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University Communications

Religious Author Diana Eck to Speak During University of Richmond Founders Week

February 14, 2003

Diana Eck, author of "A New Religious America - How a 'Christian Country' Has Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation," will speak at the University of Richmond Monday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. in Cannon Memorial Chapel.

Eck's appearance is part of the university's Founders Week activities. A professor of comparative religion and Indian studies at Harvard University's Divinity School, she is appearing as the 2003 David and Terry Heilman Sylvester Lecturer.

The talk is open to the public at no charge.

In her book, Eck draws on her work with the Pluralism Project, an ongoing study of religious diversity in the United States, and focuses on the explosion of Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist communities in America since 1965. "Publishers Weekly" described Eck as "a highly skilled ethnographer who delicately balances the challenge of interpreting events while also participating in them."

She does more than simply document the presence of religious diversity, the periodical states. "She places it in historical context and illustrates the ongoing challenges it presents by describing legal battles and pivotal court cases." She also devotes space in the book to the rise of religiously motivated hate crimes as well as innovative ways some communities have embraced religious pluralism.

For more information, contact the Chaplain's Office at (804) 289-8500.