Ithaca College

Belief in the Public Sphere: Perspectives

November 12–13, 2019

Join us for an exciting series of conversations on the role of belief in the public sphere. Leading the discussion will be Dr. Omid Safi, a Muslim public intellectual deeply committed to the intertwined path of love and justice for all.  A professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University, Omid specializes in contemporary Islamic thought and spirituality.  He has emerged as one of America’s most important Muslim voices, and is rooted in a prophetic tradition of Dr. King as well as Islamic spirituality.

Omid is the editor of Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism in which he inaugurated a new understanding of Islam that is rooted in social justice, gender equality and pluralism.  His Memories of Muhammad is an award-winning biography of the Prophet Muhammad.   His most recent book is Radical Love:  Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition (published by Yale).  Omid is also a columnist for On Being, and now has a podcast at Be Here Now Network.  

On Tuesday, November 12, Professor Safi will be hosting a brown-bag luncheon on the topic “What is Belief?” from 12:15 to 1:00 p.m. in the Muller Chapel. That evening Dr. Safi will give a keynote address from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Campus Center, Emerson Suites A.  His keynote, “From Spirituality to Activism: Healing a Broken World,” will be followed by a question and answer period. These events are free and open to the public, and all interested students, staff and faculty are encouraged to attend. Refreshments will be provided.

On Wednesday, November 13, Professor Safi will lead a roundtable discussion on the intersections of spirituality and activism with members of different religious, spiritual, and secular communities at the Tompkins Center for History and Culture from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m and dinner will be provided. To RSVP for November 13th community conversation please email the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life at SpiritualLife@ithaca.edu.  

This event is being sponsored by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, the Department of Philosophy and Religion, the School of Humanities and Sciences, the Center for IDEAS, and the Muslim Cultures Minor. For further information, please contact Hierald Osorto (hosorto@ithaca.edu) or Eric Steinschneider (esteinschneider@ithaca.edu).

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life at spirituallife@ithaca.edu. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.