MARY LEE TALBOT
Staff Writer
Since she was last at Chautauqua Institution in 2023, the Rev. Zina Jacque, Ph.D., has amassed an Instagram following of more than 200,000 for her thoughts, “Sacred Space,” with new posts that drop Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She signed a book deal with Simon & Schuster, and she plans on launching a podcast called “Sacred Salon” in November.
Jacque will serve as chaplain for Week Five at Chautauqua. She will preach at the 10:45 a.m. Sunday morning worship service in the Amphitheater. Her sermon title is “The Soul We Step Over.” She will also preach at the 9:15 a.m. Monday through Wednesday morning worship services in the Amphitheater. Her sermon titles include “Gold in the Cracks,” “What Z’s Daughters Knew” and “Faithful in the Face of No.” At 9:15 a.m. Thursday in the Hall of Philosophy, she will share her faith journey.
Jacque said she wanted to take the week’s theme, “Art and Artists Against the Odds,” seriously. “Each day will feature a physical piece of art, whether in the Sunday bulletin or on the screen on weekdays,” she said. “The art on Sunday says, ‘open up your eyes, you can’t treat me as a non-person.’ How we react says something about who we are or are not and at what cost. There will be a spiritual practice to take away each day.”
Her book, tentatively titled By Cloud and By Pillar, based on Numbers 33:1–49, will explore the names of the places Israel encountered in their wanderings and ask the question, “What do you do when you end up in a place with a name like ‘Down in the Dumps?’”
“I am not using my space on Instagram to fight against the system. I am using it as a place for people to catch their breath. I will push for justice, but I will not end without hope. We have a sovereign source that is watching us,” Jacque said. “When I remind people of injustice, I also remind them of Frederick Douglass, who criticized the country but stayed.”
Across two distinguished careers in higher education and ministry, Jacque has worked to lift people, strengthen communities and send good into the world. She continues to guide nonprofit boards and faith-based organizations nationwide.
For two decades, Jacque shaped the student experience at several leading universities. After transitioning to ministry, Jacque’s pastoral path has taken her from small urban parishes to historic pulpits, notably as the lead minister for the Villages of Alfred Street at the renowned Alfred Street Baptist Church.
Jacque’s impact has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Boston University School of Theology, the 2022 Citizen of the Year Award from Barrington, Illinois, and the Women of Distinction Award from the Barrington Chamber of Commerce.
Jacque holds a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University, a Master of Arts from Columbia University, a Master of Divinity and a Ph.D. in theology from Boston University.
This program is made possible by the generous support of The Robert D. Campbell Memorial Chaplaincy and The Jackson-Carnahan Memorial Chaplaincy.
