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Religion in Culture Lecture
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On Thursday evening, December 2, 2004, Prof. Paul Bartrop
delivered a public "Religion
in Culture" lecture entitled, "Genocide: A
Social Problem or a Defining Characteristic of the Modern
World?". The lecture was attended by members of the university
community as well as by approximately eighty students, many
of whom are enrolled in Religious Studies classes this semester.
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Prof. Bartrop is a Research Fellow in the Faculty of Arts
at Deakin
University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and a member
of the teaching staff at Bialik
College, Melbourne, teaching in such areas as History,
International Studies, Comparative Genocide Studies and courses
on the history of Judaism. He has previously been a Scholar-in-Residence
at the Martin-Springer
Institute for Teaching the Holocaust, Tolerance, and Humanitarian
Values at Northern Arizona University, and a Visiting
Professor at Virginia
Commonwealth University.
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Among Prof. Bartrop's publications are (with Samuel Totten
and Steven Jacobs) the edited volume, Teaching
about the Holocaust: Essays by College and University Teachers
as well as his book Surviving
the Camps: Unity in Adversity During the Holocaust.
His current projects include a book entitled Meanings of
Genocide: Essays on a Misunderstood Concept and (along
with Samuel Totten, Steven Jacobs and Henry Huttenbach) A
Dictionary of Genocide.
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If interested, read an article by Prof. Bartrop entitled,
"Who
Was the Holocaust" (posted at the Adelaide Jewish
Museum's web site).
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Prof. Bartrop's visit to the University of Alabama was made
possible by the Department of Religious Studies' Aronov
Endowment as well as by a contribution from the Blount
Undergraduate Initiative.
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The Department also wishes to express its appreciation to
Donna Martin and Betty Dickey, both of whom work to make such
events possible. Also, our thanks to Prof. Ted
Trost who acts as the Chair of our Public Speakers Committee.
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Ten Hoor 30, the classroom
in which a large enrollment sections of REL 100 Introduction
to Religious Studies are taught, was the location for Prof.
Bartrop's lecture.
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Prof. Steve Jacobs, who has held the Department's
Aronov Endowed chair in Judaic Studies since 2001, introduces
Prof. Bartrop.
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Poised for the lecture to begin.
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Drawing on a number of historical and recent
examples, Prof. Bartrop spoke on the international community's
ability (and, often its inability) to respond promptly and
effectively to acts of genocide.
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It is a tradition that, at the conclusion
of our public lectures, we present our guest with a framed
flyer advertising the lecture; another copy is hung in the
Department's main office. Flyers from our lectures therefore
populate university offices around the country and across
the world.
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Also a tradition in the Department,
refreshments are served afterward.
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Prof. Bartrop (left) at the reception,
speaking with Prof. Gabriele Fassbeck, our Visiting Assistant Professor
(2002-4), also funded through our Aronov Endowment (far right),
and Ron Hood, a retired Professor in the Department of Biology and
President of Temple Emanu-El in Tuscaloosa, AL
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As the guests depart, Betty Dickey--who
once again helped to organize the event--chats with Prof. Jacobs,
who finally has a moment for a glass of punch; in the background,
Prof. McCutcheon speaks with Jack Rains, an REL 100 student.
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