NEXUS

Funded by the Louisville Institute.

NEXUS: Religion in the Public University was an ongoing series of public lectures on religion, ethics, and spirituality in American society. Each public lecture was follwed by an intensive dialogue session between congregation-based clergy from diverse religious traditions and university-based scholars from a variety of academic fields.

Participants included religious leaders from the Christianity (both Catholic and Protestant), Hinduism, Islam, Jewish, and Sikh traditions. Faculty participants represetned the following academic fields: Anthrpology, American Studies, Law, Medicine, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies and Sociology.

After 5 semesters, the Nexus series ended in November 2007. However, the Religious Studies Program at UNM continues to sponsor public events related to religion in contemporary society. For more information on these events, please contact the Religious Studies Program Administrators Nancy Rice or Christina Jensen at 277-4009 or email religion@unm.edu.

For more information on Nexus's model of the integration of religion in the university please refer to published artices below:

"Bridging Conversations" by Richard Wood in Christian Century

"Nexus: Religion in the Public University" by Stacy Keogh in the Journal of Ecumenical Studies

________________Past Events_______________

November 12, 2007:

Networks of Care: Communities of Faith and Social Service Delivery in Albuquerque and Beyond

Presentation by: Dr. Nancy Ammerman - Professor of Religion and Sociology at Boston University

UNM SUB Theater, 12:00 noon

click here to view promotional flyer

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Reading: "Religious Pluralism" by Robert Nash

(click here for a copy of the reading)

By invite only

September 19, 2007: Donald Miller

"Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement"

UNM SUB Ballroom B, 12:00 noon

click here for promotional flier

April 19, 2007: "Congregations and Civil Society: A Double-Edged Connection"

click here for promotional flier

Dr. Jerome Baggett
Professor of Religion and Society at the Jesuit School of Theology and Adjunct Professor of Sociology at UC Berkeley

UNM SUB Ballroom B, 12:00 noon

click here for reading material

For more information on our speaker click here

March 8, 2007:
Clergy-Faculty Dialogue (by invitation only)

Readings: The Writings of Robert Bellah (click here for Reading Guide)

Optional Readings:

February 15, 2006 : Native American Spirituality
Clergy-Faculty Dialogue (by invitation only)

Links to readings:
"The Soft Hearted Sioux"
"Jesus Christ's Half-Brother is Alive and Well"

Reading Guide

October 19, 2006: “Sibling Rivals: Jewish and Christian Understandings of the Chosen People"

Dr. Joel S. Kaminsky
Department of Religion and Biblical Literature, Smith College
SUB Theater, Ground Level, 12 noon

April 25, 2006: "Vulnerability, Power, and Medical Decision-making"
Dr. Richard Zaner, Vanderbilt Medical School

April 2 , 2006: "The Left Hand of God"
Rabbi Michael Lerner, Tikkun Magazine
Event Flyer (PDF)

March 7, 2006:"Faith and Globalization"
Max Stackhouse, Princeton Theological Seminary

January 31, 2006:"Evolution Wars: Who's Fighting With 
Whom About What?" 
Dr. Ted Peters and Dr. Martinez Hewlett

Readings (click here)

Readings (click here)

November 15, 2005: Islam and America in the World
Public lecture: Dr. Anouar Majid
Reading (click here)

October 28, 2005: Faith in American Culture
Clergy-Faculty Dialogue (by invitation only)
Readings (click here)

September 20, 2005: “The Failure of Environmentalism –
And What Religious Congregations Can Do About It”
Dr. Larry Rasmussen
Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics
Union Theological Seminary in New York
Reading: “Drilling in the Cathedral”