April 12, 2000
Contact: Tim Miller, religious studies, (785) 864-7263
LAWRENCE--A Loyola University religious studies professor and author of books on millennialism and violence will speak at the University of Kansas on April 17 and 18.
Catherine Wessinger, professor of the history of religions and chair of the religious studies department, will speak on "Millennialism and Law Enforcement at Y2K" at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 17, in the Kansas Room of the Kansas Union. Her speech follows the annual banquet and awards ceremony for KU's religious studies department.
Wessinger will lecture on the Branch Davidians at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, in 108 Smith Hall at KU. Both lectures are free and open to the public.
Wessinger's most recent books are "Millennialism Persecution and Violence: Historial Cases" and "How the Millennium Comes Violently: From Jonestown to Heaven's Gate."
Following the 1993 Branch Davidian disaster in Waco, Texas, Wassinger became active in promoting communications between scholars and law enforcement officials, in the belief that accurate information on controversial religious groups could help officials resolve confrontations nonviolently.
Wessinger has taught at Loyola since receiving her Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1985.