Community Events

Currently on display through December 7, 2007

Erdman Art Gallery Exhibit: “Picturing Paradise: Textiles from the Peruvian Women of the Pamplona Alta as Visions of Hope”
Weekdays: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Saturday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Sunday, 2:30–9:00 p.m.
Erdman Center, 20 Library Place, Center of Continuing Education
Free and open to the public

“Picturing Paradise: Textiles from the Peruvian Women of the Pamplona Alta as Visions of Hope” features textiles created by women of the Compacto Humano, a cooperative located in Pamplona Alta, a shantytown on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. The exhibit places emphasis on the women as artists and the way that their art reflects resilience, faith, and hope in the midst of poverty. It acknowledges the women’s unique insights and voices manifested in the colorful hand-sewn textiles.

The embroidered textile work is the result of two separate commissioned projects conducted over the past two years. Hopes and Dreams (January 2006) consist of fifteen cuadros reflecting each woman’s personal aspiration for herself, her family, or for the world. Inspirations and Motivations (January 2007) depict narratives illustrating the individuals or the communities they draw on for support and the experiences or events that sustain them.

An opening reception will take place on Thursday, November 1 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m in the Erdman Art Gallery, during which curator Rebecca Berru Davis will give a presentation about the exhibit at 5:00 p.m.

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November 1, 2007

Biblical Studies Department Lecture—“Of Wandering Arameans and Such: Reflections on Migration, Ethnicity, and Identity in the Hebrew Bible”
4:30 p.m.
Stuart 6
Free and open to the public

Dr. Jean Pierre M. Ruiz, associate professor and chair of the Theology and Religious Studies Department at St. John’s University, will give the first of two Biblical Studies lectures for the 2007–2008 academic year.

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November 1, 2007

Public Lecture—“Imago Dei: The Biology and Theology of Freedom”
8:00 p.m.
Center of Theological Inquiry, 50 Stockton Street, Princeton
Free and open to the public

The Center of Theological Inquiry presents the 2007 Witherspoon Lecture in Theology and Science, given by Philip Clayton, Ingraham Professor of Theology at Claremont School of Theology, and professor of religion and of philosophy at the Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California.

Clayton has published widely in theology, philosophy of religion, philosophy of science, and philosophy of mind. The central focus of his work for close to three decades has been the relationship between science and religion, and he is recognized as one of the leading figures in this field internationally.

Admission is free and open to the public. To guarantee a seat, please contact the Center of Theology Inquiry for a free ticket.

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November 5, 2007

Biblical Studies Department Lecture—“Mystery in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Fourth Gospel”
4:00 p.m.
Erdman Center, 20 Library Place, Center of Continuing Education
Free and open to the public

This lecture will be given by Professor John Ashton, emeritus fellow, Wolfson College at Oxford University. The following is recommended reading from the Dead Sea Scrolls: the conclusion of the Community Rule, 1 and 4Mysteries, 4QInstruction, the Hodayoth, and the Habakkuk Pesher.

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November 7, 2007

Continuing Education Book Series
Meet the Author of Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life
6:30–8:30 p.m.
Erdman Center, 20 Library Place, Center of Continuing Education
Free and open to the public (space is limited, so please register early)

How can we embrace our human folibles, desires, and mistakes and still find spirituality? How can we sort through the daily grind of our “messy” lives to reach higher ground? How can we transcend recent trends of radical religious extremism to find an authentic religious way to live our lives?

Both secular and religious readers of all faiths will find inspiration in Rabbi Irwin Kula’s book, Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life. Winner of the Books for a Better Life Award and Spiritual Book the Year 2006, Yearnings applies traditional Jewish practices to help us search for meaning in seven areas of yearning. Kula demonstrates an “openness to truths of all religious traditions, and is committed to disciplined practice and inclusiveness.” As he embraces the reemergence of religion as a force in this country and globally, he laments, in his words, “the divisiveness, polarization, and even violence” that accompanies this development. His objective with this work is to “use religious/spiritual wisdom to help people, whatever their religious affiliations and commitments, live more courageously, love more deeply, and contribute more vitally to improving the world.

Rabbi Irwin Kula, named by both Fast Company magazine and Religion and Ethics Newsweekly (PBS) as one of the new leaders shaping the American spiritual landscape, is a provocative, inspirational educator providing a broad vision of religious pluralism. He is president of CLAL–The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, a leadership training institute, think tank, and resource center, and he is widely featured and quoted as an analyst in the media, including Frontline (PBS), and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He is also a sought-after lecturer and consultant to federations, synagogues, and leadership development agencies. He received his B.A. in philosophy from Columbia University, his B.H.L. from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and his M.A. in rabbinics and rabbinic ordination from there as well. He has served as rabbi of congregations in St. Louis, Missouri, Queens, New York, and Jerusalem, Israel.

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November 8, 2007

Center for Barth Studies Lecture—“A Swiss Voice: The Campaign of the Swiss Government against the Voice of Karl Barth during the Second World War”
7:00 p.m.
Main Lounge, Mackay Campus Center
Free and open to the public

Dr. Eberhard Busch, professor emeritus in systematic theology at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany, will deliver the lecture. The lecture will bring to light previously unknown archival documents relating to the Swiss government’s campaign to slience Barth’s political speech in the face of potential National Socialist retaliation.

Busch is a world-renowned Barth scholar, and was Barth’s last assistant. He is also a member of the Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany.

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November 10, 2007

Fall Concert: Laudate Dominum!
7:30 p.m.
Miller Chapel
Free and open to the public

A festival of psalm singing led by John Witvliet and the Princeton Seminary Choir. A full-day workshop on the psalms in Christian worship will be offered by Dr. Witvliet on November 10 through Princeton Seminary’s Center of Continuing Education. To register or for more information, call 609.497.7990.

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November 19, 2007

History Department Lecture—“Anselm’s Proof and the Hairs of the Madonna”
7:00 p.m.
Main Lounge, Mackay Campus Center
Free and open to the public

Dr. Karl F. Morrison, Lessing Professor of History and Poetics at Rutgers University, will deliver the lecture. The title of the lecture refers to Anselm’s famous Proslogion, including its “proof” for the existence of God, as well as Anselm’s devotion to the Virgin Mary, including the sacred relics of some strands of her hair. Dr. Caroline Bynum, professor of Western European Middle Ages at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, will offer a response following Morrison’s lecture. A reception will follow the discussion.

Morrison’s academic focus is on the history of politicial thought, historiography (especially church history), and the mechanics of tradition. He is currently researching the history of Christian art in Western Europe.

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