2016 Robert A. Burns Lecture - "A Divine Dilemma"

You are cordially invited to attend the 2016 Burns Lecture on Thursday, February 25 at 7:00 p.m.:

 

In March 2013, the Italian Human Rights Group Gherush92 called for Dante’s Comedy to be banned from the schools because, they argued, Dante was anti-Semitic. This may be an unfair judgment processed through a modern day logic. For medieval Christians, the presence of Jewish communities within Christendom provoked contradictory reactions: Jewish holy books were also Christian holy books, and their rites were sanctioned by the God of Israel; at the same time, the Jewish people rejected Christ as the Messiah, and did not follow the New Law. Join us as we explore Dante’s paradoxical views about Jewish people of medieval Europe.

 

Due to severe weather conditions in North Carolina, our originally scheduled speaker for tomorrow’s Robert A. Burns Lecture, Dr. Jonathan Hess, has had to cancel his trip.

In his place, we are delighted that Dr. Fabian Alfie will be able to present for this year’s Burns Lecture. Dr. Alfie is a Professor of Italian and faculty affiliate of Religious Studies and Judaic Studies at the University of Arizona. He has lectured extensively for the Tucson community through the Humanities Seminars program and Humanities Week presentations. The title of Dr. Alfie’s presentation tomorrow night will be “A Divine Dilemma: Dante’s Representation of Jewish People.”