Events

Most Americans do not know that Genesis is the first book of the Bible. 

College of DuPage

April 21, 2009: "Religious Literacy," College Lecture Series, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.

Harvard University Noble Lectures

November 18-20, 2008: "Wandering in the World's Religions," Noble Lectures, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

Indiana Historical Society

November 14, 2008: "Religious Literacy," Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, IN.

Wilmington College

October 22, 2008: "Religious Literacy," Peace Symposium, Wilmington College, Wilmington, Ohio.

Harper College

October 8, 2008: "Religious Literacy," Harper College, Palantine, IL.

Alma College

October 7, 2008: "Religious Literacy," Alma College, Alma, Michigan

Museum of Biblical Art

May 9, 2008 (6:30 pm): "Biblical Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know and Doesn't," Museum of Biblical Art, New York City.

Fairfield University

April 10, 2008: "Religious Literacy," Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT.

Northwestern University

April 7, 2008: "Religious Literacy," Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.

Hofstra University

March 1, 2008: "Religious Literacy," Hofstra University, Long Island, New York.

Crichton Club

February 27, 2008: "Religious Literacy," Crichton Club, Columbus, OH.

Messiah College

February 26, 2008 (7 pm): "Religious Literacy," Messiah College, Grantham, PA.

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

February 13, 2008 (7 pm): "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know--And Doesn't," University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Irvin L. Young Auditorium.

Western Washington University

February 12, 2008 (3 pm): "Religious Literacy," Presidents Distinguished Lecture Series, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA.

Oxford College at Emory University

February 11, 2008 (7 pm): "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know-And Doesn't," February 11, 2008, Tarbutton Theater, Oxford College at Emory University, Oxford, Georgia.

Utah State University

February 1, 2008 (3:30 pm): "Religious Literacy," Old Main Room 225, Utah State University, Logan, Utah.

Falmouth Academy

January 17, 2008 (7:30 pm): "The Role of Schools in Teaching Religious Literacy," Falmouth Academy, Falmouth, Massachusets.

"On Point" on "The Golden Compass"

December 11, 2007: radio conversation about the controversy swirling around "The Golden Compass" on the NPR radio show "On Point." Other guests include Hanna Rosin of "Atlantic Monthly" and James Martin of "America: The National Catholic Weekly."

Eastern Nazarene College

November 8, 2007: "Religious Literacy in the United States," 7 pm, Schrader Science Lecture Hall, Eastern Nazarene College, Quincy, Massachusetts. Sponsored by the ENC History Department, the Historical Society, and the DeFreitas Foundation.

University of Florida, Gainesville

November 7, 2007 (7 pm): "Religious Literacy in Public Service."

St. Joseph's College

October 29, 2007: "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know," sponsored by the Institute for Religion in Community Life. Lecture at 12:40 pm, free. Lecture/reception/book signing at 7:30 pm, $15 advance, $20 at door. Both events at D'Ecclesiis Auditorium, St. Joseph's College, Long Island Campus, Patchogue, NY.

Cambridge Roundtable on Science, Art & Religion

October 17, 2007 (6:30) at the Harvard Faculty Club: "Religious Literacy," sponsored jointly by the Cambridge Roundtable on Science, Art & Religion and the Harvard University Committee on the Study of Religion. By invitation only.

Boston University Hillel House

October 16, 2007 (7:30 pm): "Jewish Literacy Kickoff: A Conversation with Stephen Prothero and Rabbi Avi Weiss."

Colby College

October 10, 2007: Gerrish Fund Lecture on "Religious Literacy," 7 pm, Lorimer Chapel, Colby College, Waterville, Maine.

Modesto Bee Book Club

October 6, 2007: Two events at Central Valley High School, Ceres, CA: "Religion and Politics" (American Heritage Scholarship lecture), 11 am; and book discussion of "Religious Literacy," Modesto Bee Book Club, 2 pm.

University of Denver

October 4, 2007: Two lectures. Noon on "Religious Literacy and the Public Intellectual" (part of a series on "Politics and the Public Intellectual") at Tivoli Turnhalle, University of Denver; and 6:30 pm on "Religious Literacy and the American Scholar" (part of a series on "New Visions of the American Scholar") at the Laboratory of Arts and Ideas at Belmar, Denver, CO.

Mercersburg Academy

September 24, 2007 (7 pm): Schaff Lecture on "Religious Literacy" at Mercersburg Academy, Mercersburg, PA.

Columbia Basin College

September 14, 2007: "Religious Literacy" public lecture at Columbia Basin College, Pasco, WA.

"To the Best of Our Knowledge"

This is a great NPR program out of Wisconsin, and I'm on this June 25, 2007 program alongside Elaine Pagels of Princeton and one of my all-time favorite writers, Anne Lamott.

"Religion and Ethics Newsweekly"

May 18, 2007: Coverage of "Religious Literacy" on the PBS show "Religion and Ethics Newsweekly."

Book TV on C-Span2 (Grace Cathedral)

May 12, 2007: Conversation with Alan Jones of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco on "Religious Literacy," aired Saturday, May 12, at 8:00 pm and Sunday, May 13, at 9:00 am.

Oprah and Jon Stewart and Tavis

For my appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and the Tavis Smiley Show, see my news page!

"Jesus in the Promised Land"

April 29, 2007: Conversation with Paula Fredriksen and moderated by Alan Segal on the afterlives of Jesus in America, academia, and Israel. The Center for Jewish History, New York City. 5:45 pm.

Cody's Books in Berkeley

April 24, 2007: "Religious Literacy" book signing at one of the Bay Area's great independent bookstores, Cody's Books of Berkeley.

Commonwealth Club, San Francisco

Conversation on religion and society in America with Rabbi Michael Lerner of "Tikkun" magazine and Michael Maudlin of HarperSanFrancisco.

Grace Cathedral's "Forum," San Francisco

April 22, 2007: "Religious Literacy" conversation for "The Forum" at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco with the Reverend Alan Jones, Dean of Grace Cathedral. Why religion needs to become the “Fourth R” of American education and what's wrong with the "new atheism." Click through for the webcast.

"AirTalk" with Larry Mantle

April 10, 2007: Return trip to this wide-ranging talk show on Southern California Public Radio (89.3 FM).

Barnes & Noble @ BU Book Signing

March 27, 2007 (7 pm): "Religious Literacy" book signing at Barnes & Noble @ Boston University. Click through for the webcast.

WGN Extension 720 with Milt Rosenberg

March 23, 2007: WGN Extension 720 with Milt Rosenberg on "The Talk of Chicago"

Leonard Lopate Show (WNYC)

March 15, 2007: Live, in-studio conversation about "Religious Literacy" in Manhattan with Leonard Lopate.

"Teaching Religious Literacy" at NPR's "On Point"

March 13, 2007: "On Point" is one of my favorite NPR shows and it features one of the sharpest hosts in the business, Tom Ashbrook. Here he asks whether we should be teaching about religion in the public schools. Barry Lynn says no. I say yes.

"America's Religious Origins"

November 11, 2006: "Writing the Story of America's Religious Origins," conversation at the Library of Congress with Mark Noll, Susan Jacoby, Jonathan Sarna, Catherine Albanese, and myself. Click on the link above for the full webcast.

NBC Nightly News Baseball & Religion

Airdate August 8, 2006: NBC Nightly News story on "faith nights" at baseball games with a sound bite of mine (or is it a sound morsel?) on the pitfalls of mixing praying and playing. Click on the link and then on "launch."

Rogers State University (Claremore, OK)

October 5, 2006: Public lecture on religious literacy.

Saginaw Valley State University (University Center, MI)

October 2, 2006: Public lecture on "American Jesus: Icon of a Nation."

Thomas Jefferson NEH Seminar

July 20, 2006: Talk at BU's School of Education on Jefferson and Religion for an NEH Summer Summer Institute for Teachers called "Thomas Jefferson: Personality, Character and Public Life."