Spiritual Criminals: How the Camden 28 Put the Vietnam War on Trial

Event details October 20, 2026 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm 263 S. 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 Fall Lecture: Tuesday, October 20, 2026 6pm Social Hour | 7pm Lecture Free and Open to the Public Historian Michelle Nickerson will discuss her book, Spiritual Criminals: How the Camden 28 Put the Vietnam War on Trial (University of Chicago Press, 2024), telling the story of an elaborate crime committed by Catholic peace activists, followed by an epic trial that riveted the Delaware Valley between 1971 and 1973. The devout priests, nuns, and lay Catholics at the center of these events forced the judge, jury, and viewing public to consider that the government prosecuting them might be the actual criminals, guilty of mass slaughter in Vietnam and criminal neglect at home. About the speaker: Dr. Michelle Nickerson Michelle Nickerson is Professor at Loyola University Chicago. She is the author Mothers of Conservatism: Women and the Postwar Right (Princeton University Press, 2012) and Sunbelt Rising: The Politics of Place, Space, and Region (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011). Her most recent book Spiritual Criminals: How the Camden 28 Put the Vietnam War on Trial won honorable mention for the Peace History Society’s Elise Boulding Prize in 2025). Nickerson is also a German Fulbright Scholar and serves on the Committee of Scholars for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum. Register Today! Attend in person Location: 263 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Parking is conveniently located within walking distance at the Bourse Garage. Stream online Save Event to Calendar Save to iCalendar Save to Google Calendar Save to Outlook Save to Outlook Online Save to Yahoo! Calendar