Robert Ellsberg will reflect on the 55-year history of Orbis Books and his own vocation as an editor.
Founded by the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Orbis Books has published numerous works by leading theologians and spiritual writers—including Leonardo Boff, James Cone, Virgil Elizondo, Pope Francis, Gustavo Gutiérrez, Elizabeth Johnson, Henri Nouwen, and Peter Phan. The publishing house’s catalog has tracked and influenced major developments in Catholic theology across the Americas, including the rise of liberation theology amid tensions with Vatican authorities; the turn to world Christianity and interreligious dialogue; and landmark contributions in ecological thought and Black theology.
The Cushwa Center Lecture, first held in 1984, has grown from an occasional event to an annual forum for students, faculty, and community members beyond the University to hear from distinguished scholars and writers about the relationship between religion and public life.
A sale of select books by the speaker and titles from Orbis Books will follow the lecture. This event is free and open to all.
About the speaker
Robert Ellsberg is publisher, executive director, and editor-in-chief at Orbis Books. He began his editorial career at The Catholic Worker, where he collaborated closely with Dorothy Day during the final years of her life—a formative experience that prompted his conversion to Catholicism and profoundly influenced his subsequent work as a writer and editor.
Ellsberg is the author or editor of numerous books, including Gandhi on Christianity (1991); All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time (1997); Blessed Among All Women: Reflections on Women Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time (2006); The Duty Of Delight: The Diaries of Dorothy Day (2008); All the Way to Heaven: The Selected Letters of Dorothy Day (2010); Pope Francis’s A Stranger and You Welcomed Me: A Call to Mercy and Solidarity with Migrants and Refugees (2018); and Dorothy Day: Spiritual Writings (2024).
His newest book is Blessed Among Us: Day by Day with Saintly Witnesses, Volume 2 (Liturgical Press, October 2025).