UNC-Chapel Hill Professor of Religious Studies Omid Safi to Speak at Furman about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Muhammad
March 7, 2012
GREENVILLE, SC – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hillprofessor of religious studies Omid Safi will speak at two engagements on March14 and 15 on the Furman campus. His first presentation is Wednesday, March 14 at7 p.m. in Daniel Chapel, and the second is Thursday, March 15 at 7 p.m. inWatkins Room of University Center. Both are free and open to thepublic.
In his first presentation, “Let Justice Roll Down LikeWater,” Safi examines Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Muslim perspective –the challenges Dr. King faced from the political establishment, the whitechurch, and even the black church that questioned his involvement with the peacemovement and the Vietnam War.
For his second talk, “Memories of Muhammad: Why the ProphetMatters Today,” Safi looks at the life and teachings of the Prophet, hisspiritual experiences, the forgotten legacies of Islamic art related to theProphet, and the mandate for a holistic and indivisible sense ofjustice.
Considered a leading progressive Muslim thinker in the U.S.,Safi specializes in Islamic mysticism (Sufism), contemporary Islamic thought andmedieval Islam. He is author of several books, most recently, Memories ofMuhammad (HarperOne, 2009), as well as articles and essays. Safi frequentlycomments on contemporary affairs in newspapers, blogs andradio.
For more information about the events, contact Alfons Teipenin the Department of Religion at 864-294-3310, or [email protected].
