2026 Abraham Lecture Series to feature Princeton philosopher Lara Buchak

DALLAS (SMU) – Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University (SMU) will host the fourth William J. Abraham Lecture, featuring Princeton University philosopher Lara Buchak, on Tuesday, April 14, at 12 p.m. in Perkins Chapel.

A complimentary lunch will be served beginning at 11 a.m. in Prothro Great Hall. 

Registration information for attendees is available online.

“The Abraham Lecture Series embodies the strong connections between theology, philosophy, and the pressing questions of our time that are distinctive of Perkins School of Theology,” said Leighton K. Farrell Endowed Dean Bryan P. Stone. “By bringing distinguished scholars into dialogue with our University community, the series honors the legacy of Abraham while also inviting us to think more deeply, more faithfully, and more imaginatively about the intellectual and spiritual challenges facing our world today.”

The Abraham Lecture Series fosters dialogue at the intersection of theology, philosophy and contemporary questions. Established by the Bridwell Library and Perkins School of Theology, the series creates space for interdisciplinary conversations about issues of significance across theology, philosophy and contemporary life.

“William was deeply committed to exploring the intersection of faith and reason,” said Frederick Aquino, professor of systematic theology at Perkins School of Theology and director of the Abraham Lecture Series. “Lara Buchak is an outstanding scholar to continue that conversation and engage audiences with her contemporary approach.”

Abraham served on the Perkins faculty for nearly four decades before retiring as the Albert Cook Outler Professor of Wesley Studies. A widely respected theologian and philosopher, his work shaped generations of students and scholars around the world.

Buchak will present a lecture titled “Faith, Commitment, and Belief.” Her talk examines how faith shapes both action and belief, arguing that faith involves acting on a claim without further evidence and remaining committed even when counterevidence arises.

Buchak is Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University. Her research spans decision theory, social choice theory, epistemology, ethics and the philosophy of religion. She is the author of Risk and Rationality (2013), which proposes a new account of how rational agents make decisions under conditions of risk and argues that differing attitudes toward risk can still be rational.

“I’m honored to give the William Abraham Lecture,” said Lara Buchak. “Professor Abraham’s work considered how traditions and authorities can be sources of religious knowledge. My lecture continues this conversation by exploring the role of commitment in both ordinary life and religious life, and when and why commitment—to a course of action, a belief, an authority, or a tradition—can be rational even when evidence doesn’t fully settle the matter.”

Buchak previously served on the philosophy faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, and earned her Ph.D. from Princeton University in 2009. In 2022, she received the inaugural Plantinga Prize from the American Philosophical Association for her paper “Faith and Traditions.”

The lecture will also be available via livestream.

Perkins School of Theology, founded in 1911, is one of five official University-related schools of theology of The United Methodist Church. Degree programs include the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Ministry, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Pastoral Music as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with The Graduate Program in Religious Studies at SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.