Article originally published by Gonzaga News Service
SPOKANE, Wash. – Jonathan Brown, the Alwaleed bin Talal Chair of Islamic Civilization in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, will discuss, “Why Shouldn’t I Think There’s a Problem with Islam?” in a free, public lecture at 5 p.m., Monday, Jan. 30 at Gonzaga University’s Hemmingson Center Ballroom.
Brown will address contemporary perceptions by some observers, arising in part from global news coverage, that Islam is somehow inherently violent. He will also speak to how others, including the vast majority of Muslims, believe Islam is misunderstood by radical groups. Brown will offer suggestions for how people might approach these conflicting opinions and questions, and touch on the implications of people’s beliefs regarding the traditions different from their own.
The lecture is part of the Gonzaga religious studies department’s Being Religious Interreligiously Lecture Series, which aims to promote interreligious dialogue and foster understanding between different religions.
Brown, also the director of the Center for Muslim Christian Understanding at Georgetown, received his doctorate in near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago in 2006. Previously, he taught Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Washington. The editor-in-chief with the Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Law, Brown’s scholarship includes four books and multiple articles on Islamic studies.
For more information, contact John Sheveland, associate professor of religious studies at Gonzaga, at sheveland@gonzaga.edu or (509) 313-6784, or visit www.gonzaga.edu/religious-studies.