Emory Williams Lectures in the Liberal Arts

Joan Connelly, Professor of Classics at Bryn Mawr College, gives a talk entitled "On the Parthenon" (October 28, 2015). Connelly was awarded a MacArthur Foundation fellowship for her work in Greek art, myth, and religion. Her new book, "The Parthenon Enigma," won the Phi Beta Kappa Society’s Ralph Waldo Emerson Award for 2015. It was named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times Book Review, one of the year’s Top Ten Works of Nonfiction by the Daily Beast, and one of the Best Books in Architecture and Design by Metropolis Magazine. Her "Portrait of a Priestess: Women and Ritual in Ancient Greece," was also named a Notable Books of the Year by the New York Times.

Marc Conner, Jo M. and James Ballengee Professor of English at Washington and Lee University, gives a talk to undergraduates entitled "Shakespeare and the Problem of Heroism" (October 21, 2015). The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/

Robert Greenberg, Music Historian-In-Residence, San Francisco Performances, gives a talk and performance entitled "Music as a Mirror" (October 7, 2015). The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University).

Cynthia Chapman, Johnston & Frank Associate Professor of Religion at Oberlin College, gives a talk to undergraduates entitled "The Bible and Plagiarism: Repurposing the Stories of Old" (September 30, 2015). The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University).

Cynthia Chapman, Johnston & Frank Associate Professor of Religion at Oberlin College, gives a talk to undergraduates entitled "The Bible and Plagiarism: Repurposing the Stories of Old" (September 30, 2015). The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/

Vincent Phillip Munoz, Tocqueville Associate Professor of Religion and Public Life in the Department of Political Science and Concurrent Associate Professor of Law at The University of Notre Dame, gives a talk to undergraduates entitled "Did America's Founding Fathers Intend to Separate Church from State?" (September 9, 2015). Dr. Muñoz writes and teaches across the fields of political philosophy, constitutional studies, and American politics. His recent research has focused on the theme of religious liberty and the American Constitution. His first book, "God and the Founders: Madison, Washington, and Jefferson" (Cambridge University Press, 2009), won the Hubert Morken Award from the American Political Science Association for the best publication on religion and politics in 2009 and 2010. His First Amendment church-state casebook, "Religious Liberty and the American Supreme Court: The Essential Cases and Documents," was published in 2013 and is being used at Notre Dame and other leading universities. The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University).

James Tatum, Aaron Lawrence Professor of Classics, Emeritus, Dartmouth College, gives a talk entitled "'Goodness Gracious! Anybody Hurt?' How a Great Work Can Be a Time Bomb in Your Life. "(April 8, 2015) The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/

Vickie Sullivan, Professor of Political Science at Tufts University, gives a talk entitled "Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks: Reading History and Machiavelli's Prince in Middle Age" (March 18, 2015). At Tufts, she maintains teaching and research interests in a new subfield of political science, politics and literature. The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/

Professor Stauffer talks about English philosopher and author of "Leviathan," Thomas Hobbes (March 4, 2015). He specializes in classical and early modern political philosophy. Most of his research has focused on classical thought, but his current work also examines the origins of liberalism, the theoretical foundations of modernity, and the divide between ancient and modern political thought. He is the author of "Plato's Introduction to the Question of Justice" (SUNY, 2001), coauthor and cotranslator of "Empire and the Ends of Politics: Plato's Menexenus and Pericles' Funeral Oration" (Focus Philosophical Library, 1999), and author of "The Unity of Plato's Gorgias: Rhetoric, Justice, and the Philosophic Life" (Cambridge, 2006). The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/

Salman Rushdie, Emory University Distinguished Professor, talks about the great books in his life (Feb. 18, 2015). The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/ http://www.salman-rushdie.com/

Gilbert Meilaender, Professor Emeritus at Valparaiso University, gives a talk entitled "Two Concepts of Dignity" as part of the Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts (Nov. 12, 2014). His published work falls generally into the area of religious ethics. Most recently he has edited (together with William Werpehowski) "The Oxford Handbook of Theological Ethics" (2005). He has a special interest in bioethics, is a Fellow of the Hastings Center, and has been a member of the President's Council on Bioethics since its inception in January 2002. The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/

Mary Keys, is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science, University of Notre Dame, gives a talk entitled "Greatness of Soul: Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas on the Virtue of Magnanimity" as part of the Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts (Oct. 22, 2014). Her research and teaching interests span a broad spectrum of political theory, with a special focus in Christianity, ethics, and political thought. She is the author of "Aquinas, Aristotle, and the Promise of the Common Good" (Cambridge University Press, 2006; paperback 2008). The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/

BIll McClay, the G.T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty at University of Oklahoma, gives a talk entitled "The Moral Economy of Guilt" as part of the Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts (Oct. 1, 2014). His book "The Masterless: Self and Society in Modern America" won the 1995 Merle Curti Award of the Organization of American Historians for the best book in American intellectual history. Among his other books are "The Student’s Guide to U.S. History," "Religion Returns to the Public Square: Faith and Policy in America," "Figures in the Carpet: Finding the Human Person in the American Past" and the forthcoming "Why Place Matters: Geography, Identity, and Public Life in Modern America." The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/

Robert George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and professor of politics at Princeton University, gives a talk entitled "Constitutional Structures and Civic Virtues" to Emory undergraduates (Sept. 3, 2014). Professor George is a member of the President’s Council on Bioethics and formerly served as a presidential appointee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights and a Judicial Fellow at the Supreme Court of the United States. He is also the founder and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/

Walter Melion, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Art History and chair of the Art History Department, gives a talk to undergraduates entitled "How Painters Read the Classics" (April 9, 2014). Dr. Melion has published extensively on Dutch and Flemish art and art theory of the 16th and 17th centuries, on Jesuit image-theory, on the relation between theology and aesthetics in the early modern period, and on the artist Hendrick Goltzius. The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/

Nicholas Buccola, Linfield College, gives a talk entitled "Frederick Douglass's Declarations of Independence" to Emory undergraduates (April 2, 2014). Political science Professor Nicholas Buccola teaches and researches American politics, including contemporary issues such as same-sex marriage, social justice, contemporary moral controversies, and political liberals and conservatives. Other areas of expertise include the Supreme Court and constitutional law. The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/

Susan Collins, University of Notre Dame, gives a talk to undergraduates entitled "Civic Freedom and Reverence for Law: The Legacy of Ancient Sparta" (March 19, 2014). Dr. Collins is Associate Professor of Political Science, specializing in Ancient Political Philosophy. Her most recent book is a translation of Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics," with Robert Bartlett (University of Chicago, 2011), including notes, glossary, and interpretive essay. The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/

Russell Reno, editor of "First Things" magazine, gives a talk entitled "The King James Bible" to Emory undergraduates (March 5, 2014). Reno is the author of several books, including "Fighting the Noonday Devil", a theological commentary on the Book of Genesis in the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible series for which he also serves as general editor, "In the Ruins of the Church", and "Redemptive Change: Atonement and the Cure of the Soul". He has also coauthored two books, "Heroism and The Christian Life" and "Sanctified Vision: An Introduction to Early Christian Interpretation of the Bible". His scholarly work ranges widely in systematic and moral theology, as well as in controverted questions of biblical interpretation. [Source: Wikipedia] The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/

Roosevelt Montas, Columbia University, gives a talk entitled "Liberal Education and Democratic Citizenship" to Emory undergraduates (February 26, 2014). Dr. Montás specializes in Antebellum American literature and culture, with a specific interest in citizenship and American national identity. He is also Director of Columbia's Center for the Core Curriculum, where he has taught both Literature Humanities and Contemporary Civilization. He is currently writing on the interrelated biographies Ralph Waldo Emerson, Frederick Douglass, and Charles Sumner. He also lectures and writes on the history and future of liberal arts education. The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures/

Natalie Haynes, writer and critic, gives a talk entitled "The Ancient Guide to Modern Life" at Emory University (January 22, 2014). The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University).

Robert Shaw-Smith, an actor and instructor at the Atlanta International School, talks about performing in the plays of Shakespeare (March 20, 2013). The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University).

As part of the Emory Williams Lecture Series, Christine Rosen, senior editor of "The New Atlantis," gives a talk entitled "The Changing Role of the Bible in America" (November 20, 2013). Rosen writes about the social and cultural impact of technology, as well as bioethics and the history of genetics. As a Future Tense Fellow at the New America Foundation, she is working on her forthcoming book, "The Extinction of Experience," to be published by W. W. Norton in 2014. The Emory Williams Lectures in the Liberal Arts have been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures

As part of the Emory Williams Lecture Series, Dr. Ralph Hexter of the University of California - Davis gives a talk entitled "Reading Vergil Through the Ages" (November 6, 2013). Dr. Ralph Hexter holds an appointment as distinguished professor of Classics and Comparative Literature. He is also currently serving as the provost and executive vice chancellor (http://provost.ucdavis.edu/people/hexter-biography.html). He received a Ph.D. and M.Phil. in comparative literature from Yale University. The Emory Williams Lectures in the Liberal Arts have been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures

As part of the Emory Williams Lecture Series, Jerry Muller, chair of the Department of History at Catholic University, gives a talk entitled "Adam Smith on the Uses, Abuses, and Limits of Self-Interest" (October 29, 2013). Dr. Muller holds a PhD (1984) from Columbia University and has written extensively on modern European intellectual history and modern Germany. His most recent work is "Capitalism and the Jews" (Princeton University Press, 2010). The Emory Williams Lectures in the Liberal Arts have been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures

As part of the Emory Williams Lecture Series, John Agresto, former president of St. John's College, gives a talk entitled "Toward an American Liberal Education" (October 23, 2013). Dr. Agresto holds a Ph.D. in political science from Cornell University. He has published in the areas of politics, law, and education, and has taught at the University of Toronto, Kenyon College, Duke University and the New School University. From 1989 to 2000, he served as president of St. John's College in Santa Fe. In 2008-2009 he was a visiting fellow at Princeton University's James Madison Program. The Emory Williams Lectures in the Liberal Arts have been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University). http://college.emory.edu/home/academic/voluntary-core-program/lectures

As part of the Emory Williams Lecture Series, Allen Guelzo of Gettysburg College gives a talk entitled " Lincoln and the War Powers" (September 18, 2013).

Prof. Ceaser has written several books on American politics and political thought, including "Presidential Selection", "Liberal Democracy and Political Science", "Reconstructing America", and "Nature and History in American Political Development". He has held visiting professorships at the University of Florence, the University of Basel, Oxford University, the University of Bordeaux, and the University of Rennes. He is also a frequent contributor to the popular press.

Tracy Lee Simmons, Lynchburg College, gives a talk entitled "Thomas Jefferson, Humanism, and Classical Education" (Feb. 27, 2013). The author of "Climbing Parnassus: A New Apologia for Greek and Latin," he is currently writing a book about Thomas Jefferson.

Ronna Burger, a professor of philosopy at Tulane University, gives a talk entitled "The Best Human Life: On Aristotle's Ethics I.5" at Emory University on Feb. 12, 2013. Dr. Burger is the author of "Aristotle's Dialogue with Socrates: on the Nicomachean Ethics" (University of Chicago Press, 2008, paperback edition, 2009).

Luke Timothy Johnson of the Candler School of Theology gives a talk entitled "Jesus among the Philosophers: Ancient Conceptions of Happiness" (Jan. 30, 2013). Professor Johnson's research concerns the literary, moral, and religious dimensions of the New Testament, including the Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts of early Christianity (particularly moral discourse), Luke-Acts, the Pastoral Letters, and the Letter of James. The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University).

Aurelian Craiutu of Indiana University gives a talk entitled "Tocqueville on the Sources of Greatness in Democratic Societies" (November 27, 2012). His research interests include French political and social thought (Montesquieu, Tocqueville, Constant, Madame de Staël, Guizot, Aron), varieties of liberalism and conservatism, democratic theory as well as theories of transition to democracy and democratic consolidation in Eastern Europe.

As part of the Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts, Donald Livingston, a retired philosophy professor at Emory University, delivered this talk entitled "David Hume's Ethical Philosophy" (November 14, 2012). Livingston received his doctorate at Washington University in 1965. He has been a National Endowment for the Humanities fellow, and his books include "Hume's Philosophy of Common Life" and "Philosophical Melancholy and Delirium." The Emory Williams Lecture Series in the Liberal Arts has been made possible by a generous gift from Mr. Emory Williams (Emory College '32 and Trustee Emeritus, Emory University).