Talal Asad: Thinking about Blasphemy and Secular Criticism

This is an Archive of a Past Event

Presidential Lecturer

His fall lecture examined the concept of "blasphemy," and its meanings and uses in the Western and Islamic worlds. Professor Asad is a leading anthropologis, known for his theoretical contributions to postcolonial and religious studies. His most recent research has focused on the relationship between religion, secularism, and modernity. He is the author of several books, including "Genealogies of Religion: Discipline and Reasons of Power in Christianity and Islam" (1993) and "Formations of the Secular: Christianity, Islam, Modernity" (2003).