Stephen Prothero, Acclaimed Author and Professor of Religion, to Speak in Columbus, GA
/EINPresswire.com/(Columbus, GA) - Stephen Prothero, one of the nation's most provocative and entertaining authors about religion and society, will be speaking in Columbus on Monday April 23.
His appearance is part of the lecture series "Building Common Ground: Race, Religion and Politics in Columbus" and is presented by the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries and Midtown, Inc. Sponsors of the event include the Muscogee County Friends of Libraries and Sunny 100 Radio.
The presentation will begin at 7:00pm on April 23 in the Columbus Public Library Auditorium, 3000 Macon Road. Admission is free, and no advanced reservations or tickets are needed. Dr. Prothero's books will be for sale, and the author will sign copies after his speech.
Stephen Prothero has quickly become one of America's Go-To experts on religion. He has been quoted and featured on every major network and his work has been featured on the cover of Time magazine. He's become equally famous for his appearances as the featured guest on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and as a legendary foil to Stephen Colbert on "The Colbert Report."
"Newsweek" has said that "Prothero is the kind of professor that makes you want to go back to college… a world-religions scholar with the soul of a late-night television comic."
In his latest book, "God Is Not One," Dr. Prothero dissects the core beliefs of the world's eight major religions. In doing so, he hopes to highlight the differences between each and use these differences as a basis for intercultural understanding. It is a radical departure from traditional interfaith dialogue and it provides a totally new context for understanding religion in the twenty-first century.
For more information, please visit www.cvlga.org/commonground or call 706-243-2669.
Though America is one of the most religious places on Earth, in reality, its citizens know little about religion. In his provocative book "Religious Literacy," Stephen Prothero addresses this national crisis, and offers solutions. One of them is mandatory academic study of world religions in public schools. The more that Americans know about religion -- whether or not they themselves are religious -- the less likely they will be to defer, through sheer ignorance, to politicians who often frame their actions in a religious context. In his latest book, "God is Not One," Prothero looks at the differences between religions and how they have shaped the world. Religious plurality, or the idea that each religion is just a "different way up the same mountain", is a dangerous belief. The sooner we can understand the differences between religions, the more we can figure out how to achieve religious tolerance and co-existence. Prothero's bestselling books have inspired a "Time" cover story, and have landed Prothero as a speaker on religious literacy at the White House. Religious ignorance is not bliss, he shows us. It can be dangerous.
Prothero is a Professor of Religion at Boston University. He earned his PhD in Religion from Harvard, and is a specialist in Asian religious traditions in the United States. He is a regular contributor to CNN.com's "Belief Blog." He is also the author of "American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon," is a frequent guest on NPR, has appeared on "The Today Show" and "The O'Reilly Factor," and has written for "Salon.com" and "The New York Times Magazine."
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Contact:
Henry McCoy
Chattahoochee Valley Libraries
hmccoy@cvrls.net
706-243-2689
His appearance is part of the lecture series "Building Common Ground: Race, Religion and Politics in Columbus" and is presented by the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries and Midtown, Inc. Sponsors of the event include the Muscogee County Friends of Libraries and Sunny 100 Radio.
The presentation will begin at 7:00pm on April 23 in the Columbus Public Library Auditorium, 3000 Macon Road. Admission is free, and no advanced reservations or tickets are needed. Dr. Prothero's books will be for sale, and the author will sign copies after his speech.
Stephen Prothero has quickly become one of America's Go-To experts on religion. He has been quoted and featured on every major network and his work has been featured on the cover of Time magazine. He's become equally famous for his appearances as the featured guest on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and as a legendary foil to Stephen Colbert on "The Colbert Report."
"Newsweek" has said that "Prothero is the kind of professor that makes you want to go back to college… a world-religions scholar with the soul of a late-night television comic."
In his latest book, "God Is Not One," Dr. Prothero dissects the core beliefs of the world's eight major religions. In doing so, he hopes to highlight the differences between each and use these differences as a basis for intercultural understanding. It is a radical departure from traditional interfaith dialogue and it provides a totally new context for understanding religion in the twenty-first century.
For more information, please visit www.cvlga.org/commonground or call 706-243-2669.
Though America is one of the most religious places on Earth, in reality, its citizens know little about religion. In his provocative book "Religious Literacy," Stephen Prothero addresses this national crisis, and offers solutions. One of them is mandatory academic study of world religions in public schools. The more that Americans know about religion -- whether or not they themselves are religious -- the less likely they will be to defer, through sheer ignorance, to politicians who often frame their actions in a religious context. In his latest book, "God is Not One," Prothero looks at the differences between religions and how they have shaped the world. Religious plurality, or the idea that each religion is just a "different way up the same mountain", is a dangerous belief. The sooner we can understand the differences between religions, the more we can figure out how to achieve religious tolerance and co-existence. Prothero's bestselling books have inspired a "Time" cover story, and have landed Prothero as a speaker on religious literacy at the White House. Religious ignorance is not bliss, he shows us. It can be dangerous.
Prothero is a Professor of Religion at Boston University. He earned his PhD in Religion from Harvard, and is a specialist in Asian religious traditions in the United States. He is a regular contributor to CNN.com's "Belief Blog." He is also the author of "American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon," is a frequent guest on NPR, has appeared on "The Today Show" and "The O'Reilly Factor," and has written for "Salon.com" and "The New York Times Magazine."
(END)
Contact:
Henry McCoy
Chattahoochee Valley Libraries
hmccoy@cvrls.net
706-243-2689