William F. Buckley will deliver the third annual Hubert L. Dellinger Jr. Lecture Jan. 25, 2000 at 7:00 p.m. on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. His lecture will emphasize themes found in his 1997 book, "Nearer, My God: An Autobiography of Faith."

Buckley in 1955 founded the conservative journal "National Review," which is today the journal of opinion with the largest circulation in America.

He began his syndicated column, "On the Right," in 1962. Today it appears three times a week in over 300 newspapers here and abroad. In 1967 he was named Best Columnist of the Year, and he is a winner of the Distinguished Achievement Award in Journalism.

Buckley began hosting his weekly television show "Firing Line" in 1966. By 1971, the program was carried coast to coast on the Public Broadcasting System. Today it is the longest-running TV program in the United States featuring the same host. He has won an Emmy Award for program achievement and the TV Guide Award for the Best Television Interviewer.

Buckley ran for mayor of New York City in 1965, and he has been a presidential appointee to the U.S. Information Agency, the United Nations and the National Security Council (1987). He remains a close confidant and friend of former Presidents Reagan and Bush.

He is the author of other books including "Brothers No More" (1995), "Buckley: The Right Word" (1996) and "The Red Hunter" (1999).

He has been awarded over 35 honorary degrees and was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 1991. In 1983, Buckley received the International Platform Association's Emerson Award, an honor given to those persons considered to be the top speakers in their chosen fields.

Established in 1997, the Hubert L. Dellinger Jr. Lecture Series was designed to feature nationally-known speakers who would address subjects which intersect the disciplines of theology, sociology, philosophy and law. The inaugural lecture was delivered on January 28, 1998 by United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

For more information, contact Rev. Glen D. Thomas, Vice President for Seminary Relations, Concordia Seminary, 801 De Mun Ave., St. Louis, MO 63105; 314-505-7370; thomasg@csl.edu.