2024
Monday, September 23, 2024
White Supremacy in the American Elections
Bard Hall 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm EDT/GMT-4 After the Cold War ended American politicians became fond of the mantra, “It's the Economy, Stupid.” They were not wrong, although other factors also have their sway. This autumn's series will consider global crises in which religion plays a central role, sometimes overrules self-interest, and needs to be understood for any address of the situation to be productive. Presented by Bruce Chilton, Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Philosophy and Religion and director of the Institute of Advanced Theology, each lecture will have a different topic on the following Mondays. September 23: White Supremacy in the American Elections October 7: The Confrontation of Orthodoxies in Ukraine October 21: “From the River to the Sea” in Likud's Presentation November 4: “From the River to the Sea” in the Hamas Charter |
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Keith Kahn Harris, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Jewish Policy Research and Senior Lecturer at Leo Baeck College
Olin Humanities, Room 202 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm EDT/GMT-4 The period since October 7, 2023 has seen the emergence of a "complicity discourse" manifested in injunctions to speak publicly about Israel-Palestine. While this is particularly prevalent in pro-Palestinian activism, pro-Israel groups also associate silence with complicity. This lecture explores the profound implications for Jewish life of competing demands that Jews be public. It is becoming necessary for Jews across the political spectrum to re-consider the value of the private, mundane realms of Jewish existence. Keith Kahn-Harris is a British sociologist and writer. He is a senior research fellow at the Institute for Jewish Policy Research and a senior lecturer at Leo Baeck College. The author of eight books, his next book Everyday Jews: Why the Jewish People Are Not Who You Think They Are will be published in March 2025. |
Monday, September 16, 2024
Victoria Hanna
Chapel of the Holy Innocents 5:45 pm – 7:00 pm EDT/GMT-4 Building on ancient Kabbalistic traditions that see language, the voice, and the mouth as tools of cosmic creation, Victoria will reveal the Hebrew alphabet as an instrument for playing with the mouth. By thinking with foundational Kabbalistic texts such as the Book of Creation (Sefer Yetzirah) and the writings of Abraham Abulafia, Victoria will demonstrate how the letters have been, and can be, used for daily work with speech and the body. She will also perform works inspired by the biblical Songs of Solomon, as well as late antique Jewish amulets. Victoria grew up in Jerusalem in an Orthodox Jewish family with roots in Egypt and Iran. She has performed and taught at universities around the world including Yale, Stanford, Berkeley, Michigan University, Virginia Tech, Monash University, Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University. Her work combines Jewish mysticism, Dada, surrealism, and feminism. |
Sunday, May 19, 2024
Dr. Bruce Chilton, Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Philosophy and Religion; Director, Institute of Advanced Theology
The Rhinebeck Reformed Church 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm EDT/GMT-4 |
Monday, April 22, 2024
Erin Dworkin
Sarah Corwith Eckert Olin LC 210 4:00 pm EDT/GMT-4 Erin Dworkin: “‘I Repel His Blows With a Bare Breast:’ The Conversion of an Early Modern Jewish Woman” Sarah Corwith Eckert: “Hungry for McMindfulness? The Effect of Linguistic Framing on Perceptions of Vipassana (Insight Meditation)” The Colloquium on the Interdisciplinary Study of Religions: The colloquium is a forum for the presentation of new works in progress, where students and faculty interested in the study of religions and intersecting fields can gather to share and discuss new research and writing. Following the Lecture please join us for an Open House in the Interdisciplinary Study of Religions. Meet ISR majors and ask questions about moderation and senior project ideas. All are welcome. |
Monday, April 22, 2024
Bruce Chilton, Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Philosophy and Religion; Director, Institute of Advanced Theology
Bard Hall 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EDT/GMT-4 During the past two millennia, systemic ruptures in the understanding of religion and society have shaped the cultural contours of all the lands that once comprised the Roman Empire. These schisms have of course featured in the histories of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, but they also have exerted a profound influence on the ways that people in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and later the Americas conceive of themselves of their relations with one another. Our series will deal in order with: (1) the emergence of Christianity from Judaism and the resulting contention, (2) the breach between the Latin West and the Greek East after the conversion of Constantine, (3) the rise of Islam and the proclamation of the Crusades, (4) the Reformation and its consequences, and (5) the opposition between religion and science in the modern period. This is the final lecture in the series. |
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Finberg House library 10:00 am – 5:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
The 2024 Social Philosophy Workshop brings together early career scholars from across the humanities and social sciences who examine contemporary social and political issues. Papers are pre-read, with workshop time devoted to commentators introducing and responding to each paper, followed by general discussion. Registration is required in order to receive the pre-read papers. The address for Finberg House is 51 Whalesback Road, Red Hook, New York 12571. Generous support for this workshop has been provided by the Philosophy, Politics, and Interdisciplinary Study of Religions programs at Bard; Bard's Office of the Dean of the College; the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard; and the American Philosophical Association. |
Friday, April 19, 2024
Finberg House library 10:00 am – 5:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
The 2024 Social Philosophy Workshop brings together early career scholars from across the humanities and social sciences who examine contemporary social and political issues. Papers are pre-read, with workshop time devoted to commentators introducing and responding to each paper, followed by general discussion. Registration is required in order to receive the pre-read papers. The address for Finberg House is 51 Whalesback Road, Red Hook, New York 12571. Generous support for this workshop has been provided by the Philosophy, Politics, and Interdisciplinary Study of Religions programs at Bard; Bard's Office of the Dean of the College; the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard; and the American Philosophical Association. |
Monday, April 8, 2024
Bruce Chilton, Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Philosophy and Religion; Director, Institute of Advanced Theology
Bard Hall 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EDT/GMT-4 During the past two millennia, systemic ruptures in the understanding of religion and society have shaped the cultural contours of all the lands that once comprised the Roman Empire. These schisms have of course featured in the histories of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, but they also have exerted a profound influence on the ways that people in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and later the Americas conceive of themselves of their relations with one another. Our series will deal in order with: (1) the emergence of Christianity from Judaism and the resulting contention, (2) the breach between the Latin West and the Greek East after the conversion of Constantine, (3) the rise of Islam and response of the Crusades, (4) the Reformation and its consequences, and (5) the opposition between religion and science in the modern period. This series will be on the following Mondays at noon: April 8 and 22. |
Sunday, April 7, 2024
Professor Yitzhak Melamed, Charlotte Bloomberg Professor of Philosophy, Johns Hopkins University
Bard Graduate Center Lecture Hall, NYC 4:00 pm EDT/GMT-4 Yitzhak Y. Melamed is the Charlotte Bloomberg Professor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. He works on Early Modern Philosophy, German Idealism, Medieval Philosophy, and some issues in contemporary metaphysics, and is the author of Spinoza’s Metaphysics: Substance and Thought (Oxford 2013), and Spinoza’s Labyrinths (Oxford, forthcoming). Currently, he is working on the completion of a book on Spinoza and German Idealism, and on an introduction to Spinoza’s philosophy. His research has been featured in BBC (The World Tonight), LeMond, Ha’aretz, Kan Tarbut (Israeli Cultural Radio). This paper argues that the most significant Jewish contribution to modern Western philosophy - the notion of acosmism, according to which only God truly and fully exists - originated in early Hassidism. I will show that through the mediation of Salomon Maimon (1753-1800) this bold notion was adopted from the school of the Maggid of Mezhrich and introduced into the systems of German Idealism. The Bard Graduate Center is located at 38 West 86 street, New York, NY, 10024. |
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Professor Yitzhak Melamed, Charlotte Bloomberg Professor of Philosophy, Johns Hopkins University
Olin 102 5:30 pm EDT/GMT-4 Yitzhak Y. Melamed is the Charlotte Bloomberg Professor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. He works on Early Modern Philosophy, German Idealism, Medieval Philosophy, and some issues in contemporary metaphysics, and is the author of Spinoza’s Metaphysics: Substance and Thought (Oxford 2013), and Spinoza’s Labyrinths (Oxford, forthcoming). Currently, he is working on the completion of a book on Spinoza and German Idealism, and on an introduction to Spinoza’s philosophy. His research has been featured in BBC (The World Tonight), LeMond, Ha’aretz, Kan Tarbut (Israeli Cultural Radio). This talk traces the influence of Spinoza’s early Rabbinic schooling on his writing from the period after he left the Jewish community. It argues that Spinoza is frequently unaware of the formative role of his early Rabbinic education, and that he commonly reads the Bible through Rabbinic eyes without the least being conscious of this fact. If this argument is cogent, it would seem that much more attention should be paid to Spinoza’s early education. Acosmism: Hassidism’s Gift to the Jews… and the World Sunday, April 7th, 2024 | 4:00 pm Bard Graduate Center Lecture Hall, 38 West 86 street, New York, NY, 10024 This paper argues that the most significant Jewish contribution to modern Western philosophy - the notion of acosmism, according to which only God truly and fully exists - originated in early Hassidism. I will show that through the mediation of Salomon Maimon (1753-1800) this bold notion was adopted from the school of the Maggid of Mezhrich and introduced into the systems of German Idealism. Free and open to the public. Register for event here: https://forms.gle/P2qJ6vkciD74e8du6 |
Monday, March 25, 2024
Bruce Chilton, Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Philosophy and Religion; Director, Institute of Advanced Theology
Bard Hall 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EDT/GMT-4 During the past two millennia, systemic ruptures in the understanding of religion and society have shaped the cultural contours of all the lands that once comprised the Roman Empire. These schisms have of course featured in the histories of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, but they also have exerted a profound influence on the ways that people in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and later the Americas conceive of themselves of their relations with one another. Our series will deal in order with: (1) the emergence of Christianity from Judaism and the resulting contention, (2) the breach between the Latin West and the Greek East after the conversion of Constantine, (3) the rise of Islam and the proclamation of the Crusades, (4) the Reformation and its consequences, and (5) the opposition between religion and science in the modern period. This series will be on the following Mondays at noon: March 25, April 8, and April 22. |
Monday, March 11, 2024
Bruce Chilton, Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Philosophy and Religion; Director, Institute of Advanced Theology
Bard Hall 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EDT/GMT-4 During the past two millennia, systemic ruptures in the understanding of religion and society have shaped the cultural contours of all the lands that once comprised the Roman Empire. These schisms have of course featured in the histories of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, but they also have exerted a profound influence on the ways that people in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and later the Americas conceive of themselves of their relations with one another. Our series will deal in order with: (1) the emergence of Christianity from Judaism and the resulting contention, (2) the breach between the Latin West and the Greek East after the conversion of Constantine, (3) the rise of Islam and the proclamation of the Crusades, (4) the Reformation and its consequences, and (5) the opposition between religion and science in the modern period. This series will be on the following Mondays at noon: March 11, March 25, April 8, and April 22. |
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
North end of RKC 3:00 pm EST/GMT-5
Tibetan Buddhist Monks from Kumbum Chamtse Ling & Tashi Kyil Tibetan Buddhist Institute will generate a sand mandala dedicated to the aspiration for world peace in the atrium of RKC. March 1–6 (Friday through Wednesday) the monks will construct the mandala from 10 am – 12:30 pm and 1:30–5 pm Closing Ceremony and Reception: Wednesday, March 6 at 3 pm All are welcome. |
Monday, February 26, 2024
Bruce Chilton, Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Philosophy and Religion; Director, Institute of Advanced Theology
Bard Hall 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EST/GMT-5 During the past two millennia, systemic ruptures in the understanding of religion and society have shaped the cultural contours of all the lands that once comprised the Roman Empire. These schisms have of course featured in the histories of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, but they also have exerted a profound influence on the ways that people in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and later the Americas conceive of themselves of their relations with one another. Our series will deal in order with: (1) the emergence of Christianity from Judaism and the resulting contention, (2) the breach between the Latin West and the Greek East after the conversion of Constantine, (3) the rise of Islam and the proclamation of the Crusades, (4) the Reformation and its consequences, and (5) the opposition between religion and science in the modern period. This series will be on the following Mondays at noon: February 26, March 11, March 25, April 8, and April 22. |
Monday, February 12, 2024
Erin Atwell, PhD candidate
Olin 205 5:30 pm EST/GMT-5 While American religious institutions struggle against the rising tide of the “nones,” those who identify as religiously unaffiliated, al-Azhar in Egypt is thriving. Every day, over a million people from around the world come to al-Azhar, the thousand-year-old institution of Sunni Muslim learning. Across its many institutes, schools, research centers, and in its storied mosque, people flock to al-Azhar to hear its scholars preach. While preaching can differ greatly depending on context, location, speaker, and audience, all preaching at al-Azhar shares one crucial characteristic: citation of the early Islamic textual tradition. In this talk, I explore citation as a virtuous practice that cultivates and is cultivated by the central Islamic concept of godfearingness. We will examine this relationship between godfearingness and citation through ethnography among recently appointed women preachers at al-Azhar, and literary analysis of citational content in preacher training manuals. Fear is often understood to be an unpleasant emotion. Tacking between early Islamic texts and the art of citation that articulates them, I invite us to consider how the pious fear of God emerges as a virtue that unfolds into a vibrant form of life. |
Thursday, February 8, 2024
Raissa von Doetinchem de Rande, PhD
Olin 102 5:00 pm EST/GMT-5 The question of our shared human nature has intrigued thinkers since antiquity. However, in times of persistent threats against human rights and just societies on a global scale, the issue of whether there are certain qualities, inclinations, or capabilities that are natural to all and thus bind and dignify each human being continues to animate debates in our societies. While in our search for answers we often turn to the Classics—from Plato and Aristotle, to the Bible and the Church fathers—we lack adequate accounts of the relevant debates and assumptions from Islamic perspectives. Given the contemporary importance and historical centrality of Islamic thought, this is a gap we cannot afford. My talk will focus on the ways Islamic thinkers have engaged the Qur’anic concept of the fiṭra. As I will argue, this concept is an excellent place to begin learning about Islamic perspectives on human nature and allows us to incorporate such perspectives into our present debates. |