Events | Lecture: Together we advance. Thomas Mann’s American Religion
Los Angeles | August 10, 2018 | 7:30 PM
When author and Nobel Laureate Thomas Mann lived in the United States, he maintained a close relationship with the Unitarian Church and entertained a "warm sympathy" for Unitarians' beliefs, as well as for the way they put these beliefs into action. "The First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles", Thomas Mann wrote, "is particularly close to my heart and mind."
Thomas Mann's turn towards the Unitarian Church represents the coming together of the political, philosophical and religious traditions of his German heritage with those prevalent in America. Maybe Thomas Mann never got quite as close to a religious denomination as he did here.
The First Unitarian Church continues to be one of the most progressive churches in Los Angeles. Its members advocate for immigrants' rights, offer social programs to the immigrant community of Koreatown and support organizations pursuing racial and social justice, such as Black Lives Matter and Urban Partners Los Angeles.
Presentation
Heinrich Detering (University of Göttingen, Thomas Mann Fellow 2018)
Heinrich Detering is a German literary scholar, poet and translator and Professor of Modern German and Comparative Literary Studies. Detering heads the Thomas Mann Research Center in Göttingen and is the co-editor of the “Große kommentierte Frankfurter Ausgabe” of the works, letters and diaries of Thomas Mann. From 2011 until 2017, Detering was president of the German Academy for Language and Literature. In August 2018, he is Fellow at the Thomas Mann House, Los Angeles.
and talk with
Deynsie Claro (Urban Partners Los Angeles)
Oscar Cintigo (El Comite Unitario Universalista Latinoamericano Monseñor Oscar A Romero)
Detlef Schwartz (Lutheran Pastor, Friend of the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles)
Trinity Tran (Revolution LA)
Moderator
Nikolai Blaumer (Thomas Mann House)
In cooperation with First Unitarian Universalist Church of Los Angeles and support of USC Max Kade Institute for Austria-German-Swiss Studies
Location
First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles, Channing Hall
2936 W. 8th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90005
Limited Parking in the underground garage next to the church entrance.
Lecture and discussion are in English with Spanish simulcast
Free admission, R.s.v.p required until August 8: rsvp@vatmh.org
