March 29, 2012
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University Religion Department will hold a Religion Colloquium on Friday, March 30 in the Beckman Auditorium of The Ames Library (1 Ames East, Bloomington). Student research projects will be presented at 4 p.m., followed by a special guest lecture at 5 p.m. by Robert Gimello. The event is free and open to the public.
The colloquium will feature the department’s senior seminar students, including: Cassie Jordan ’12, presenting on “Protestant Christianity and Modern Communist China: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back,” Rikkilee Moser ’12, presenting on “Revelationary Revolution: The Influence of Christian-Muslim Tension on the Secession of South Sudan,” Erica Rudie ’12, presenting on “Raelian Sexuality,” and Kristi Walin ’12 presenting on “A Catholic Singularity? Ray Kurzweil’s Post-humanity Parallels St. Thomas Aquinas’ Union with God.”
Gimello will speak on “Philosophers and Goddesses: Doctrinal Discourse and Occult Practice in Chinese Buddhism.” Gimello is a research professor of theology and of East Asian languages and cultures in the department of theology at the University of Notre Dame. He has served as president of the Society for the Study of Chinese Religion, was a founding member of the Kuroda Institute for the Study of Buddhism, and has recently joined the editorial board of the journal, Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture.
For additional information contact Religion Department chair Kevin Sullivan at ksulliva@iwu.edu.
Contact: Natalya Grabavoy ‘13, (309) 556-3181, univcomm@iwu.edu