GEII Executive Director, Dr. Aaron Hollander, was invited to three northeastern colleges in February, where he offered lectures and led workshops with graduate students and university faculty.
At Swarthmore College:
Dr. Hollander presented the lecture, “Holy Resistance in Orthodox Christianity,” drawing on his research in Cyprus to make the case that Christian art and culture provide a deep reservoir of resources in the midst of struggles to be spiritually whole and free from political oppression. In attendance were Religion Department faculty and students from both Swarthmore and Haverford Colleges, sharing conversation over dinner and considering the importance of Orthodox Christian perspectives on war, oppression, and resistance in our own time.
At Villanova University:
Dr. Hollander led a lunchtime workshop for Theology & Religious Studies faculty and graduate students on the value of social science research methods for theologians (not only for students of religion more generally). Drawing on his recent book, Saint George Liberator: Hagiography as Resistance in the Modern Mediterranean, he guided students through questions of how to conduct research on the everyday theological understanding of living communities. Of his hosts in the Villanova Theology & Religious Studies Department, two have contributed a chapter to his forthcoming edited volume, Saints in Divided Societies, and the third will be speaking on a book panel about Saint George Liberator at the upcoming World Christianity Conference in Recife, Brazil.
At Fordham University:
Dr. Hollander was the guest speaker at a graduate student professionalization seminar, joining the group to discuss the wide range of fields and types of institutions in which humanistic research and expertise can make a difference, including beyond the university. His role at GEII, with a foot in the church and a foot in the academy, offered the students perspective on the important contributions of humanistic inquiry in an increasingly fraught interfaith environment.
Dr. Hollander is available by arrangement to lead workshops, seminars, or other educational programming pertaining to ecumenical/interreligious history, methods, and peace processes.
