NEWS AND EVENTS

Undergraduate News

Congratulations

to Thomas Niblock, undergraduate Religion major, for receiving an invitation to accept membership in Phi Beta Kappa!!
The faculty and staff of the Department of Religious Studies commend you on this outstanding achievement.

Upcoming Lectures

Dennis McGilvray from the University of Colorado, Boulder will give a lecture on "Sufis, Saints, and Dargahs: Dimensions of Popular Islam in Sri Lanka and South India" on Tuesday, October 24 at 12:00, third floor, Gilmore Hall. Dr. McGilvray's research and writing have focused upon the study of matrilineal kinship & marriage patterns, Hindu caste organization, cultural identity and ethnic conflict, and the religious and ritual practices of Tamil-speaking Hindus and Muslims in the eastern coastal region of Sri Lanka.  This lecture is co-sponsored by the Global Health Studies Program and the South Asian Studies Program.

Sonia Sands Lecture - Thursday, October 26 at 7:30 in 106 Gilmore Hall
Steven Nadler, Professor of Philosophy and Max and Frieda Weinstein-Bascom Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. will give the 2006 Sonia Sands Lecture titled "Spinoza the Atheist".

Dr. David Jasper, Professor of Literature and Theology at the University of Glasgow, will present as a part of the Geneva Lecture Series: "Ascetism as a Way of Love: The Life and Loves of a Desert Saint" with Prof. Lori Branch from the UI English Department as a respondent. This will be held Wednesday November 8 at 7:30 pm in 107 English-Philosophy Building. He will also present a colloquium titled "Literature and Religious Studies: Challenges and Opportunities for New Interdisciplinary Work" on Friday, November 10 at 1:30 in Gerber Lounge (Rm. 304), EPB.

Faculty News

Professor Ralph Keen lead a four week seminar From June 12-16, K-12 teachers will delve into the dynamics of modern conflict, focusing on the religious element of violence and the tension between religious and political identities in present-day Europe. Click here for more information and to see the University of Iowa news release.

Professor Diana Cates participated in "The New Symposium" which convened writers, artists and thinkers from America, Greece and around the world to focus on "The Commons" -- what we hold in common May 17-24 on the Greek island of Paros. Organized by the International Writing Program at The University of Iowa, the symposium was funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is co-sponsored by the Fulbright Foundation in Greece, EKEMEL (European Translation Center -- Literature & Human Sciences) and the Office of the Mayor of Paros.

Participants will prepare essays on the theme, which will form a common ground for the discussions, and which will later be published in a single volume. The volume will include an introduction and an edited transcript of the discussions -- a colloquy of voices from the gathering. For more information follow this link to the press release from the University of Iowa.
 

Recent Article Published by Religious Studies Graduate Student

Pankaj Jain published "Householders and Renouncers: The Holistic Combination in Indian Thought," which is in Studies in Vedanta: Essays in Honor of Professor S. S. Rama Rao Pappu, 2006.

Death of Emeritus Professor Boyle The Reverend John P. Boyle, a longtime member of the Department of Religious Studies at The University of Iowa, passed away on 23 February 2006 at St. Patrick’s Residence in Naperville, Illinois following an extended illness. He was 74 years old. Father Boyle joined what was then the School of Religion in 1972 and taught Catholic theology and ethics until his retirement in 1998. He also served as director of the School from 1979 to 1989. Born in Iowa City on 23 August 1931, Father Boyle studied for his undergraduate degree at St. Ambrose University and later received a doctorate in theology from Fordham University. Among his many publications, perhaps the best know is The Sterilization Issue: A New Crisis for the Catholic Hospital? (New York, 1977). In addition to his teaching and scholarship, Father Boyle was an active member of the Catholic pastorate, having been ordained at the North American College in Rome on 16 December 1956. John Boyle will be missed by his family and friends, many students and admiring colleagues. Memorials may be directed to The University of Iowa Foundation, 500 LUCA, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, in support of the Figge Chair in Catholic Studies (30-143-029) or the John P. Boyle Award in Catholic Studies (30-143-028).

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