» Departmental Lecture Series

March 3, 2020
“A New Kind of Peacemaking: Combating Gender Violence in the Congo”
Karen Jo Torjesen
2020 Visiting Griset Chair in Bible and Christian Tradition
Professor Emerita of Religion, Claremont Graduate University

In the wake of decades of war and after soldiers came home, a “culture of rape” followed them.  Sexual violence and domestic violence seemed normalized.  The problem was not merely a matter of crime and punishment but the erosion of community values.  How could this be reverse?  How could a culture of peace be created?  The answer is a story of Christian and Muslim Interfaith leaders, critical readings of Biblical stories of rape, year-long discussions and social action plans.

May 12, 2019
“Finding the Jesus of History”
Dale C. Allison, Jr.
2019 Visiting Griset Chair of Bible and Christian Tradition
Richard J. Dearborn Professor of New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary

For over two centuries now, historians have been about the business of trying to figure out how much we can really know about the historical Jesus. This lecture outlines the story of their quest, highlight problems with how they have typically tried to sort fact from fiction, and then introduces an alternative that takes seriously what we now know about the limitations of human memory.

April 4, 2018
“Why the Dead Sea Scrolls are so Sensational”
James H. Charlesworth
2018 Visiting Griset Chair in Bible and Christian Tradition
George L. Collard Professor of New Testament Language and Literature, Princeton Theological Seminary.

This power-point lecture explains and illustrates why the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls (hidden in eleven caves near the northwestern shores of the Dead Sea before 68 CE) have revolutionized our understanding of pre-70 CE Judaism (when Roman soldiers burned Jerusalem), John the Baptizer, Jesus from Nazareth, and the origins of what would become “Christianity.” 

February 21, 2017
“The Beast, the Antichrist, and 666: An Alternative to Speculation”
Paul N. Anderson
2017 Visiting Griset Chair in Bible and Christian Tradition
Professor of Biblical and Quaker Studies, George Fox University

While these noted Johannine themes and other biblical texts have contributed to amazing paradigms of speculation over the years, this presentation challenges some prevalent views while affirming others.  When viewed in the late first-century historical perspective, the relevance of these biblical texts becomes all the more striking.  This presentation examines crises in the early church with timely implications for faithful discipleship in every generation—an alternative to speculation.

February 29, 2016
“Christ and the Cosmos”
Griset Lecturer Keith Ward
Emeritus Regius Professor of Divinity, Christ Church, Oxford University

Christians need to see Christ in light of the new scientific knowledge about the size and age of the cosmos.  In this lecture, British theologian, philosopher and priest of the Church of England, Keith Ward, attempts to show that the resources of Indian religious thought and of Western Idealism provide a new and illuminating way of doing this.

September 24, 2015
“The Formation of the Bible: Where Scholars Disagree”
Lee Martin McDonald
2015-2016 Visiting Griset Chair in Bible and Christian Tradition
President Emeritus, Acadia Divinity College and Dean, Faculty of Theology, Acadia University

This lecture focuses on some of the most important and debatable issues related to the formation of the Bible and their significance for biblical faith (both Jewish and Christian), highlighting the historical theological, and sociological contexts of its formation. In so doing, Prof. McDonald explores topics such as definitions of scripture and canon, the relevance of ancient artifacts like catalogues of sacred scriptures and the content and text of ancient manuscripts, the reasons some books were included and many more were excluded, and when the processes of formation were complete--issues that continue to divide biblical scholars, raise questions for people of faith, and lie at the heart of the multiple variations in modern translations.

March 9, 2015
How New is the New Testament?  Exploring Continuity and Discontinuity between Early Christianity and Formative Judaism”
Donald A. Hagner
2014-2015 Visiting Griset Chair in Bible and Christian Tradition
George Eldon Ladd Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary

This lecture explores how something so Jewish as the New Testament can be “Christian” and argues that the New Testament in not Jewish or Christian but Jewish and Christian and that Christianity consists of both old things and new things that must be held in balance. (For more on this subject, see Prof. Hagner’s book subsequently published in 2018.)

Oct. 13, 2010
“How to Assess the Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus”
Richard Swinburne
Griset Lecturer
Emeritus Nolloth Professor of the Philosophy of the Christian Religion, Oxford University

Whether or not Jesus rose bodily from the dead remains perhaps the most critical and contentious issue in Christianity.  In this lecture Prof. Swinburne considers the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus and argues that the evidence makes it probable that God raised Jesus from the dead.

October 11, 2010
“Human’s Consist of Two Parts: Body and Soul”
Richard Swinburne
Griset Lecturer
Emeritus Nolloth Professor of the Philosophy of the Christian Religion, Oxford University

Human beings have a mental life of sensation, thought, purpose, desire and belief.  Although these mental states in pa rt cause and are caused by brain states, they are distinct from them.  In this lecture, Prof. Swinburne argues that we can only makes sense of this interaction by supposing that mental states are states of a soul, a mental substance in interaction with the body.

November 12, 2017

Encountering Mary Magdalene Past and Present
Kayleen Asbo
Pacific Graduate Institute and San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Acclaimed cultural historian Kayleen Asbo led the audience through a labyrinth of history, art, interactive experiences, and sacred music in search of the truth about Mary Magdalene’s role in the early days of Christianity and what she might have to teach us about surviving—and thriving—in these complex times. 

February 24, 2015
Imagination and the Art of Interpretation: Reading Scripture and Tradition for the Sake of the World
Ronald L. Farmer
Irvin C. and Edy Chapman Dean of the Wallace All-Faiths Chapel Chair (1997-2011)

Rethinking a religion involves the all-important act of interpretation, a process that is as much an art as it is a science.  Depending on how the process is conceived, the outcomes vary widely.  What if we conceived of the function of language differently?  What if the purpose of language is to spark the imagination of the hearer or reader—to generate fresh proposals about the way things might be—not to communicate fixed, timeless information?  This lecture examines the reconceptualization of the interpretive process by means of a hermeneutical lens derived from Alfred North Whitehead’s understanding of language and perception and then illustrates it with an analysis of the Genesis creation stories.

March 13, 2014
“A Vision of Divine Justice:The Resurrection of Jesus in Eastern Christian Iconography”
John Dominic Crossan

John Dominic Crossan is a specialist in early Christianity and New Testament.  He is a popular lecturer worldwide and the author of more than 30 books on Jesus, Paul and the early Christian movement, including Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography (2009), The Last Week (with Marcus Borg) (2007), and The Power of Parable:  How Fiction by Jesus became Fiction about Jesus (2013).  For more on his lecture topic, see Prof. Crossan’s Resurrecting Easter, co-authored with Sarah Sexton Crosson and published in 2018.

February 28, 2014
“Gender, Animal, Sacrifice:  Biblical Roots and Contemporary Challenges”
Ken Stone, Chicago Theological Seminary
Plenary Speaker, International Conference “Religious Gendering: The Socio-Spiritual [Dis-] Empowerment of Women and Men”

November 14, 2011
“A Tale of Two Cities and a Military Outpost: Megiddo, Samaria and Jezreel”
Dr. Norma Franklin
Field Archeologist, Institute of Archeology, Tel Aviv University

This lecture explored the archaeology and history of the biblical cities of Megiddo, Samaria and Jezreel in Israel. Samaria was the hilltop capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel.  It was the site of the royal palace, the official residence of the kings of Israel and the place of their burial.  Yet the city of Megiddo was strategically more important. Surrounded on three sides by alternating hills and deep valleys, it sat astride the great north-south “Way of the Sea” and overlooked the fertile Jezreel Valley that stretched to the east. The compound of Jezreel, perched on the foothills of the Gilboa range, stood sentry—a small but crucial military outpost.  In her lecture, Dr. Franklin detailed the geography and archaeology of these three great Biblical sites so crucial to our understanding of ancient Israel.

2021
“Contemporary Nahua Ethics, World View, and Religious Pilgrimage in Northern Veracruz, Mexico.”
Drs. Alan and Pamela Sandstrom
Purdue University, Fort Wayne

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) emerges from various cultural and religious Mexican rituals, mixing ancient and colonial as well as newfound present-day customs. The celebration recalls our beloved departed and jests at our own death. The recent popularity of the Disney film Coco has drawn international attention to this Mexican fiesta. Yet the origins of this celebration remain an anthropological and religious puzzle. Did these celebratory death customs rise from Mexico’s Indigenous peoples? Or were these celebrations European colonial imports of the “Dance of the Dead”? And what impact did the Roman Catholic Solemnity of All Souls’ Day play in the evolvement of these fascinating death celebrations?

 2016
“Buddhist Views of the Universe”
Karma Lekshe Tsomo
Professor of Buddhist Studies, University of San Diego

2014
"Keeping Calm Amidst Chaos"
Ven. Thubten Chodron, Abbess of Sravasti Abbey

2014
"Sacred Ground - Why Religious and Non-religious Diversity Matters in the 21st Century"
Eboo Patel, Founder and President of the Interfaith Youth Core

2014
"Transforming the Inner and the Outer: Conversations on Sustainable Spirituality"
Tenzin Priyadarshi, Director, The Dala Lama Center for Ethics and Transformational Values, MIT

2014 International Conference

"Religious Genderings: The Socio-Spiritual [Dis-]Empowerment of Women and Men"

Plenary Speakers

“Gender Dynamics: Negotiating Theory, Ethnography, and Social Change”
Karma Lekshe Tsomo, University of San Diego

“Muslim Women Meet the New Millennium”
Amina Wadud, Graduate Theological Union

“’The Glory of the Princess is Within’: The Strange History of Modesty in Jewish Tradition”
Rachel Alder, Hebrew Union College

2013
“Engendering Emotion?:  The Devotional Theology of an 8th Century Hindu Woman Poet-Mystic”
Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad
Professor of Comparative Religion and Philosophy
Lancaster University, UK

2013
"The Experimental Metaphysics of Free Will: A New Interdisciplinary Dialogue"
Karma Matrix: A Buddhist Perspective on Time and Free Will
 Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi
Director, Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2013
Determined to be Free & Free to be Determined: 
Meditation and Implications for the Art of Observation, Destiny, and Free Will
Gurucharan Singh Khalsa
Director of Training Internationally, Kundalini Research Institute & Khalsa Consultants, Portland, Oregon

2012
Religion Gone Astray: Getting to the Heart of Interfaith
Presented by “The Interfaith Amigos”

Imam Jamal Rahman
Pastor Don Mackenzie
Rabbi Ted Falcon 

The authors of Getting to the Heart of Interfaith and Religion Gone Astray confronted the imperatives and pitfalls of interfaith dialogue with humor and wisdom. Pastor Mackenzie, Rabbi Falcon and Imam Rahman—now known as the Interfaith Amigos—started working together after 9/11. Since then, they have brought their unique blend of spiritual wisdom and humor to audiences in the US, Canada, Israel-Palestine and Japan. Their first book, Getting to the Heart of Interfaith (Skylight Paths, 2009), brought the Interfaith Amigos international attention with coverage from the   New York Times,  CBS News, the BBC and various NPR programs. Karen Armstrong calls their “exuberant and courageous” second book, Religion Gone Astray: What We Found at the Heart of Interfaith (Skylight Paths, 2011), “an inspiration and example for all of us in these sadly polarized times.”

2012
Buddhist Retreat: Vilmalakirti Sutra

Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi
Director, Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The two-day retreat focused on the Vimalakirti Sutra, an early Mahayana Buddhist text with dramatic episodes and expansive views that served as an encouragement that the highest levels of spiritual attainment are open to laypersons.  The retreat was led by Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi a Tibetan monk and Buddhist chaplain at MIT, well-known for his warm, humorous and lucid teachings.

2011
The Secret Jews of Italy: A Journey of Discovery

Rabbi Barbara Aiello
Founder and Director of the Italian Jewish Cultural Center of Calabria
First Woman Rabbi in Italy

In this lecture Rabbi Barbara Aiello explored the extraordinary story of the secret Jews of Calabria and Sicily.  She is the first woman rabbi in Italy and the first non-orthodox rabbi. Rabbi Aiello traces her own roots back to Calabria where her father was raised and where she organized Ner Tamid del Sud, the first active synagogue in the south of Italy in 500 years. Through her work as founder and director of the Italian Jewish Cultural Center of Calabria, many Italians have learned of their Jewish heritage going back to a time when Jews, forced to convert, practiced their Judaism in secret and risked their lives to hold on to Jewish traditions and values.

2011
Dealing with Stress, Anxiety and Anger  

Venerable Thubten Chodron
Internationally renowned author, Tibetan Buddhist nun, and Abbess of the Sravasti Abbey.

In her teaching, Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood by Westerners.

2011
A Contemplative Guide to Joyful Living

Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi
Director, Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Venerable Priyadarshi is a Tibetan monk, well-known for his warm, humorous and lucid teachings that reveal the relevance of Buddhist teachings in the contemporary world.

2009
Restoring Food Democracy

Dr. A. Whitney Sanford
University of Florida

Dr. Whitney Sanford received her Ph.D. in Religious Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and her primary areas of teaching and expertise are Religion and Nature and Religious of Asia. Her current research focuses on environmental movements of the global South, religious attitudes towards agricultural sustainability, and the relationship between agricultural biotechnology and forms of neo-colonialism. Dr. Sanford has done extensive field research in India and in this lecture, she presented a portion of her newest project “Gandhi’s Environmental Legacy: Food Sovereignty and Social Movements” investigating Gandhi’s influence on sustainability and food and water sovereignty movements around the world.

2009
Jihad and Radical Non-Violence in Islam

Dr. Irfan A. Omar
Marquette University

Dr. Irfan Omar specializes in Islamic thought with a special focus on inter-religious connections between Islam and other religions, and on non-violence. A student of the renowned Islamic peace advocate, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, who was himself a companion of Gandhi, Dr. Omar was selected as a Fulbright Senior Scholar in the Faculty of Theology of Muhammadiyah University, Indonesia, for his work on Islam and non-violence.  He has published several books including,   Heirs of Abraham, A Muslim View of Christianity,  Islam and Other Religions,   A Christian View of Islam   and  Islamic Thought in Contemporary India: An Exploration of Maulan Wahiduddin Khan’s Al-Risala Movement.

2009
Islam Taken Captive  

Imam Sayed Moustafa al-Quazwini
Founding Imam, Islamic Educational Center of Orange County

Imam Sayed Moustafa al-Quazwini was born in Karbala, Iraq to an intellectually and scholarly family, who traced their lineage back to the Holy Prophet Muhummad. He initiated his higher theological studies in Islam at the seminary in Qum, under the instruction and guidance of prominent Muslim theologians and philosophers.  In addition to being the founding imam of Islamic Educational Center of Orange County, he has also published numerous books and articles on Islam in Arabic and English and is an avid participant in interfaith dialogue.

2009
Loss of Land & Language Leads to Loss of Theology: A Native American Perspective

Dr. Inés M. Talamantez
University of California, Santa Barbara

Inés M. Talamantez is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  A member of the Mescalero Apache tribe with a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Talamantez is a pioneer of the field and an internationally acclaimed scholar of Native American Religious Traditions. Coming to UCSB in 1978 from Dartmouth, she created a doctoral program with an emphasis on Native American religion.