Spring Humanities Symposium at Messiah College explores expressions of faith in the public square through a series of lectures, films and colloquia
February 2nd, 2009
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GRANTHAM, Pa. (Feb. 2, 2009) — Presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton spoke at Messiah College during The Compassion Forum about how their personal faith would inform political decisions. Now, Messiah College will explore how the many aspects of faith in the public square serve as a driving force of human life in its annual Spring Humanities Symposium – “Faith in the Public Square” – taking place Feb. 23-27. Symposium keynote speaker Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life and professor of political science at Boston College, will provide the keynote address, “Who’s Afraid of American Religion,” on Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. in Brubaker Auditorium in the Eisenhower Campus Center on the college’s Grantham campus. Other featured lecturers include Imam Yaya Hendi, first Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University; Richard Hughes, senior fellow in the Boyer Center and distinguished professor of religion at Messiah College; and Edward Davis, distinguished professor of the history of science at Messiah College. The entire symposium is free and open to the public.
In addition, students, faculty and guest lecturers will highlight the relationship between public expressions of faith and their profound impacts on society through films, discussions and lectures. The complete symposium schedule is available at www.messiah.edu/schools/humanities/center/symposium.
The annual symposium is sponsored by Messiah College’s Center for Public Humanities.
About keynote speaker Alan Wolfe
Wolfe is well known for his work on American politics and religion. He has researched, written, taught and lectured extensively on the subjects of politics, morals, American religion and democracy, and the role of the public intellectual. With numerous books to his credit, he contributes regularly to a number of journals, newspapers and magazines. He currently chairs a task force of the American Political Science Association on “Religion and Democracy in America.” He also serves on the advisory boards of Humanity in Action and the Future of American Democracy Foundation, and is on the president’s advisory board of the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities. In the fall of 2004, Wolfe was the George H.W. Bush Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin.
Symposium event highlights
•Feb. 23
Lecture, 7-8:15 p.m., Boyer Hall, room 131: “Intelligent Design on Trial” by Edward B. Davis, distinguished professor of the history of science at Messiah College, will explain some of the main ideas associated with intelligent design, discuss the political and educational goals and strategies of the intelligent design movement, and review the Kitzmiller v. Dover School Board trial.
Film, 8:30 p.m., Boyer Hall, room 137: “Theologians Under Hitler”
•Feb. 24
Lecture, 7-8:15 p.m., Frey Hall, Alexander Auditorium: “Islam and Higher Education in the United States” by Imam Yaya Hendi, Muslim chaplain at Georgetown University, provides a unique perspective of the role of Islam in liberal education.
Film, 8:30 p.m. Boyer Hall, room 137: “Primate [Prymas – trzy lata z tysiaca]”
• Feb. 25
Lecture, 7-8:15 p.m., Boyer Hall, room 131: “Christian America and the Kingdom of God,” Richard T. Hughes, senior fellow in the Boyer Center and distinguished professor of religion at Messiah College, will examine whether the notion of “Christian America” is an accurate descriptor.
Film, 8:30 p.m., Boyer Hall, room 137: “Struggle for the Soul of Islam: Inside Indonesia”
• Feb. 26
Keynote lecture, 8-9:15 p.m., Brubaker Auditorium, Eisenhower Campus Center: “Who’s Afraid of American Religion,” Alan Wolfe, Director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life and professor of political science at Boston College. More and more these days, one hears worries that theocracy of some sort is about to be established in the United States. Wolfe will argue against such an idea on three grounds: separation of church and state; lack of one majority religion; and the way in which Americans practice their faith.
•Feb. 27
Talk-back session on the keynote address, 4 p.m., Boyer Hall, room 131
About Messiah College
Messiah College, a private Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences, enrolls 2,800 undergraduate students in more than 60 majors. Established in 1909, the primary campus is located in Grantham, Pa., near the state capital of Harrisburg. A satellite campus affiliated with Temple University is located in Philadelphia.