The Aronov Lecture 2005-6
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At 7 p.m. on September 15, 2005, after dining
with members of the REL faculty, Prof. Amy-Jill
Levine of Vanderbilt University, delivered the Department
of Religious Studies' fourth annual Aronov
Lecture in Smith Hall. The lecture was introduced by
Prof. Steve Jacobs,
who, since January of 2000, has held the Department's Aronov
Endowed Chair in Judaic Studies.
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Prof Levine's lecture, entitled "Jesus
and Judaism: Why the Connection Still Matters," examined
the historical context of the earliest Christian texts and
offered an argument for why it is significant that the Jewishness
of Jesus not be lost from both Jewish and Christian self-understandings
as well as scholarship on Christian origins.
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The flyer advertising the fourth annual Aronov Lecture;apart
from presenting guests with a copy, framed versions of the
Aronov flyers hang in the Department's new seminar room.
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Apart from her obvious expertise concerning not only the
text of the New Testament and Hebrew Bible but also the history
of the world of antiquity, Prof. Levine's enthusiasm for her
material and her sense of humor were apparent throughout her
lecture, evident in the laughter that greeted a number of
the examples on which she drew, as well as a joke or two (or
three?) she told.
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REL major, Samantha Sastre, speaking with
Prof. Levine after her talk.
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Well over half of the large audience was
comprised of faculty and staff from across the University,
as well as many members of the wider Tuscaloosa community.
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Earlier that day, Prof. Levine, along with her husband, Prof.
Jay
Geller, also a Professor at Vanderbilt and a noted scholar
of (among others) the work of Sigmund Freud, participated
in one of the Department's lunchtime
discussions with REL majors and minors, hosted by Samantha
Sastre, President of the Religious
Studies Student Association.
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REL student, Daniel O'Rear, with Prof.
Maha Marouan.
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Following "A-J"'s lecture, a question and answer
session carried well over into the reception, which also featured
a book display staffed by John McGaugh of the University Supply
Store.
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Our special thanks, once again, to Betty
Dickey for helping to host and oversee the lecture, and to
Donna Martin for all of her work to plan Department events.
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Prof. Levine begins her talk, held in Smith Hall, on
the Jewish historical context of early Christianity.
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Prof. Jim Hall, Director of New College (middle back),
was among the nearly one hundred people who attended the
lecture, which was the fourth in this annual series.
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Also attending were Prof. Mark McCormick
(middle left), Chair of the Department of Religion and Philosophy
at Stillman College, and Prof. Matthew Winston (middle right),
a faculty member in the Department of English and President
of the University of Alabama's Faculty Senate.
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Like sister, like brother: We were also joined by Tim
Davis, current REL and Spanish double major, along with
his older sister Kim, REL graduate and current Blount Junior
Fellow and graduate student in French.
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Prof. Jay Geller, of Vanderbilt University, listens
intently to the lecture. Earlier in the day, Prof. Geller
guest lectured in Prof. Jacobs's class on the study of the
holocaust.
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Making herself at home, Prof. Levine kicked off her
shoes to start the lecture and, without skipping a beat,
spoke for an hour, offering what many thought to be among
the best public lectures the Department has hosted in recent
memory.
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Just as in past years, a small reception
followed the lecture, held in Smith's Great Hall. Here, Prof.
Levine speaks with Prof. Tim Murphy, who joined the faculty
in 2002.
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In the absence of REL graduate Christine
Scott (currently doing her M.A. at Georgia State), somebody's
gotta eat all of the fruit! Working hard to ignore Melanie
and Kim, Prof. Maha Marouan (who has just joined the Department's
faculty) and Prof. Murphy carry on a conversation.
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Prof. Russell McCutcheon, Chair of the
Department of Religious Studies since 2001, strikes a pose
while Prof. Jim Hall, Director of New College, patiently waits
to get a word in... Good luck Jim.
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Prof. Rob Stephens, who comes to us this
year after teaching for three years at the University of Northern
Iowa, speaking at the reception with Prof. Tim Murphy.
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A long day for Profs. Geller and Levine
draws to a close--one that included guest teaching and participating
in a Religion in Culture Lunchtime Discussion with REL majors
and faculty. Here, Prof. Geller holds the framed flyer, advertising
her lecture, that was presented to Prof. Levine by Prof. Jacobs
at the close of her Aronov Lecture.
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Wait, I think I hear the call of the wild...
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