Sacred Space at BYU

A conference announcement that makes me wish I were closer to Utah:

Sacred Space Symposium
Sponsored by the Richard L. Evans Chair of Religious Understanding
3 June 2009
Brigham Young University

Hinckley Center Ballroom
9:15 Welcome: Cecil Samuelson, President, BYU
9:30-10:10 Terryl Givens, Professor of Literature and Religion, James A. Bostwick Chair of English, University of Richmond
10:20-11:00 Richard A. Cohen, Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Institute of Jewish Thought and Heritage, University of Buffalo (SUNY)
11:10-11:50 Jeanne H. Kilde, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Minnesota
12:00-12:40 Hamid Mavani, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies, Claremont Graduate University

Education in Zion Auditorium (B192 Joseph F. Smith Building)
2:00-2:40 Michael Fishbane, Nathan Cummings Professor of Jewish Studies, Divinity School, University of Chicago
2:50-3:30 Steven Olsen, Managing Director, Church History Department, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
3:40-4:20 Laurie Maffly-Kipp, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

8:00-9:30 Panel discussion; Richard Bushman, moderator

14 comments for “Sacred Space at BYU

  1. This is an impressive lineup. They really got some big names to come. I chatted with Jeanne Kilde at ASCH a couple of weeks ago about this symposium, and she is quite excited about it.

  2. Hamid Mavani is a presenter!? That’s simply awesome. He’s a native Iranian who heads the Islamic Studies program at Claremont Graduate University. I took a class from him last year on Islamic Philosophy and Theology. He also spoke on Mormonism and Islam with Daniel Peterson at CGU, the first time, I believe, he had engaged Islam and Mormonism. For anyone able to attend this conference, I highly recommend going to his presentation. I would love to see a post summarizing what he said and any subsequent Q & A.

  3. No need to register mmiles. Just come. This is open to the public.

    Moofa. I don’t know what BYU site you are referring to, but I can assure you that this isn’t a made-up event. There is no central registry at BYU for all the conferences going on at any one time.

    Ben, thanks.

    Jacob, yes, I’m as excited about Mavani’s participation as anyone’s. I hope we will have a good crowd for him.

    All: there is some chance that the sessions will be either video-taped or recorded. Keep your fingers crossed.

  4. Nate, I still search in vain for any reference to this anywhere online. Please provide a link so that we may view additional information about this event.

  5. Moofa, you search in vain because this isn’t mentioned anywhere else on line. What additional information would you like to have? I’ll provide if I know what you’re looking for.

  6. I wonder why isn’t it posted anywhere else? Looks like it’s going to be pretty good. How are people going to know about it? I plan on going. Maybe I’ll even liveblog it.

  7. Hi:

    I am new to Times and Seasons. This conference looks fascinating. What is your understanding of the theme/topics?

  8. Bryce, where else would you post it? We are sending out email and snail mail fliers this week. It is on Kent White’s list of conferences (with a link to here). BYU Public Affairs is doing news releases. If you have additional suggestions for where to advertise, I would be happy to take them.

    Debra, the topic is a broad one. Some of the presenters will be talking about what kinds of spaces are sacred in their traditions and why. Others will talk about the architecture of sacred spaces. Others will address the effects of sacred space. And Steve Olsen will talk about what makes space sacred in the LDS tradition.

  9. I guess I was envisioning a webpage somewhere, perhaps on BYU’s Religious Studies Center site, that detailed more of the specifics of the conference – time/place, schedule, bios, description, presentation topics, contact info, cost, map, organizers, recording/publication info, etc. Even if you put up the snail mail flier somewhere people could link to, it would be helpful.

  10. Bryce, thank you. Since the Religious Studies Center isn’t sponsoring the symposium, it doesn’t belong on their site. I’ll see if I can find an appropriate place to post the flier, but I’m not sure there is one.

    We’ve got time and place up here and on the flier. Presentation topics? As yet I don’t know, so I can’t announce them. Bios are a good idea. I’d assumed that the affiliations would do the job, but perhaps not for those who are less familiar with religious studies. If I can find some time in the next little bit, perhaps I’ll add bios.

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