April 10, 2002

Contact: Tim Miller, Religious Studies, (785) 864-7263.

Scholar of ancient and contemporary religions to speak at KU April 15

LAWRENCE -- A leading religious scholar will present the annual religious studies lecture at the University of Kansas next week.

Jonathan Z. Smith, distinguished service professor of the humanities at the University of Chicago, will present "The Topography of the Sacred" at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 15, at Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread.

The lecture, sponsored by the Department of Religious Studies at KU, is free and open to the public.

Smith is known for his thorough scholarship and engaging, witty speaking style. His research interests have ranged widely through his career, focusing on such topics as Hellenistic history, ritual theory, the religion of the Maori in New Zealand and the mass murder-suicide at Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978.

In his latest book, "Drudgery Divine: On the Comparison of Early Christianities and the Religions of Late Antiquity," Smith shows the ways in which scholarship on early Christianities has functioned as a sort of proxy battle. In this battle, according to Smith, denominations championed their own points of view and disparaged those of their rivals without having to publicly criticize those rival faiths.

Smith serves on the Committees on the Ancient Mediterranean World and on the History of Culture at the University of Chicago, and he is an associate faculty member at the divinity school. He earned his Ph.D. from Yale University.

The KU department's support group, the Friends of the Department of Religious Studies, underwrites the religious studies lecture. This year it is offered in conjunction with the Theologian-in-Residence program, a consortium of local religious organizations and universities that sponsors lectures and workshops.

Tim Miller, professor and chair of religious studies, said, "Jonathan Z. Smith is a scholar and speaker who can bridge the gap between campus and community. He engages his listeners with his wide-ranging thoughts and entertains them with his sense of humor. Although his subject matter is eclectic, his books are all classics in contemporary religious studies."