Alice Pope Shade Lecture

Each year, the Department of Religious Studies and the Office of the Chaplain sponsor a lecture by nationally and internationally renowned religious scholars and leaders.

Lectureships and Speaker Series
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11/5/2015, New York---Irshad Manji is a Canadian author, educator at New York University, and advo...

2022-23 Guest Speaker: Irshad Manji

Taboo Questions About Identity: How To Discuss Faith, Justice and Politics Without Melting Down

Degenstein Center Theater
Feb. 27, 2023 7:30 p.m.


Irshad Manji, the recipient of Oprah’s first Chutzpah Award for boldness, will invite your taboo questions about identity, including her own. She’s a Muslim. She’s queer. She’s both a free speech champion and a sympathizer of Critical Race Theory. The pronoun she aspires to take? “It” — in transformation — because Manji grows from every dialogue and disagreement. Get ready for an experience that teaches us all how to turn contentious issues into constructive conversations. Go ahead. Grow there.

About the Program

Each year, the Department of Religious Studies and the Office of the Chaplain sponsor a lecture by nationally and internationally renowned religious scholars and leaders.

While religious faith is personal, it is never merely private. The lectures typically explore the role religion plays in various aspects of public life: civic, social, spiritual, political, moral, environmental, and in terms of the formation of individual character.

Lecturers are selected by the faculty of the Department of Religious Studies on the basis of their scholarship and their ability to engage students and members of the community meaningfully.

Alice Pope Shade Fund

The lectures are made possible by the Alice Pope Shade Fund, established in 1983 by her daughter, Rebecca Shade Mignot ’54. Mignot graduated from Susquehanna in 1954 in music education.

Past Speakers

  • 2021–22: J.C. Watts Jr.
  • 2019–20: Mary Robinson
  • 2018–19: Joe Lieberman
  • 2017–18: Leymah Gbowee
  • 2016–17: David Gregory-“An Unlikely Spiritual Journey”
  • 2015–16: Dr. John L. Esposito
  • 2013–2014: The Rev. Dr. William H. Willimon-“Thinking About Jesus in a Post-Christian World”
  • 2012–13: The Yuval Ron Ensemble-“The Mystical Music of the Middle East”
  • 2011–12: Robert Putnam-“American Grace: How Religion Unites Us and Divides Us”
  • 2010–11: Dean Brackley-“Sustaining the Commitment to Social Justice”
  • 2009–10: Charles Mathewes-“Faith, Irony, and Power: Niebuhrian Lessons for Liberal Education”
  • 2008–09: Amy-Jill Levine-“The Scandal of a Jewish Jesus”
  • 2007–08: John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker-“The Emerging Alliance of Religion and Ecology”
  • 2006–07: The Rev. Jim Wallis-“God’s Politics”
  • 2005–06: Guillermo Cuéllar, Donna Peña, Rafael Malpica-Padilla, Bill Dexheimer-Pharris, and Tom Witt-“Hymns of Justice, Solidarity and Peace”

Lectureships & Speaker Series 

Susquehanna’s diverse selection of lectureships and speaker series brings together esteemed scholars, industry leaders and influential voices to share their expertise and perspectives with the campus community. These events serve as vibrant platforms for critical thinking, fostering a culture of intellectual exploration and innovation.

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