Fall 2018 Humanities Forum
Historiographies of Judges: Thoughts on Reading for Readers of the Bible
Aug. 31, 3 p.m. Ruane 105
Mark S. Smith
Helena Professor of Old Testament Literature and Exegesis, Princeton Theological Seminary
An expert in Israelite religion and the Hebrew Bible, Prof. Smith has written 15 books and more than 100 articles. He also has held faculty appointments at New York University, Yale University, and St. Joseph’s University.
To view Dr. Smith’s talk, please click here.
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row
Friday, Sept. 7, 3 p.m. ’64 Hall
Anthony Ray Hinton
Community Educator, Equal Justice Initiative
Exonerated and freed in 2015 after 28 years on death row, Mr. Hinton is an author and criminal justice activist. His book, of the same name as his talk, was announced in June as the most recent selection for Oprah’s Book Club. A book signing will follow.
To view Mr. Hinton’s talk, please click here.
Redemption and the Reverse Underground Railroad
Friday, Sept. 14, 3 p.m. Ruane 105
Richard Bell
Associate Professor, Dept. of History, University of Maryland
With the support the Gladys Brooks Foundation
A researcher focusing on American history between 1750 and 1877, Prof. Bell has been on the Maryland faculty since 2006. The author of two books, he has held research fellowships at more than a dozen libraries and institutes and has earned numerous awards for exemplary teaching.
To view Dr. Bell’s talk, please click here.
The Place of the Hebrew Bible in Liberal Education
Friday, Sept. 28, 3 p.m. Aquinas Lounge
Robert Alter
Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature Emeritus, University of California Berkeley
In cooperation with the Providence College Jewish-Catholic Theological Exchange
Prof. Alter is an esteemed and prolific scholar who is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, has twice been a Guggenheim Fellow, and has been a National Endowment for the Humanities Senior Fellow. His forthcoming translation of The Hebrew Bible, with commentary, has been called “a masterpiece of deep learning and fine sensibility.”
To view Dr. Alter’s talk, please click here.
Does Democracy Require an Active Citizenry? A Tocquevillean View
Friday, Oct. 5, 3 p.m. Ruane 105
Arthur Goldhammer
Center for European Studies, Harvard University
Keynote address, Providence College Tocqueville Conference
Co-chair of the Contemporary Europe Study Group at Harvard’s Center for European Studies, Prof. Goldhammer, who has translated more than 125 books from French, serves on the editorial board of The Tocqueville Review. He is a sought-after commentator on France and French politics and was the American translator for Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century.
To view Dr. Goldhammer’s talk, please click here.
Performance and Discussion of Romani Music Culture
Friday, Oct. 12, 3 p.m. Ryan Concert Hall
The Bohemian Quartet
Hosted by quartet founder/arranger Stan Renard and Prof. Jennifer Illuzi, Dept. of History and Classics
The heralded Providence-based Bohemian Quartet, comprising Stan Renard, Nancy Richardson, Christine Harrington, and Dave Zinno, performs music of the Romani tradition, in addition to works reflecting Eastern European folk styles.
To view this performance, please click here.
The Place of Virtue in a Meaningful Life
Friday, Oct. 19, 3 p.m. Ruane 105
Candace Vogler
David B. and Clara E. Stern Professor of Philosophy, University of Chicago
Keynote address, Providence College Philosophy in the Aristotelian Tradition Conference
Prof. Vogler, the author of two books and numerous essays, is a researcher focusing on practical philosophy, practical reason, Kant’s ethics, Marx, and neo-Aristotelian naturalism. She is the director of the John Templeton Foundation-funded project “Virtue, Happiness, and the Meaning of Life.”
To view Dr. Vogler’s talk, please click here.
Screening: Shoulder Arms
Thursday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m. Guzman 250
Charlie Chaplin’s 1918 classic silent romantic comedy
Hosted by Prof. Raphael Shargel, Dept. of English
A screening and discussion of Shoulder Arms, Charlie Chaplin’s bold wartime silent comedy. Released 100 years ago in 1918 at the height of WWI, Chaplin skirts the line between tragedy and farce in order to reveal the absurdities of modern warfare.
The Shared Goals and Distinct Strengths of the Medical Humanities
Friday, Nov. 2, 3 p.m. Ruane 105
Jeremy A. Greene
Professor of Medicine and the History of Medicine, Elizabeth Treide and A. McGehee Harvey Chair in the History of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
A practicing physician specializing in internal medicine, Dr. Greene earned both an M.D. and a Ph.D. from Harvard University. The author of four books and numerous articles and chapters, Dr. Greene has research expertise in 20th century clinical medicine, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, medical anthropology, global health, and the history of disease.
To view Dr. Greene’s talk, please click here.
Columbus Day and Hispanic Heritage Month in Historical Perspective
Friday, Nov. 9, 3 p.m. Ruane 105
Rolena Adorno
Sterling Professor of Spanish, Yale University
In cooperation with the Latin American and Latino/a Studies Program
Described in the citation, when she received American Language Association’s Award for Lifetime Scholarly Achievement, as “a premier scholar of colonial Spanish American literary and cultural history,” Prof. Adorno is the author of multiple prize-winning books. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she also has served on the National Council for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities advisory board.
To view Dr. Adorno’s talk, please click here.
The Philosophy, Politics, and Economic Revolution
Friday, Nov. 16, 3 p.m. Ruane 105
Michael Munger
Professor of Political Science and Director of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Certificate, Duke University with the support of a Humanities Connections Grant from the National Endowment from the Humanities.
A political science scholar with specific research interests in the functioning of markets, regulation, and government institutions, Prof. Munger has also taught at Dartmouth College, the University of Texas, and the University of North Carolina. He is past president of the Public Choice Society, an international organization of political science and economics scholars.
To view Dr. Munger’s talk, please click here.
Economists and Humanists in Narratives about the U.S.’s Global Financial Role
Friday, Nov. 30, 3 p.m., Ruane 105
Dean Sylvia Maxfield
Providence College School of Business
Leader of the School of Business since 2012, Dean Maxfield teaches in PC’s interdisciplinary Development of Western Civilization program. She has a long and distinguished record of scholarly achievement, having authored or co-authored seven books, in addition to dozens of book chapters and journal articles. Dean Maxfield’s areas of expertise include Business Ethics, Government in the Global Economy, and Corporate Social Responsibility.
