Spirituality and the Art Museum in Contemporary America

As a museum, we strive to connect with our visitors in ways that inspire empathy and respect. How can we engage with the intricacies of spirituality in our galleries? Join leading scholars of religion and sociology for a thought-provoking discussion on the changing role of spirituality in our country today. Dr. Courtney Bender,  Dr. Ann Braude, and Dr. Omid Safi will unpack the histories of spirituality and the ways in which various religious and cultural traditions have shaped contemporary understanding and practice.

This event is made possible through generous support from the Lilly Foundation Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative.

Register here to join this online event on August 5.

Courtney Bender is Professor of Religion at Columbia University specializing in contemporary American religion and the social scientific study of religion. She is author of several books, including The New Metaphysicals: Spirituality and the American Religious Imagination, and co-editor of After Pluralism: Reimagining Religious Engagement.

Ann D. Braude is Senior Lecturer on American Religious History and Director of the Women’s Studies in Religion Program at Harvard Divinity School. She is the author of several books, including Sisters and Saints: Women and American Religion and co-editor of Gendering Religion and Politics: Untangling Modernity.

Omid Safi is Director of Duke University’s Islamic Studies Center specializing in the study of Islamic mysticism and contemporary Islam. He is the author of several books, including Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism and co-editor of the Cambridge Companion to American Islam.