"Religious Studies at a Public University," Mar. 26 (W) at 3:30pm

[Daniel Lake]

*The Institute for Ethics in Public Life invites you to join us for
**"Religious
Studies at a Public University"** on Wednesday, March 26, at 3:30pm
(in-person or on Zoom, see below), with special guests Mr. Robert Harsh,
former Institute Fellow, adjunct instructor, and EOP counselor and Dr.
Andrew Buckser, Professor of Anthropology and Directory of the Jewish
Studies Program. *

Religion is a significant part of every human society, but it is also
intensely personal for many people. This, combined with the constitutional
requirement that public institutions be neutral with regard to religion in
the United States, raises questions about the incorporation of religions
studies into the curriculum at public institutions like SUNY Plattsburgh.
These include:

   - To what extent should religious studies (teaching students about
   religion, not teaching religion) be part of the curriculum? Why?
   - Where and how should religious studies be included in the curriculum?
   - What considerations should instructors take into account when teaching
   courses on religion?

We'll discuss these topics and more as we explore this important subject.

Mr. Robert Harsh earned a bachelor's degree in religion from Princeton
University and a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary,
where he served as editor of the *Union Seminary Quarterly Review. *He was
an associate editor of *Christianity and Crisis *magazine prior to moving
to the North Country, where he began a social work career. He taught at
Clinton Community College, served as an EOP counselor at SUNY Plattsburgh
until his retirement in 2008, and taught 24 different courses as an adjunct
instructor for a variety of programs including the Honors Center. He earned
the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service in 2000
and completed a Fellowship at the Institute for Ethics in Public Life in
2007. Along the way he also served as president of the Plattsburgh
Protestant Campus Ministry and the coordinator of its interdenominational
Karl Cron Lecture Series.

Dr. Andrew Buckser is a cultural anthropologist specializing in the
anthropology of religion and medical anthropology. He teaches courses in
cultural anthropology, the anthropology of religion, psychological
anthropology and medical anthropology. Dr. Buckser’s research has been
published in a variety of journal articles and book chapters, as well as
three books: *Communities of Faith: Sectarianism, Identity, and Social
Change on a Danish Island* (Berghahn 1996);* After the Rescue: Jewish
Identity and Community in Contemporary Denmark* (Palgrave 2003); and* The
Anthropology of Religious Conversion *(Rowman and Littlefield 2003, with
Stephen Glazier). Dr. Buckser received his B.A. in Anthropology from
Harvard in 1986, and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley,
in 1993. He taught at Hartwick College and Purdue University before coming
to Plattsburgh in 2013. He served as Dean of the School of Arts and
Sciences from 2013 to 2020.

Please join us in person in the Thomas Moran Seminar Room, Institute for
Ethics in Public Life (Hawkins 233) or on Zoom (see below).

Daniel Lake is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: "Religious Studies at a Public University"
Time: Mar 26, 2025 03:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://plattsburgh.zoom.us/j/83044544565
<https://www.google.com/url?q=https://plattsburgh.zoom.us/j/83044544565&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1742734614513703&usg=AOvVaw2AxyL6KrJFfjoNJkL1tNXg>

*Upcoming at the Institute (*all events at 3:30pm, in-person and Zoom,
unless otherwise noted*)*:

*Apr. 2* - "Cryptocurrency is a Solution in Search of a Problem:
The Immense Environmental Costs of a 21st Century Ponzi Scheme", with Dr.
Colin Read, Department of Economics and Finance.

*Apr. 9 *- tbd.

*Apr. 16* - Masculinity in America, with Dr. Lee Thorpe, Department of
Sociology.

*Apr. 23 *- Ethical issues with the commercialization of space, with Dr.
John McMahon, Department of Political Science.

*Apr. 30* - Intellectual Property and AI, with Dr. John Chambers,
Department of Communications Studies.

*May 7* - Social Media and Education, with Prof. Bridget Haina and Dr.
Shakuntala Rao, Department of Communications Studies.

You can also see upcoming events on the Institute's Program and Events
webpage
<https://www.plattsburgh.edu/about/centers/ethics-in-public-life/programs.html>
or add the Institute's public calendar
<https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/1?cid=Y19sa245c3MxcjdscjExdmM0ZzNtMDlyaDUyb0Bncm91cC5jYWxlbmRhci5nb29nbGUuY29t>
to your Google Calendar.


-- 

*Daniel Lake*

(pronouns: he/him/his)

Assoc. Prof. of Political Science

Director, Institute for Ethics in Public Life

Hawkins 149A

101 Broad Street
<https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g>

Plattsburgh, NY 12901
<https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g>

(o) 518-564-5833 <(518)%5645833>

*plattsburgh.edu <http://plattsburgh.edu/>*
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