Division of Social Studies Events

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Jerusalem: What Makes a City “Holy”?

Bruce Chilton, Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Philosophy and Religion; Director, Institute of Advanced Theology

Monday, September 7, 2026
12:30–2 pm

Bard Hall
This series will examine three famous holy sites in Jerusalem: the Haram al-Sharif, the Western Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Their founding narratives will reveal how holiness has been attributed to the city, and why characteristic religious practices are focalized there. On this basis, we will investigate the roots of conflicts, past and present, that have threatened Jerusalem’s survival.

Lecture series will be held on the following Mondays at 12:30pm in Bard Hall
Sept. 7th, Sept. 21st, Oct. 5th, Oct. 19th, and Nov. 2ndSponsored by: Institute of Advanced Theology.

For more information, call 845-758-7667, or e-mail [email protected].

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Jerusalem: what makes a city “holy”? 

Bruce Chilton, Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Philosophy and Religion; Director, Institute of Advanced Theology

Monday, September 21, 2026
12:30–2 pm

Bard Hall
This series will examine three famous holy sites in Jerusalem: the Haram al-Sharif, the Western Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Their founding narratives will reveal how holiness has been attributed to the city, and why characteristic religious practices are focalized there. On this basis, we will investigate the roots of conflicts, past and present, that have threatened Jerusalem’s survival.

Lecture series will be held on the following Mondays at 12:30pm in Bard Hall
Sept. 7th, Sept. 21st, Oct. 5th, Oct. 19th, and Nov. 2ndSponsored by: Institute of Advanced Theology.

For more information, call 845-758-7667, or e-mail [email protected].

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Interview with a Bandit

Helen Epstein

Thursday, September 24, 2026
12 pm

Campus Center North 101
For the past 15 years, some thirty thousand bandits have been terrorizing Nigeria’s countryside. The Trump administration has characterized them as Jihadists, bent on genocide against Christians. Experts on the region, along with the Nigerian government dispute this claim. Last spring, Nigerian journalist Aminu Abubakar and I attempted to find out what their motivations really are. I’ll share our findings and reflect on what they tell us about the roots of Nigerian banditry, and perhaps human violence in general.
For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].