumen Center hosts the annual Dallas A. Willard Lecture and works alongside other SL Brown Foundation initiatives to offer courses, learning communities, and workshops advancing the study of Christianity and culture at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and beyond.
WHO WE ARE
Our team of Lumen Fellows is made up of scholars and teachers across the academic disciplines. We span Christian traditions and churches while firmly keeping our core historic commitments and valuing academic expertise. Our approach is grounded in widely shared Christian truths and practices that aim to unite rather than divide.
We are a growing team of scholars representing:
We are a growing team of scholars representing:
- Disciplines in the humanities, sciences, and Biblical studies
- A variety of Christian traditions
- Multiple generations of scholars with experience across higher education
WHY "LUMEN"?
Our name is intended to signal three overlapping images:
Lumen, or “light” in Latin, has deep roots in Christian history. It has historically been invoked to signal understanding, enlightenment, and wisdom about God, humanity, and the world rooted in the gospel message.
The University of Wisconsin was founded in 1848 with the motto Numen Lumen, or “God, our light.” While non-sectarian at the Lumen Center we want to signal our support for the institution of the University of Wisconsin–Madison while affirming that the Christian intellectual tradition can play a vital role in achieving its core educational mission to “discover, examine critically, preserve, and transmit the knowledge, wisdom, and values.”
Finally, we are an initiative of the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation. Steve, a UW alumnus, tells the story of a recurring image he held of light bathing the hills of campus, especially the iconic Bascom Hill at its center. The Lumen Center honors and continues Steve’s vision in its name and its work.
Lumen, or “light” in Latin, has deep roots in Christian history. It has historically been invoked to signal understanding, enlightenment, and wisdom about God, humanity, and the world rooted in the gospel message.
The University of Wisconsin was founded in 1848 with the motto Numen Lumen, or “God, our light.” While non-sectarian at the Lumen Center we want to signal our support for the institution of the University of Wisconsin–Madison while affirming that the Christian intellectual tradition can play a vital role in achieving its core educational mission to “discover, examine critically, preserve, and transmit the knowledge, wisdom, and values.”
Finally, we are an initiative of the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation. Steve, a UW alumnus, tells the story of a recurring image he held of light bathing the hills of campus, especially the iconic Bascom Hill at its center. The Lumen Center honors and continues Steve’s vision in its name and its work.