United We Stand, Divided We Fall: The Janus Face of Religion in Post-Colonial Nation-building
Join CURA for our keynote lecture for our colloquium series on Religion, Nationalism, and Internationalism.
Presenter: Maya Tudor, Professor of Politics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford
Event Description: All nationalisms seek political sovereignty. All nationalisms set themselves apart from ‘others.’ And all nationalisms are created at formative historical moments by elites drawing collective boundaries. But the basis upon which these elites define the national collective differs dramatically. While some elites use religion, others use ethnicity, geographical boundaries, or imagined pasts. Religion is often used as a tie to bind at these founding moments. But doing so empowers religious elites with political capital. This is why the nature of founding national narratives matters generations after these founding moments—because the chosen building blocks of the nation empowers particular elites to speak with continual authority in answering the question ‘Who are we?’
Registration and Requirements: This event has already occurred and registration is closed.
Time: Friday, Sept. 13, 2024; 11:30 AM-1:30 PM
Location:Pardee School of Global Studies, 154 Bay State Road, 2nd floor (Eilts Room)