Religion in Culture Lunch Series

This year's Aronov Lecturer, Prof. Tomoko Masuzawa, was a guest at another Religion in Culture lunchtime discussion on March 8, 2007. To prepare for the discussion, students read one of her recent essays--"Our Master's Voice: F. Max Müller After a Hundred Years of Solitude" (available here as a PDF on our secure sever)--recently published in the international journal, Method & Theory in the Study of Religion.

F. Max Müller (1823-1900) as a younger man; rollover: as pictured on an Indian stamp from 1974.

The essay and discussion, which both opened with a focus on two recent books on the life and work of Friedrich Max Müller--the nineteenth-century German scholar who, while working as in Britain, is often cited as the founder of Comparative Religion--were also concerned with the the colonial context of the modern field.

Brooks Harvard, a senior in the Department, introduced Prof. Masuzawa. As in the past, the student association co-sponsored the event.

As with all guests, Prof. Masuzawa was presented (in this case by Chris Hurt) with a Departmental totem to take away with her (i.e., a mug). Pictured right, Justin Dearborn.

The mugs, which definitely have an "old school" look to them, are now on the shelves of quite a few students and scholars.

Our thanks to the Religious Studies Student Association for advertising and hosting this event. Thanks again to our wandering photographer, Jennifer "What catchy photographic-related middle name can I give her this time?" Alfano for once again helping us to document the event.

Prof. Masuzawa is among a small number of international scholars who devote their time to examining the tools that scholars (both past and present) use when they go about their studies of religion--foremost among them their categories "religion" itself, as well as such related terms as "world religions" and "origins."

Dan Mullins, double majoring in REL and Anthropology, looks at one of the books under discussion, Jon Stone's editied collection, The Essential Max Müller: On Language, Mythology, and Religion.

Joe Kimbrough (left) and Barclay Owens (right), who looks over Friedrich Max Müller: A Life Devoted to the Humanities. For an article by the book's author--Lourens Peter van den Bosch--on Müller's famous Gifford Lectures, look here.

Among her interests is the intersection of discourses on language, race, national identity and religion--which makes the 19th century, when academic fields devoted to each of these areas were first developing, of particular interest to Prof. Masuzawa.

Once again we had a great turn out; pictured left to right: Tsy Yusef, Chris Hurt, Brooks Harvard, Keke Pounds, and Joe Kimbrough.

Also attending were (pictured far left, going clockwise): Barclay Owens, Prof. McCutcheon, Prof. Ramey, Prof. Masuzawa, Justin Dearborn, Justin Nelson, and Dan Mullins. The absent photographer, Jennifer Alfano, is represented by the vacated white sweater.