Sixth Annual Comparative Religion Lecture Slated

March 10, 2014 BK

PATCHOGUE AND BROOKLYN, N.Y. March 11, 2014 St. Josephs College (SJC) is pleased to announce The Dr. Reza Khatib and Georgianna Clifford Khatib Chair in Comparative Religion Sixth Annual Lecture featuring Mehdi Aminrazavi, Ph.D., author and professor of philosophy and religion. His talk, "Shiism and the Politics of the Hidden Imam will be presented on Thursday, April 3 in the Tuohy Hall Auditorium on the Brooklyn Campus and on Thursday, April 10 in the McGann Conference Room on the Long Island Campus. Both lectures will take place at 12:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

"Dr. Aminrazavi is a leading scholar on Shiite Islam, Persian culture and Islamic philosophy, said Dr. Thomas Petriano, SJC professor in the Department of Religious Studies. "Based on the course he is presently teaching, Saints, Sufis and Warriors of God: Shiism and Persian Culture, his lecture promises to be a timely and informative discussion of Shiite Islam and the influence of its theology on the current culture and politics of Iran. We are fortunate to have him as this years Khatib Chair. 

A native of Iran, Dr. Aminrazavi is a professor of classics, philosophy and religion at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, V.A., who specializes in the areas of eastern religions, Islam and the Middle East, Islamic philosophy and theology, medieval philosophy and philosophy of religion. A member of the editorial board of the Journal of Religious Studies, Cambridge University Press, he has authored and edited numerous books and articles and co-edited the five-volume set, An Anthology of Philosophy in Persia, which was recognized at the 23rd annual Tehran International Book Fair in 2010 as a superior book in the field of humanities. Dr. Aminrazavi has been the recipient of many national and international awards and accolades for his achievements in the field. He received a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion from Temple University after receiving an M.A. in Philosophy and a B.A. in Urban Planning from the University of Washington.

Funded by Dr. Reza Khatib and Mrs. Georgianna Clifford Khatib 52, the Chairs purpose is to promote interfaith dialogue, with the study of Islam being an integral part of the initiative. Each spring, through the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Khatib, the College hosts a noted scholar who lectures, leads faculty discussions and teaches a course to students from both campuses.

For more information about The Dr. Reza and Georgianna Clifford Khatib Chair in Comparative Religion, please call 718.940.5584 for Brooklyn, 631.687.2667 for Long Island or visit www.sjny.edu.