On Oct. 9, Duke Divinity School marked the 30th anniversary of the death of Dr. Frederick Herzog with a special chapel service and lunch panel commemorating Herzog’s legacy of faithfulness to God’s call to the hard work of justice and mercy, and inviting others to join that call. 

The events brought together faculty, alumni, students, and friends and family of Herzog to reflect on his theological vision and enduring influence on the school’s mission and identity.

Herzog served as a professor of theology at Duke Divinity School from 1959 until his death in 1995. During his time at Duke, Herzog worked to end segregation, establish the Office of Black Church Studies, and establish a relationship between the Divinity School and Latin America, especially Peru. 

During the chapel service, Dean Edgardo Colón-Emeric offered words of welcome and presided at the table, while Dr. Benjamin Chavis preached. 

The scripture reading, Micah 6:8, embodied Herzog’s approach to faith: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” In days of turmoil, Christians must be those who embrace justice while leaning into mercy.

Dean Colón-Emeric quoted from one of Herzog’s 1965 sermons, which also spoke to the need for Christian voices: “In this world, which seems to be losing its mind in these days, we need people with sound minds. Christians could be such people. Have the same mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus, proving that the only power that finally counts is service.”

Chavis, a former student of Herzog's, spoke of Herzog’s conviction that theology is done in the church rather than the academy, saying, “If there was ever a time when the church needed to hear Herzog’s voice again, it is today. Theology must be done in the streets, with the people, and for the sake of liberation in the name of Jesus Christ.”

He also told a story of Herzog bringing students to downtown Durham to sit with local pastors and community leaders. Herzog believed theology might begin in the classroom, but it should never end there, said Chavis. 

The panel following the service was held in the AMCR and moderated by Dr. Katherine Smith, associate dean for strategic initiatives. The panel included four former students and friends of Herzog:

• Dr. Clarence G. Newsome, trustee for The Duke Endowment
• Rev. Para Drake, United Methodist Church pastor and hospice chaplain
• Dr. Mark Wethington, president of the Wesley Heritage Foundation
• Dr. William C. Turner Jr., Professor Emeritus of Homiletics at Duke Divinity School

Both the chapel service and the panel lunch were attended by Dagmar Herzog, daughter of Frederick and Kristin Herzog.

The panelists recalled Herzog’s commitment to liberation theology and to elevating Black voices during his time at Duke. Newsome and Turner remembered meeting Herzog in connection with Dr. James Cone, a prominent liberation theologian and author with whom Herzog worked closely. Turner had lost faith in the church at that time in his life, but encountering Cone and Herzog helped him find new hope.

Drake recalled the importance of Herzog’s family—particularly his wife—in partnering with him in his calling. Several panelists had traveled to Peru with Frederick and Kristin, a program the Herzogs both supported and developed.

Wethington remembered Herzog as a man who had great humor alongside his intentional, serious work and study. He spoke of the importance of finding joy within the difficult and often lonely work of pursuing justice. All the panelists acknowledged Herzog’s bravery in speaking truth, particularly those truths that are most disruptive and painful.

The panel closed with these words from Herzog himself: “We need to learn what it means for today that we are the salt of the earth. We do not have to become salty Christians; we are already salty Christians. But we must take care that we do not lose the savor. St. Paul says in Philippians 4:6, ‘Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt ... so that you may know how to answer everyone.’”