Archive for the ‘Announcements’ Category
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
Professor James Watts, Syracuse University, “Polemics about Scriptures in Western Culture”
October 21, 2009, 7:00 pm
Betts Branch Library
Meeting Room
4862 S. Salina St.
Syracuse, NY 13205
Criticisms of Western scriptures as being inaccurate and lacking historical basis are not unique to modern times. They have been a regular feature of inter-religious polemic since antiquity. What is unusual about the last two centuries is that believing scholars have engaged constructively with such criticisms. This talk will trace the history of controversies over scriptures in order to ask what made such constructive engagement possible in the 19th and 20th centuries and whether the changing world political situation will continue to be hospitable to it in the 21st century.
James W. Watts is Professor of Religion and Chair of the Department of Religion at Syracuse University, where he has taught since 1999. Jim is a biblical scholar whose research focuses on the interplay of ritual and rhetoric in the Torah and the rest of the Hebrew Bible. He also directs the Iconic Books Project, leading an interdisciplinary team of scholars in investigating the social functions of material texts. Jim teaches a large introductory survey course on the Bible, upper-division courses about religion in ancient Israel and the ancient Near East, and graduate seminars on scripture, ritual and rhetoric. He is the author of Ritual and Rhetoric in Leviticus: From Sacrifice to Scripture (2007) and Reading Law: The Rhetorical Shaping of the Pentateuch (1999).
Photo by jamelah on flickr.
Posted in Announcements, Events | No Comments »
Sunday, August 16th, 2009
Jeff Wagg of the James Randi Educational Foundation on Skepticism and Conjuring
September 16, 2009, 7:00 pm
Betts Branch Library
Meeting Room
4862 S. Salina St.
Syracuse, NY 13205
Skepticism is the intersection of science and a peculiar brand of psychology known as ‘Conjuring.’ Only by understanding how we are fooled can we truly understand how to conduct experiments on individuals who claim to have supernatural powers. Learn how some simple tricks can fool the smartest people, how a a couple of teenagers fooled rooms full of scientists, and why smart people are the easiest to fool.
Jeff Wagg is a (mostly) life-long skeptic and currently serves as Communications and Outreach Manager of the James Randi Educational Foundation. With a broad experience in both science and the humanities, Jeff brings an unusual and refreshing perspective to the endeavors of skepticism, epistemology, and the human experience. He has studied conjuring with the likes of Jamy Ian Swiss and James Randi, and though he is not a magician himself, he sees the need for more magic in the world. Jeff currently resides in Richmond, VT, when he’s not on one of his frequent road trips.
Posted in Announcements, Events | No Comments »
Friday, July 10th, 2009
We’ll See You In September!
Save the Date for Jeff Wagg of the James Randi Educational Foundation
September 16, 2009, 7:00 pm
Betts Branch Library
Meeting Room
4862 S. Salina St.
Syracuse, NY 13205
Have a great summer, and we’ll see you back at the Betts Branch in September. We’ll kick off our 8th year with a visit from Jeff Wagg, Communication and Outreach Manager, at the James Randi Education Foundation.
Posted in Announcements | No Comments »
Monday, June 1st, 2009
Freethinkers vs. The Skeptics!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009, 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Correction!
Rescheduled for Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Fairmount Glen
210 Onondaga Rd.
Syracuse, NY 13219
$6 per person
Map
It’s the first (annual?) FUNY vs. CNY Skeptics mini-golf tournament. Step on up and show off your mini-golf stuff! Bring friends!
Organized by freethinking skeptic Brian Madigan. Photo by DeaPeaJay on flickr.
Tags: mini-golf
Posted in Announcements, Events | No Comments »
