Special Programs and Lectures

The Department is delighted to be the home of a variety of special projects and annual lectures which reflect the broad range of expertise among our faculty and the diverse interests of our students.  Through these ongoing projects as well as special lectures and conferences, each year we draw prominent and creative scholars to the Georgetown community.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Main Office at theology@georgetown.edu with any questions regarding special programs and lectures. 

The Study of Religions, Georgetown University in Partnership with Morocco

Where is knowing going when it comes to the study of religion today? It is a critical time for religion and for the study of religion, making it vital for Georgetown to be connected to religious currents on the global stage. The Study of Religions across Civilizations (SORAC) was initiated in 2008 with the aim of creating a partnership between Georgetown University and Muhammad V University in Rabat, Morocco, around the study of religions. Since then, SORAC has offered several scholarly exchange programs that connect graduate students across the Atlantic in the cross-cultural study of religion.

The approach pursued in SORAC programs is called “knowledge companionship” (suhba ‘ilmiyya in Arabic). Is it possible to have knowledge of people if you’re not in an active relationship with them as friends? The same is true for the study of religion. Can we possess knowledge of a religious tradition if we’re not in an active relationship with those who belong to it? After all, the religious experience is never reducible to definitions on a page. By bringing scholars together across cultures, SORAC seeks to cultivate the idea that friendship—not just observation—is essential for the study of religions. It is one thing to study the texts of a religious community. It is another thing to do so in an active relationship with its members. SORAC is thus not simply connecting Georgetown University with global religious currents. It also seeks to forge a method for the study of religions appropriate to our global moment. Several programs are planned over the next two years (2015-2016) both at Georgetown University and at Muhammad V University. For more information, please contact Professor Paul Heck at plh2@georgetown.edu.

The Rev. Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S.J. Institute on Sacred Scripture

Faculty Contact: Prof. Alan Mitchell
For information, please see: http://faculty.georgetown.edu/mitchela/guiss/

James M. and Margaret H. Costan Lecture in Early Christianity

The James M. and Margaret H. Costan Lecture in Early Christianity was established in 2014 with three main objectives in mind: (1) to honor leading scholars of Early Christianity and to celebrate their contribution to the field; (2) to fund an annual public lecture on Early Christianity that would bring together the Academy, the general public, and church communities; and (3) to inspire the study and teaching of Early Christian literature, history, and practice.

Georgetown University, Georgetown College, and the Department of Theology are deeply grateful to the Costans for this generous gift.
For more information please see: https://theology.georgetown.edu/CostanLectures

Director: Julia A. Lamm, Ph.D.
Professor
Theology Department
New North 120
Georgetown University
Washington, D.C. 20057-1135

(202) 687-6261
Julia.Lamm@georgetown.edu

Robert S. Mason Lecture

The Annual Robert S. Mason Lecture for more information please visit:  https://theology.georgetown.edu/robertsmasonlecture

Faculty Contact Prof. Tod Linafelt:
Linafelt@georgetown.edu