For Immediate Release
December 16, 2011
Rhodes
College’s Communities
in Conversation series to present
the “Modern Prophets” lectures
by Paul
Mendes-Flohr
(Memphis, Tenn.)—Rhodes College’s Communities in Conversation series will present the
“Modern Prophets” lectures
on Jan. 18
and Jan. 19, 2012. Free and open to the public, both lectures will
be by Dr.
Paul Mendes-Flohr, a leading scholar of modern Jewish thought. He
teaches at
the Divinity School at University
of
Chicago and co-taught for many years at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem.
On Wednesday, Jan 18, at 7
p.m.,
Mendes-Flohr will present “Two
Contrasting Paths to Jewish Spirituality: Martin Buber and Franz
Rosenzweig.” The
lecture will be held at the Jewish
Community
Center located at 6560 Poplar Avenue and will examine the
contrasting
modes advocated by Buber and Rosenzweig for leading a spiritual
life. Buber
focused on
the challenge of serving God in what he contended was
misleadingly labeled the
secular sphere of everyday life, while Rosenzweig emphasized
divine service
through prayer and Torah (Bible) study.
After the
lecture,
there will be a question and answer session led by Rabbi Harry
Danziger (Temple
Israel, emeritus, and Rhodes College/Reform), Rabbi Aaron
Rubinstein (Beth
Sholom Synagogue/Conservative), Rabbi Joel Finkielstein (Anshei
Sphard-Beth El
Emeth/Orthodox). This interdenominational panel will help
navigate the communal
discussion.
On
Thursday, Jan. 19
at 6 p.m.,
Mendes-Flohr will present
“Two Modern Prophets: Martin Luther King and Martin
Buber.” The lecture
will be held in Hardie Auditorium at Rhodes College to celebrate
MLK Day.
Martin Buber (1878-1965) and Martin Luther King
Jr.
(1929-1968) shared an unyielding commitment to social justice and
the pursuit
of peace. This lecture will reflect on the theological convergence
of these two
towering figures of twentieth century religious thought in Israel
and in
America.
After the
lecture,
there will be a question and answer session led by Dr. Luther
D. Ivory, associate
professor of religious studies at Rhodes and author of Toward a Theology of Radical Involvement: The
Theological Legacy of
Martin Luther King Jr.
***
New
this year at
Rhodes, Communities
in
Conversation provides a forum for dialogue on a variety of
topics in the humanities
as well as those related to current affairs.
Those with specific inquiries about Communities in Conversation or the upcoming lectures
can contact Dr.
Jonathan Judaken, the Spence L. Wilson
Chair in Humanities at Rhodes, at (901) 843-3292 or judakenj@rhodes.edu
###