November 2019 Upcoming Events
Fall 2019 l Upcoming Events
 
November 18: Nexus Interfaith Dialogue
 
November 19: Life Matters: Greg West
 
November 21: Transgender and Christian
 
December 5: Soundtrack for the Civil Rights Movement
All events are free and open to the public and are held on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan University. For more information, please contact the VWU Center for the Study of Religious Freedom at 757.455.3129 or csrf@vwu.edu .
How Food Communicates Religious Values: From Dates and Matzah, to Graham Crackers and Welch’s Grape Juice
NEXUS INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
Monday, November 18
7:00 - 8:10 p.m.
Jane P. Batten Student Center, Pearce Suite

Food is more than fuel.  It is one of the most powerful expressions of identity for both individuals and groups.  It communicates values, it is used symbolically, and it marks social and theological boundaries. 
 
Have you ever wondered why Hindus don’t eat beef, why Jews and Muslims don’t eat pork, or why most of us don’t eat cats? Do you know the religious origins of Welch’s grape juice and graham crackers?
 
Join us for lively discussion as friends from a variety of religious traditions, along with VWU students in WES100 Religious Food Fights, give bite-sized talks, each exploring why certain foods are theologically meaningful and others are strictly prohibited. Sample distinctly “religious” foods and participate in discussions on how food brings us together and separates us.
 
Sponsored in partnership with the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC)
and Hands United Building Bridges (HUBB)
Life Matters: Greg West
Tuesday, November 19
11:00 – 11:50 a.m.
Jane P. Batten Student Center, Pearce Suite

In “Life Matters,” members of the Wesleyan community offer autobiographical reflections on their emotional, intellectual, and spiritual experiences. These deeply personal talks create meaningful opportunities for greater understanding and connection, encouraging each of us to think about what has shaped us and given our own life meaning. Rev. Greg West is an ordained Methodist minister and serves as the chaplain at Virginia Wesleyan. 
 
Sponsored in partnership with the Chaplain’s Office and the
Center for Innovative Teaching and Engaged Learning (INTEL) at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Transgender and Christian: A Coming Out and Coming Home Story
ON-DECK PROGRAM
Thursday, November 21
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Goode Fine & Performing Arts Center

Too often the world tells LGBTQ+ people that they have to choose either their identity or their faith, but what if there were a third option? Join author Austen Hartke as he shares his experience coming out as a transgender Christian, from his childhood in non-affirming churches to the Bible stories that gave him strength as an adult in seminary.
 
Sponsored in partnership with Women’s and Gender Studies at Virginia Wesleyan
Freedom Songs: Soundtrack for the Civil Rights Movement
Thursday, December 5
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Greer Environmental Sciences Center, Room 155

Grammy award-winning producer Steve Buckingham returns to showcase his film “Freedom Songs,” with never released original footage. Beginning with performances by the great Jackie Wilson, known as “The Black Elvis,” Buckingham uses film clips to discuss the artists and key figures who broke down racial barriers in the 1960s.

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Dr. Craig Wansink , Professor of Religious Studies and the Joan P. and Macon F. Brock, Jr.
Director of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom

Kelly Jackson , Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom

Dr. Eric Mazur , Gloria and David Furman Professor of Judaic Studies and Center for the Study of Religious Freedom Fellow for Religion, Law, and Politics

757.455.3129 |  csrf@vwu.edu  |  www.vwu.edu/csrf