New York Times best-selling author Stephen Prothero
will speak in Duke Divinity School's Goodson Chapel on Wednesday, March 23. His
lecture, "God Is Not One," is based on his recent book of the same name and aims
to challenge the idea that all religious traditions are means to the same end.
The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. Parking is
available in the garage next to the Bryan Center.
Two panelists will offer responses to Prothero's address. Omid Safi, professor
of religious studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and author
of "Progressive Muslims," will provide an Islamic perspective. Seshagiri Rao,
former editor-in-chief of the University of South Carolina's Encyclopedia of
Hinduism project, will speak from the Hindu tradition.
The event is sponsored by Duke's Faith Council. The council works to model and
promote meaningful conversations among people of diverse religious traditions.
"The Faith Council operates from a belief that we deepen our own faith
perspectives by exploring the differences of other traditions," said Christy
Lohr Sapp, associate dean for religious life at Duke Chapel. "Stephen Prothero's
book does not attempt to reduce all traditions to a single whole, but
encourages the reader to understand the uniqueness of each religious
perspective. We would like to take that one step further to foster a sense of
appreciation and respect for the religious 'other' in light of such
difference."
Prothero is a professor of religion at Boston University and the author of "Religious
Literacy: What Every American Needs
to Know -- And Doesn't." He was featured in the Frontline series "God in
America" about the history of religion and American public life, which aired on
public television stations across the country in December 2010.