Religious Studies Symposium: "Intersections of Nature and Religion: Sacred Landscapes"

February 13, 2014

The Department of Religious Studies will hold a symposium titled “Intersections of Nature and Religion: Sacred Landscapes,” at the Anatol Center on Thursday, Febrary 27th 2014, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Organized by Drs. Gabriel Estrada, Sophia Pandya,  David Stewart, and  the Religious Studies Student Society, presentations will include those treating indigenous religion, magic, shamanism, alchemy, sacred tree mythologies, and eco-feminist theologies. Speakers include faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and  keynote speaker, Dr. Inés Talamantez, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who will speak on Native American traditions, healing, and sacred space.

Dr. Inés Talamanez, who received her PhD from the University of California at San Diego, currently specializes in Native American Religion, anthropology, linguistics, and comparative literature. Her recent book (2006), Teaching Religion and Healing, analyzes the study of cultural competencies as they apply to the connections between medicine, healing, and religion. Her article (2000), “The Presence of Isanaklesh: The Apache Female Deity and the Path of Pollen,” examines initiation ceremonies for young Apache girls at the age of puberty. These rituals involve the collection of sacred pollen and medicinal herbs.

This event is co-sponsored by Religious Studies Student Association and Africana Studies.

Schedule:

12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Welcome and FREE Lunch- Indian Food

1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Dr. InésTalamantez

2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Student Speakers
2:45 p.m. to 3: 45 p.m. Professor Speakers
3:45 p.m. to 4 p.m. Coffee Break
4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Student Speakers