Professor of Religion, Boston University
**Event is Postponed until 9/27/12***
God is Not One
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.
Are the world’s religions different paths up the same mountain? This is doubtless the prevailing sentiment. But, as Stephen Prothero persuasively argues, this sentiment is naive, dangerous, and untrue. In this talk, he provides a timely and indispensable guide to understanding the great religions, from Islam (which he ranks as the most influential) to Daoism (the least). What makes each tick? What are the similarities between them? But more importantly, what are the differences? It’s on this last point — the differences — that Prothero offers the greatest illumination. He is convinced that the way to real and enduring interreligious understanding, especially after 9/11, lies not with “pretend pluralism,” but with a clear-eyed knowledge of religious difference. Prothero has appeared on the Colbert Report, taught a course about religion on Twitter, and routinely uses New Yorker cartoons to get his point across. In other words, he can speak, with both deep intelligence and broad accessibility, about religion for a mass audience.
Biography (provided by the speaker)
Though America is one of the most religious places on Earth, in reality, its citizens know little about religion. In his provocative book Religious Literacy, Stephen Prothero addresses this national crisis, and offers solutions. One of them is mandatory academic study of world religions in public schools. The more that Americans know about religion — whether or not they themselves are religious — the less likely they will be to defer, through sheer ignorance, to politicians who often frame their actions in a religious context. In his latest book, God is Not One, Prothero looks at the differences between religions and how they have shaped the world. Religious plurality, or the idea that each religion is just a “different way up the same mountain”, is a dangerous belief. The sooner we can understand the differences between religions, the more we can figure out how to achieve religious tolerance and co-existence. Prothero’s bestselling books have inspired a Time cover story, and has landed Prothero (“a world-religions scholar with the soul of a late-night television comic” — Newsweek), on Oprah, The Daily Show and as a speaker on religious literacy at the White House. Religious ignorance is not bliss, he shows us. It can be dangerous.
Can citizens understand the War in Iraq without knowledge of Islam? Can they debate gay marriage or stem-cells without knowledge of the Bible? In his talks, Prothero shows us that Americans don’t know much about their own religions — much less those of others. He then makes an elegant, timely argument for why religion must become the “fourth R” of education. Only by teaching students in high school and in colleges about the Bible and the world’s religions (in an academic sense), can we equip them to understand American politics and world affairs. An intelligent, engaging presenter, Prothero presents a balanced understanding of one of the most highly charged issues of our time.
Prothero is a professor of religion at Boston University. He earned his Ph.D. in religion from Harvard, and is a specialist in Asian religious traditions in the United States. He is a regular contributor to CNN.com’s Belief Blog. He is also the author of American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon, is a frequent guest on NPR, has appeared on The Today Show and The O’Reilly Factor, and has written for Salon.com and The New York Times Magazine.
Mary Ellen Borges Memorial Lecture
The purpose of this Memorial Lecture is to honor the life and ministry of Mary Ellen Borges by establishing an annual event which will feature a person well qualified to address topics of importance relating to spiritual or social issues.
Such presentations may address a wide range of topics and issues which might have contemporary application or interest, or historical importance. These topics would not be limited to theological, biblical, or ecclesiastical issues, but also could include ethical, societal, psychological, philosophical, and scientific topics.
As a joint venture of St. John’s Episcopal Church, on the Square, Carlisle and the Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, this annual lecture is intended to bring the area religious community and the college community together as topics of importance and presenters of recognized accomplishment and authority are invited to address both constituent sponsoring groups.
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