USU's
religious studies program to host bestselling author
By USU Media Relations and Marketing
January 18, 2008 | LOGAN—Utah State University's Religious
Studies Program brings a national expert on the subject
of religious literacy to campus for a lecture, and everyone
is invited to the free event.
The featured speaker is Stephen Prothero, professor
of religious studies and chair of the religion department
at Boston University. He is the author of the nationally
acclaimed book "Religious Literacy: What Every American
Needs to Know And Doesn't." Prothero’s lecture, "Religious
Literacy," is Friday, Feb. 1, and begins at 3:30 p.m.
in Old Main room 225 (approximately 810 E. 510 North,
Logan).
Charles S. Prebish, the Redd Chair in USU’s Religious
Studies Program, coordinates the visit and said Prothero
was invited to campus because he can speak to Religious
Studies students, and the public alike, in a provocative
but highly understandable fashion.
"His brilliant book 'Religious Literacy: What Every
American Needs to Know And Doesn't' speaks to a significant
dilemma in American religious life in an inspiring way
— one that we believe will assist our students in moving
forth into an increasingly complicated spiritual world
with new insights." Prebish said
Prothero's book is among the most important religious
studies volumes published in 2007. Summarizing the lecture,
Prebish said Prothero's lecture deals with the shocking
religious illiteracy of Americans. Prothero sees this
as a major civic problem and makes the provocative case
that to remedy the problem, the United States should
return to teaching religion in its public schools.
Prothero is the author of numerous books in addition
to the "New York Times" bestseller list's "Religious
Literacy," including 2003's "American Jesus: How the
Son of God Became a National Icon" (Farrar, Straus and
Giroux). He has commented on religion on dozens of National
Public Radio programs and on television on CNN, NBC,
MSNBC, FOX and PBS. His guest appearances on television
range from "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart to "The
Oprah Winfrey Show." He is a regular contributor to
the "Wall Street Journal" and has written for the "New
York Times Magazine," the "New York Times Book Review,"
"Slate," "Salon," the "Washington Post," the "Los Angeles
Times" and the "Boston Globe."
USU's Religious Studies Program now offers a diverse
array of courses to the student body. At the center
of the program are Prebish and Philip Barlow, holders
of the program's first two endowed chairs. Barlow will
be featured in an inaugural lecture Feb. 13.
"The Religious Studies Program is growing rapidly,
and our series of speakers is addressing that growth
and diversity," Prebish said. "Through the guest speakers,
our students can integrate insights into their own studies
and their own religious world."
DM
DM
|
