Why Does Religion Become Evil?
Friday, September 4, 2009
(Sept. 4, 2009, STILLWATER, Okla.) – Charles A. Kimball, one of the nation’s top experts
on Islamic studies, will speak on “The Politics of Abraham: Understanding the Volatile
Mix of Religion and Politics in Judaism, Christianity and Islam” at 7 p.m. on Sept.
14 at the Wes Watkins Lecture Hall at Oklahoma State University.
Kimball is a professor and director of religious studies at the University of Oklahoma.
Before joining the University of Oklahoma, he was a professor of religion at Wake
Forest University and director of the Middle East Office at the National Council of
Churches.
Kendall has made more than 35 visits to the Middle East and has for the last 20 years
worked with Congress, the White House and the U.S. Department of State on understanding
Islam. Based on the visits, he wrote When Religion Becomes Evil in the months after
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The book was named one of the top 15 books on religion
for 2002 by Publishers Weekly.
“Dr. Kendall is the top Islamic expert in the United States and an incredible communicator,”
said Mike Thompson, an adjunct associate professor in religious studies at OSU. “This
is a time in our country’s history for all of us to be more fully informed about the
interactions of the religions especially Judaism, Christianity and Islam.”
Kendall earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1972 from OSU and holds degrees
from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. An ordained Baptist minister, he received
his doctorate from Harvard University in comparative religion with a specialization
in Islamic studies.
The lecture is funded by the Converse-Yates-Cate Foundation in memory of Robert Cate,
a religious studies professor at OSU. The lecture is free and opened to the public.
To learn more phone (405) 744-0487 or e-mail mike.thompson@okstate.eduThis email address
is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .
The religious studies program falls under the philosophy department in the College
of Arts and Sciences at OSU. To learn more visit cas.okstate.edu.