Prof. Youshaa Patel (Lafayette College) will introduce his recent publication, The Muslim Difference (Yale 2022), an American Academy of Religion Book Award finalist, followed by responses from Prof. Rachel Goshgarian (Lafayette College) and Abdul-Manan Bhat ’18 (Ph.D. candidate, University of Pennsylvania). The book explores how Islam shaped, and was shaped by, Muslim encounters with Christians, Jews, and others in the Middle East and beyond. By illuminating how Muslims across time and place chose to embody and display their religious difference from rival communities in public life, the book casts new light on contemporary debates in the West over visible expressions of Islam, from headscarves and beards to minarets and mosques. Refreshments will be provided. Thurs., April 18 • 4:10 – 5:15 p.m. • Gendebien Room
Submitted by: Kate Pitts