Arts, Music, and Theology

Name: Arts, Music, and Theology
Start: 2026-07-14
End: 2026-07-28
Location: Montreat Conference Center

2026 Summer Lecture Series

July 14–28, 2026 AdultSpecial Events

This event is hosted by Montreat Conference Center

Montreat’s Arts, Music, and Theology series (AMT) is based upon the premise that Montreat is brimming with brilliant, interesting folks knowledgeable on a wide array of topics! The series is presented by Montreat Conference Center’s Arts, Music, & Theology cohort: Eric Wall, Alec Peters, and Carol Steele.

We welcome you, one and all, to an evening of thought and meaningful conversation.

Tuesday evenings in Convocation Hall, 7:00-8:15 PM. Registration is not necessary. Events are free of charge and all are welcome!

Questions? Please contact Carol Steele at 828-419-9832 or carols@montreat.org

View 2025 Recordings Here

Tuesday Evening Lectures
Date	Topic / Speaker
July 14	“Ambassadors and Propaganda, Music and Liturgy: 20th/21st century composers, worship practices, and border-crossing possibilities.” Eric Wall
July 21	“Are We of One Mind?: psychological insights into moral belief, group identity, and the lost virtue of humility” Drew Rick-Miller
July 28	“Theology and Mathematics: Reflections at the Boundaries” Mark AchtemeierNote: This lecture will not presume mathematical knowledge beyond basic arithmetic.

Leadership

Eric Wall – July 14, 2026

Ambassadors and Propaganda, Music and Liturgy: 20th/21st century composers, worship practices, and border-crossing possibilities

Eric Wall is the Director of Worship and Music Arts at White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, NC. He previously served as the Gene Alice Sherman Associate Professor of Sacred Music and Dean of the Chapel at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and as Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Asheville (1998–2015). He has been Montreat’s Conference Center Musician since 2011.

Eric holds degrees in organ performance and choral conducting from Florida State University. A published writer and composer, he has served as President of the Presbyterian Association of Musicians, taught at Columbia Theological Seminary, and worked as a music and worship consultant.

Originally from the Atlanta area and a pastor’s kid, Eric lives in Raleigh with his wife, Mary, their dog Ernie, and enjoys visits with their adult son, Tristan, in Durham.

Drew Rick-Miller – July 21, 2026

Are We of One Mind?: psychological insights into moral belief, group identity, and the lost virtue of humility

Drew Rick-Miller is co-founder and executive director of Science for the Church, a ministry committed to strengthening churches through a deeper engagement with science. After studying literature and physics at Northwestern University, he received an M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary. He previously spent a decade with the John Templeton Foundation developing and managing an international portfolio of grants that included theological and scientific research as well as media and public engagement programs with an emphasis on programs bringing science to religious audiences. With his wife, a Presbyterian minister, they are raising three daughters in Raleigh, NC.

Arts, Music & Theology Cohort

Alec Peters, a lifelong Presbyterian, has a deep interest in liturgy and liturgical theology that dates back to discovering The Worshipbook—Services and Hymns in 1972. He is an elder and choir member at West Raleigh Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, NC. A retired lawyer and a musician and hymnwriter, he is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Bachelor of Music) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Juris Doctor). Alec and his wife, Sarah, who works at the Sally Jones Pottery during the summer, are the parents of Walker and Lila. Alec also currently serves as chair of the Montreat Conference Center Development Foundation Board.

Rev. Carol Steele is Vice President for Program at Montreat Conference Center. When not at work she likes spending time with horses (and mules), driving the taxi for her teens, and sampling the cocktails her husband, Dwight Christenbury, creates. While at work she enjoys working with teams of joyful volunteers, worship planning, and budget planning season. She can be easily distracted by houseplants and worst-case scenarios. Carol's primary influences have been her parents (Don and Kay Steele), her schools (Union Presbyterian Seminary and Davidson College), her summer camp (Camp Hat Creek), and her kids (Kaisa and Dean).