Humbert Lecture on Religion

Sponsored by the humanities division and the philosophy and religion department, the Eureka College Humbert Lecture Series will host Professor Valerie J. Hoffman to deliver this year’s lecture. The series explores the intersection of religion and public life. Professor Hoffman’s talk will explore Ibadi Islam, which emerged in the late seventh to early eighth centuries. Historically, Ibadi Islam held that the Muslim ruler must be chosen for his piety and religious knowledge, regardless of lineage or ethnicity, and that only those who follow correct doctrine and obey all of Islam’s precepts deserve to be called believers; all others are infidels from whom one should dissociate. Today, however, Ibadis describe their faith as moderate and tolerant, and the differences between Ibadism and Islam’s other branches (the Sunni and Shiʿi) are regarded as insignificant. Today, the only nation-state that claims an affiliation with Ibadi Islam is the Sultanate of Oman, a country that has emerged as a diplomatic mediator between the U.S. and Iran and in Sunni-Shiʿi conflicts. Some have argued that it is Ibadism that has enabled Oman to take on this role. This talk will outline the ways that Ibadism has changed over time, especially in the last fifty years, and will discuss the implications of these changes for our understanding of religion in general.

Students can obtain a Campus Academic Engagement Badge by attending this event.