How Religion Matters in an Age of Extinction

Kaplan 365

In person (Kaplan 365) or on Zoom Could knowledge about biodiversity loss be advanced through inquiry into the study of religion? Emerging from a lab that integrates humanities, arts, and...

Who Really Wrote the Bible: The Story of the Scribes

314 Royce Hall

Who wrote the Bible? Its books have no bylines. Tradition long identified Moses as the author of the Pentateuch, with Ezra as editor. Ancient readers also suggested that David wrote...

And God Laughed: Humor in the Bible

Online on Zoom

Since the Hebrew Bible is a sacred text for Jews and Christians many readers naturally assume it cannot contain any humor. This talk will explore several biblical narratives that employ humor to make serious theological points. Becoming aware of such biblical humor can enrich our understanding of these stories and of certain theological ideas the...

Navigating Religious Ethics: Beyond Secular Boundaries

Kaplan 365

This talk by Mairaj Syed (UC Davis) explores why religious ethical traditions should be studied not only descriptively but also as normative resources for constructive inquiry. In the secular academy, explicit normative engagement is often confined to philosophy departments. This raises a critical question: why should the study of ethics—especially religious and non-Western systems—be limited...

The Great Search with John Philip Newell

Royce Hall 306

The story of Adam and Eve’s fall from innocence in the Garden of Eden is a mythical account of humanity’s broken relationship with the divine, with Earth, and with themselves. In contrast, Celtic wisdom is built on a strong bond with Earth. In the prophetic figures that author John Philip Newell draws from in his...