Islamic scholar speaks on immigrants, new religions in lectures

Internationally renowned Islamic scholar Bruce Lawrence will talk about the American understanding of the concept of citizenship and its changing nature in two lectures scheduled for 3:30 p.m., April 19 and 20 in 310 HUB.

New religious faiths brought to the United States by immigrants raise old fears, said Lawrence, a professor at Duke University. Even though fewer than 10 million are followers of the new faiths, the new immigrants’ spiritual practices spark several questions. Is the United States marked by one religion that reinforces a civic consensus, or by many religions that threaten, and may destroy, any consensus? Are the latest immigrants becoming American without embracing age-old American norms and values and without supporting patriotic practices and institutions? Is civil society collapsing and citizenship vanishing with violence the probable outcome?

In his lectures, Lawrence will explore the tension that marks the American experiment with religious pluralism and maps the consequences for non-immigrant, and even non-religious, Americans. He also will highlight the interplay between religion and ideology as it impacts Christians, Jews and Muslims.

Lawrence’s recently wrote, Shattering the Myth: Islam Beyond Violence, which challenges the recurrent stereotyping of Muslims. Go God Go: the Persistence of Religion in the Global Century, to be published soon, examines the interactions between ideology, theology and spirit for Muslim and non-Muslim societies.

The Comparative Religion program—primary sponsor of the lectures—is planning a series of lectures to celebrate its 25^th anniversary next year. Anyone interested in being notified of upcoming events may call 543-4835. Other sponsors of the Lawrence lectures are the Center for Humanities, the Jackson School for International Studies, Comparative History of ideas program, and the South Asian Studies Program. ¶