Distinguished Speaker Series       

The Distinguished Speaker Series engages individuals who have made significant contributions in their fields and in particular those whose work informs and is consonant with the research foci of the ISS.

Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka presented his lecture on "Deities for a Secular Dispensation" at the inaugural Distinguished Speaker Series event. Read more about the event

Burton L. Mack was in conversation on the topic of "In Search of an Anthropology of Religion" for the second edition of the series. Read more about the event

Jo Diamond presented her lecture on the topic "Rastaman Down Under: A Reggae-Based Riff on Musical 'Scripture' in Marginalized Aotearoa New Zealand" for the third edition of the series. Read more about the event

Internationally acclaimed historian of religion, Charles H. Long, was in conversation on the topic of "Critical Perspectives on Religion in the 21st Century." Read more about the event

World-renowned literary and cultural critic, Gauri Vishwanthan, presented preliminary findings from a current project.

Poet, novelist, and cultural critic Ishmael Reed was in conversation on the topic of "NeoHooDoo in the 21st Century"