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Religious Studies Departmental ColloquiumThe Department of Religious Studies Colloquium series seeks to foster intellectual exchange, critical discourse, and scholarly coummunity within the department and for the University at large. All colloquium presentations will be held in the Religious Studies Seminar Room, INTN 3043.
May Presentations - Friday, May 29th, 4:00 pm Andrew Jacobs, Associate Professor- "Christ Circumcised: Christian History and Difference"" Following the lecture, please join the Religious Studies Department in a farewell event for Andrew Jacobs and Justin McDaniel. Refreshments will be provided. - 5:15 pm.
April Presentations - Tuesday, April 7th, 4:00 pm Rosemary Ruether, Visiting Professor Claremont Graduate University - "Contemporary Janamsakhis: Interpretation and Application of the Gurus' Tradition for the Modern World" In this talk, Ruether traces the way the idea of God in the Western philosophical and theological tradition was shaped by political and social idealogies. Click here for event flyer (pdf).
Graduate Student Conference Paper Presentations: Wednesday, March 4th, 12:00 pm Toby Johnson, Ph.D candidate, - "Contemporary Janamsakhis: Interpretation and Application of the Gurus' Tradition for the Modern World" This paper seeks to challenge the labeling of the Sikh literature known as the Janamsakhis as hagiographies of Guru Nanak. The homiletic and instructional character of these texts is promoted through an examination of the varied uses of the Sacha Sauda anecdote. Erika Licon, Ph.D. candidate, - "The Jengtung State Chronicle: Legitimizing Tai-Khen Identity"
Sarah Schwartzman, M.A. student - "Prohibitions, Progress, and Dogma: Ethics in the Secular State" The paper discusses scholarly criticisms about the dogmatic and coercive uses of secularism and attempts to think through ethical responses to this problem. It does so by finding a repeated call for ideological humility in the political and ethical writings of Judith Butler, William Connolly, Jeffrey Stout, and Richard Rorty. Richard Greer, M.A. student - "The Jengtung State Chronicle: Legitimizing Tai-Khen Identity" Richard Greer will argue for an underexplored appreciation of myth and local 'superstition' in Burmese historiography. Using a Tai-Khuen chronicle as one example, the talk will explore new interpretations of myths, rituals and chants that arise by apprehending the religious complexity of Southeast Asia and challenge the way scholars think of religion and Buddhism in Southeast Asia in general.
February Presentation - Friday, February 13th, 4:00pm Jonathan L. Walton, Assistant Professor - "Watch This! The Ethics and Aesthetics of BLACK TELEVANGELISM" In the post civil rights era, African American religious broadcasters have a seemingly ubiquitous presence in popular culture. Through their constant television broadcasts, mass video distributions, and printed publications they have greatly influenced the landscape of African American Christian practice. They are on par with popular entertainers and athletes in the African American community as cultural icons even as they are criticized by others for taking advantage of the devout in order to subsidize their lavish lifestyles. For these reasons questions abound. Do televangelists proclaim the message of the gospel or a message of greed? Do they represent the “authentic” voice of the black church or is it the Christian Right in blackface? Does the phenomenon reflect orthodox “Christianity” or ethnocentric “Americaninity” wrapped in religious language? Watch This! seeks to move beyond such polarizing debates by critically delving into the dominant messages and aesthetic styles of African American televangelists, and evaluating their ethical implications. Click here for event flyer (pdf).
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