Charles long profile photo in flyer for an event Nov. 2025
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Save the Date – Arts of Interpretation

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Arts of Interpretation

  • November 21, 1:30-4:30PM
  • Tozzer Room #203, 21 Divinity Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138
  • Open to all AAR & SBL members

The phenomenon of religion is exerting a critical role in the world. Our times require more robust religion theory. The tradition of the history of religions, as articulated by Charles Long, urges us to take religious phenomenology seriously. While the academy has spent years discounting and dismissing history of religions this panel investigates its continued relevance. Long foresaw how religion is integral to nation states and the rise of authoritarianism as an extension of colonialism as a context for cultural contact and erasure. There’s an urgency today for returning to Long’s critical theoretical framework from various perspectives with renewed vigor and creativity.

1:30-2:30 pm: The Legacy of Charles H. Long

Presenters: Davíd Carrasco (Harvard Divinity School) & Raymond Carr (Harvard University)

3-4:30 pm: How & Why White Supremacy Persists

Panelists: Philip P. Arnold (Syracuse University), Natalie Avalos (University of Colorado Boulder), Theresa Smallwood (United Lutheran Seminary), Emilie Townes (Boston University), & Corey D.B. Walker (Wake Forest University School of Divinity)

Chair: Adam DJ Brett