faculty news

Fall 2024 Lester Lecture: "Polyvalence, Ambiguity and the Politics of Islamic Studies"

Alex Hartburg — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 22:22:58 +0000

Fall 2024 Lester Lecture: "Polyvalence, Ambiguity and the Politics of Islamic Studies" Alex Hartburg Tue, 10/29/2024 - 16:22

We invite you to join us for the Fall 2024 Lester Lecture: "Polyvalence, Ambiguity and the Politics of Islamic Studies," by Dr. Marion Katz.

Thursday, November 14th, 5:30 PM

Eaton Humanities 250

Over the last several decades, polyvalence (in the sense of the simultaneous recognition of multiple potentially valid meanings) and the related phenomenon of ambiguity have become established themes –and implicitly central values- of the western academic study of premodern Islam. Conversely, accounts of the impact of colonialism and the transition to modern forms of Islamic thought have often thematized the rise of monovalent and unambiguous ways of reading and thinking. This trend has helpfully highlighted the diversity and richness of premodern Islamic thought. However, it has also become a trope with unexamined political valences.

Marion Katz is a Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at New York University. Her books include Prayer in Islamic Thought and Practice (2013), Women in the Mosque: A History of Legal Thought and Social Practice (2014), and Wives and Work: Islamic Law and Ethics Before Modernity (2022).

This event is free and open to the public. Snacks and refreshments will be served.

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Manufacturing Consent for Hindu Rashtra (Rule) with Professor Dheepa Sundaram

Alex Hartburg — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 17:31:49 +0000

Manufacturing Consent for Hindu Rashtra (Rule) with Professor Dheepa Sundaram Alex Hartburg Wed, 09/18/2024 - 11:31

We welcome you to mark your calendars for a talk with Professor Dheepa Sundaram on Manufacturing Consent for Hindu Rashtra (Rule): How the Virtual Ramjanmabhoomi Movement Operates as Political Religion.

Thursday, September 26, 2024
5:30PM - 6:30 PM
Eaton HUMN 250

On November 9, 2019, the Indian Supreme Court (ISC) rendered a decision granting Hindus the right to build a Rama temple on the location of Babri Masjid razed by Hindu extremists in 1992. This talk explores the broad contours of the ISC judgement, how Facebook and Twitter communities discuss it, and why this matters politically in India. Prof. Sundaram shows how the ISC’s judgement becomes possible through the production of a mediatized, transnational, Hindu belief community (e.g. social media, blogs, and the sharing of journal/televised news pieces) that takes shape through a virtual/digital network of likes, shares, and hashtags.

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Reading and Writing Philosophy and Theology in the School of Hilla with Aun Hasan Ali

Alex Hartburg — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:48:28 +0000

Reading and Writing Philosophy and Theology in the School of Hilla with Aun Hasan Ali Alex Hartburg Thu, 09/12/2024 - 09:48

Please join Aun Hasan Ali for “Reading and Writing Philosophy and Theology in the School of Hilla” on Wednesday, September 18 at 4:30 pm in the Lory Student Center at Colorado State University.

From the second half of the 12th to the last decades of the 14th century, the city of Hilla in southern Iraq was the center of Twelver Shii scholarship. During this time, Twelver Shii scholars produced outstanding and landmark works in practically every field of classical Islamic scholarship. In the first part of this presentation, Ali examines how the legacy of philosophy and theology shaped the representation of Twelver Shii tradition in Hilla. In the second part, he examines the actual study of and writings on philosophy and theology in Hillah. Ali argues that modern scholars’ interest in the high theology and philosophy has led to a distorted picture of what is recognizable as the formative period of Twelver Shii tradition.

Aun Hasan Ali is an associate professor here in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. He received his PhD in Islamic Studies from McGill University. His research revolves around Shi’i intellectual history, especially law and legal theory.

More information!

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Conversations with Dr. Brian Catlos and Dr. Holly Gayley at JLF Colorado

Alex Hartburg — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 14:10:08 +0000

Conversations with Dr. Brian Catlos and Dr. Holly Gayley at JLF Colorado Alex Hartburg Fri, 09/06/2024 - 08:10

Dr. Brian Catlos and Dr. Holly Gayley will be participating in conversations at JLF Colorado. Join them on September 14 and 15 to experience the vibrant energy of the Jaipur Literature Festival, famously hailed as "the greatest literary show on Earth" by Tina Brown.

Information and registration: https://jlflitfest.org/colorado

The Bone Chests: Unlocking the Secrets of the Anglo-Saxons
12:00 PM MT to 01:00 PM MT, September 14, 2024
Skyscapes, Boulder Public Library
Cat Jarman in conversation with Brian A. Catlos

Bioarcheologist and academic Cat Jarman's recent book, The Bone Chests, takes a deep dive into ancient relics and burial sites, unveiling stories of early medieval England. Jarman's research illuminates the lives, deaths, and cultural practices of the Anglo-Saxons, challenging long-held perceptions and offering fresh insights. In conversation with academic and writer Brian A Catlos, Jarman discusses the scientific techniques used, and the historical significance of her discoveries, bringing the past vividly to life.

The Sea in the Middle
1:15 PM MT to 2:15 PM MT, September 15, 2024
Skyscapes, Boulder Public Library
Brian A. Catlos in conversation with Mohit Satyanand

Evaluating the Mediterranean world and observing the role played by the populations of Africa, Asia, and Europe in an age when Christians, Muslims, and Jews engaged with each other in both conflict and collaboration, Brian A. Catlos observes the development of modernity and discusses the multilayered links spanning across geography, faith, and socioeconomic constructs that made our world the way it is today. In conversation with entrepreneur and investor Mohit Satyanand.

The Legacy of Words
1:15 PM MT to 2:15 PM MT, September 15, 2024
Canyon Theater, Boulder Public Library
Navdeep Suri, Andrew Schelling and Holly Gayley in conversation with Parul Kapur

The “Legacy of Words” is a conversation facilitated by Parul Kapur with three translators, Navdeep Suri, Holly Gayley, and Andrew Schelling, who have endeavored to retrieve the legacy of the past for contemporary readers through translating and transcreating across texts and memories. They will speak about their commitment to and the challenges in the transmission of narratives and poetry across cultures.

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Joshua Perez named an Amazing Graduate of 2024

Anonymous — Fri, 10 May 2024 22:00:09 +0000

Joshua Perez named an Amazing Graduate of 2024 Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/10/2024 - 16:00

The College of Arts and Sciences celebrates the wide range of graduating students who leave their mark on the college in truly unique ways. To recognize these outstanding students for 2024, the College of Arts and Sciences asked for nominations across campus. The Department of Religious Studies nominated Joshua Perez, who was nothing short of amazing throughout his time here.

When asked what he would carry with him into the next chapter of his life he responded:

"My time at CU was not an easy one, since I had to put myself through school by working not only through the summer, but also during the school semesters and striving through all the challenges that the world had put in front of me.

Even though it was a difficult journey, the one thing that kept me going when challenges came my way and moments of doubt saturated my mind was curiosity that colored the world with interest and wonder. That is what I will always carry."

RLST faculty praised Joshua’s efforts as follows:

"Joshua is a double major in philosophy and religious studies. He is an amazing graduate because he is vociferously curious and intellectually daring. Not only does he stand out for his excellent participation in class discussions, but he often stayed after class and came to office hours to pose serious questions and even objections to the material. Despite having to work long hours to put himself through college, he has demonstrated a rare commitment to the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, going above and beyond the assigned reading to do his own research outside of class on challenging topics. His questions, comments and written work demonstrate a higher-than-average knowledge of issues and thinkers in both Western and Eastern philosophy and religious studies. It is outstanding to be an undergraduate student who can engage with such a broad range of philosophical issues at such a deep level. We know he has a very bright future ahead!"

Follow the link below to learn more about the other amazing grads from the Class of 2024!

Amazing Grads 2024

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Must-Listen Podcasts with Brian Catlos

Anonymous — Tue, 07 May 2024 15:58:31 +0000

Must-Listen Podcasts with Brian Catlos Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/07/2024 - 09:58

Dr. Brian Catlos has been very busy this year! He recently had time to record a few podcasts. From shedding light on historical figures such as Isabella of Castile, to in depth analysis of the history of al-Andalus, Catlos's podcasts offer new perspectives on historic topics. Read on to access these captivating podcasts and an illuminating panel that took place this February.

Empire

142. Isabella of Castile: Uniting Spain

To some she is Europe’s first great queen, to others she is one of history’s great villains, but there is no doubt that Isabella of Castile holds one of the most significant legacies in European history. Born third in line to the throne of Castile, she asserted herself and rose to be queen of Castile and then through her fiery marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon, laid the foundations for the unification of Spain. But as soon as she rose to dominance, she made it clear that she was willing to use terror to enforce her rule.

Listen here!

143. Isabella of Castile: The Spanish Inquisition, the conquest of Granada, and Columbus

For centuries Spain had been an outlier in Europe due to its religious diversity; Christians, Jews, and Muslims all existed reasonably peacefully across the Iberian peninsula. Under Isabella of Castile that all changed. She began the Spanish Inquisition and brought to the fore a religious fundamentalism that would eventually force out of the country the Muslims and the Jews. In the epoch defining year of 1492, she also conquered Granada with her husband Ferdinand, ending the era of Islamic Spain, and gave patronage to Columbus as he took his first voyage to the new world.

Listen here!

Muslim Footprints

Ep 8: Muslim Spain with Professor Brian Catlos

Muslims governed for almost a thousand years in the Iberian Peninsula, with Arabo-Islamic culture leading the way in science and art, philosophy and theology. It’s a period known for its cosmopolitanism – where Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived and worked together in peaceful coexistence. The history of al-Andalus is not one of foreign occupation. It is not an anomaly, nor is it an exception. It represents, rather, an integral part of the historical process that created not only modern Spain and Portugal but modern Europe too.

Listen here!

The Sea in the Middle: The Mediterranean World | Brian A. Catlos & Josephine Quinn with Sanjoy K Roy

3 February 2024, Jaipur Literary Festival

Evaluating the Mediterranean world and observing the role played by the populations of Africa, Asia, and Europe in an age when Christians, Muslims, and Jews engaged with each other in both conflict and collaboration, this engaged panel discussed the multilayered links spanning across geography, faith and socio economic constructs which made our world the way it is today.

Watch the panel here!

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Being, Consciousness and the Self: Events with Muhammad U. Faruque

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 20:47:56 +0000

Being, Consciousness and the Self: Events with Muhammad U. Faruque Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/03/2024 - 14:47

Please join us for events with Muhammad U. Faruque (University of Cincinnati) in Eaton Humanities next week on April 15th and 16th!

The Problem of Being: Ontology in Contemporary Islamic Philosophy
HUMN 230 | Monday, 15 April 2024, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Register here
Mullā Ṣadrā (d. 1640) is one of the greatest of all Islamic philosophers matched only by the likes of Ibn ʿArabī (d. 1240), Avicenna (d. 1037) and Suhrawardī (d. 1191). A wide-ranging thinker and philosopher, Ṣadrā left a great body of work spanning a vast array of fields from logic,philosophical Sufism (ʿirfān), ethics (akhlāq) to natural philosophy/physics (ṭabīʿiyyāt), ontology, and metaphysics (ilāhiyyāt). His oeuvre comprises over forty-five works (some in several volumes) that draw on practically every field of Islamic intellectual learning from its inception until his own day. Mullā Ṣadrā is, above all, a philosopher of wujūḍ (being/existence). Hence, my focus in this workshop on Bidāyat al-ḥikmawill be the Ontology part of the book. Following Ṣadrā, ʿAllāma Ṭabāṭabāʾī defends the primacy of being (aṣālat al-wujūd) in the debate between being and essence (wujūd wa māhiyya), which is one of the central issues in Islamic philosophy. Bidāya also explains the unique doctrine of the gradation of being (tashkīk al-wujūd). For Ṣadrā and his commentators, the problem of “being” (wujūd) is the foundation of all philosophical principles, the basis of metaphysical inquiries, and the pole around which rotates the science of unity, the science of the return (maʿād), and the science of soul.

Opening Pandora’s Box: AI, ChatGPT, and the Mystery of Consciousness
HUMN 250 | Tuesday, 16 April 2024, 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Register here
In light of the emergence of ChatGPT and the hysteria around it, it would not be an understatement to suggest that we are getting close to Alan Turing’s dream of creating an intelligent machine. Yet, one wonders if it would ever be possible to develop an AI with a human-level consciousness, as proclaimed by such AI enthusiasts as Kurzweil, Bostrom, Harari, and others. In this talk, I argue that this is an impossible dream which rests on a fundamental misunderstanding concerning the nature of consciousness. In contrast to most contemporary theories of consciousness that either treat it as an “epiphenomenon” or “psychologize” it in terms of qualia and subjective feel, I argue that consciousness is always fundamental, at once self-luminous and self-cognizant. I also argue that the problem of AI ultimately hinges on how we define our values, which ultimately determine what it means to be human in a technocentric world.

Sculpting the Self: Islam, Selfhood, and Human Flourishing
HUMN 250 | Tuesday, 16 April 2024, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Register here
Sculpting the Self addresses “what it means to be human” in a secular, post-Enlightenment world by exploring notions of selfhood and subjectivity in Islamic and non-Islamic literatures, including modern philosophy and neuroscience. Alongside detailed analyses of three major Islamic thinkers, this study also situates their writings on selfhood within the wider constellation of related discussions in late modern and contemporary thought, which allows the book to develop its inquiry within a spectrum theory of selfhood, incorporating bio-physiological, socio-cultural, and ethico-spiritual modes of discourse and meaning-construction. Weaving together insights from several disciplines such as religious studies, philosophy, anthropology, critical theory, and neuroscience, and arguing against views that narrowly restrict the self to a set of cognitive functions and abilities, this study proposes a multidimensional account of the self that offers new options for addressing central issues in the contemporary world, including spirituality, human flourishing, and meaning in life.

Muhammad U. Faruque’s research lies at the intersection of philosophy, science, and environmental studies, especially in relation to the Islamic intellectual tradition. He earned his PhD (with distinction) from the University of California, Berkeley, and served as Exchange Scholar at Harvard University and as George Ames Postdoctoral Fellow at Fordham University. His highly acclaimed book Sculpting the Self (University of Michigan Press, 2021) addresses “what it means to be human” in a secular, post-Enlightenment world by exploring notions of selfhood and subjectivity in Islamic and non-Islamic philosophical literatures, including modern philosophy and neuroscience. Dr. Faruque is the author of three books and over forty-five academic articles, which have appeared (or are forthcoming) in numerous peer-reviewed journals such as Philosophy East and West, Arabic Sciences and Philosophy (Cambridge), Brill Journal of Sufi Studies, Religious Studies (Cambridge), Brill Journal of Islamic Ethics, and Ancient Philosophy. He has delivered lectures in many North American, European, Asian, and Middle Eastern universities. He gives public lectures on a wide of range of topics such as climate change, spirituality, meditation, A.I., Islamic psychology, and Islam and the West. He is also a recipient of numerous awards, grants, and fellowships, including the prestigious Templeton Foundation Global Philosophy of Religion grant and the Title IV Grant, U.S. Dept. of Education.

Register here for “The Problem of Being: Ontology in Contemporary Islamic Philosophy” (15 April)

Register here for “Opening Pandora’s Box: AI, ChatGPT, and the Mystery of Consciousness” (16 April)

Register here for “Sculpting the Self: Islam, Selfhood, and Human Flourishing” (16 April)

This event is hosted and sponsored by the CU Mediterranean Studies Group, an interdisciplinary collaborative group which promotes teaching and research in Mediterranean Studies as most broadly construed. This event is made possible by the generous support of Religious Studies, Jewish Studies, Humanities, the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization, Classics, History, French & Italian, Asian Languages and Civilizations, Spanish and Portuguese, Philosophy, Art and Art History, the Renée Crown Wellness Institute, Center for Humanities and the Arts, and the Center for Asian Studies.

For more information and programming go to www.cumediterranean.info.

We hope to see you there! Please let us know if you have any questions.

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Davíd Carrasco returning to teach the Summer Course: Native American and Indigenous Religious Traditions: Shamans, Cities and Ceremonies

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 16:17:04 +0000

Davíd Carrasco returning to teach the Summer Course: Native American and Indigenous Religious Traditions: Shamans, Cities and Ceremonies Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/21/2024 - 10:17

Davíd Carrasco (Neil L. Rudenstine Professor of the Study of Latin America at Harvard University) will be returning to CU to teach a summer course “Native American and Indigenous Religious Traditions: Shamans, Cities and Ceremonies” in the Religious Studies Department. Carrasco is a Mexican American historian of religions with particular interest in Mesoamerican ceremonial centers, shamanism and rites of renewal. His studies with historians of religions at the University of Chicago inspired him to work on the question, "where is your sacred place," and the challenges of postcolonial ethnography and theory, and on the practices and symbolic nature of ritual violence in comparative perspective. Working with Mexican archaeologists, he has carried out research in the excavations and archives associated with the sites of Teotihuacan and Mexico-Tenochtitlan resulting in Religions of Mesoamerica, City of Sacrifice, and Quetzalcoatl and the Irony of Empire.

He is co-producer of the film “Alambrista: The Director's Cut,” which puts a human face on the life and struggles of undocumented Mexican farm workers in the United States, and he edited Alambrista and the U.S.-Mexico Border: Film, Music, and Stories of Undocumented Immigrants (University of New Mexico Press). Carrasco appeared in three recent films, the PBS series “Native America” plus ”Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am” and one about the sportscaster “Gus Johnson: Back to School.”

Course summary below:

Native American and Indigenous Religious Traditions: Shamans, Cities and Ceremonies
RLST 2700 / ETHN 2703 | 3.0
In Person - Term B
July 9 - August 9

This course studies the religious lifeways of diverse Indigenous peoples in North America, including Mesoamerica. The course considers the cosmovisions, ceremonies and empires of the Aztecs, Maya, Apsáalooke, Cheyenne, Lakota among others. We explore ceremonies for healing, movements of social resistance to colonialism, caretaking for ecology and ancestors in comparative perspective. We read memoirs, novels, ethnographies and testimonies in relation to anthropology and religious studies approaches.

Enroll Today! Summer Session Info

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What is an Islamic Tradition? A Book Talk with Aun Hasan Ali

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 18:03:52 +0000

What is an Islamic Tradition? A Book Talk with Aun Hasan Ali Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/18/2024 - 12:03

Join the Department of Religious Studies for a Book Talk with Professor Aun Hasan Ali on April 1 at 12pm in HUMN 230!

Professor Ali’s research focuses on the intellectual history of Twelver Shi’ism, particularly law and legal theory. His first book, The School of Hillah and the Formation of Twelver Shi’i Islamic Tradition, builds upon recent scholarship in the fields of Religious Studies and Anthropology to argue that Twelver Shi'ism is better understood as a discursive tradition.

Professor Ali teaches Religious Dimensions of Human Experience, Islam, The Quran, Sufism, and Fundamentalisms here at CU Boulder.

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Conversation on ChatGPT with Loriliai Biernacki on March 20th

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 17:29:41 +0000

Conversation on ChatGPT with Loriliai Biernacki on March 20th Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/06/2024 - 10:29

Please join us for a colloquium with Professor Loriliai Biernacki on ChatGPT on Wednesday March 20th in HUMN 230 at 12:15pm.

Is ChatGPT a precursor to the Singularity? ---Indeed where AI becomes conscious? How do we understand Large Language learning Models? What are the problems of the models and are there solutions? And please bring your best strategies for dealing with it in the classroom!

This colloquium for grad students will point out problems with the architecture and functioning of ChatGPT and other LLMs, with an idea to thinking through strategies for both understanding how it works and dealing with it in our lives, in the classroom and outside the classroom.

Professor Loriliai Biernacki’s (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania) research interests include Hinduism, the interface between religion and science, and gender. Her first book, Renowned Goddess of Desire: Women, Sex and Speech in Tantra (Oxford, 2007) won the Kayden Award in 2008. She is co-editor of God’s Body: Panentheism Across World Religions (Oxford University Press, 2013). Her study of the 11th century Indian philosopher Abhinavagupta, The Matter of Wonder: Abhinavagupta’s Panentheism and New Materialism, was recently published from Oxford University Press in 2023. It addresses the 11th century Indian philosopher Abhinavagupta's notions of selfhood, body, and cosmology. She is currently working on the interstices between religion, science and panentheism. You can read more about her research here.

Please reach out with any questions. We hope to see you there!

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