Antiquitopia

If you are a University of Mississippi student and looking around for some courses to take as classes start up on Wednesday (and happened to stumble onto my blog), check out the following, both of which the first class is Thursday, Jan 23: Rel 395: Sacred Road-Tripping: Pilgrimage from Mecca to Memphis Meets Tuesdays and Thursdays 3-4:15 p.m. Description: As a practice, pilgrimage stands at many intersections, crisscrossing the complex topographies of a multi-religious world.   It ties together sacred place, sacred time, and myths and legends of heroes, saints, and gods.   As one traverses a landscape, one may try to connect to the past, while providing another link for future travelers.   A pilgrimage may be a religious requirement or an individual quest.   It blurs the line between a religious journey and tourism.   Its destination may be a physical place, but also may be within oneself.   In this class we will explore this multi-fa...

I will be giving a public talk about some of the research I worked on this summer sponsored by the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Mississippi a week from today (September 18).  If anyone is around Oxford, MS, please come by! Here are the details: From Ignorant to Inspired: Moses in Gnostic Literature Abstract: How did various early Christians groups understand Moses?  How did they interpret his prophetic authority and his divine visions?   Why did it matter?  Of all Christian groups, Gnostic Christians supposedly have at first glance the most negative view of Moses, treating him as the ignorant prophet of his equally ignorant master, the Demiurge or Creator of this world.  A closer look at the evidence produced by both Gnostics themselves and their enemies, however, demonstrates a much greater diversity of perspectives.  Far from always being the puppet of the ignorant Demiurge, some Gnostics portrayed Moses as the ...

The Chronicle of Higher Education has released its " Great Colleges to Work For 2013 " guide, and my new institution this fall, University of Mississippi, made their " Honor Roll ," that is, the top ten in its category (as a large 4-year university).  They received the honor roll for good ratings in the following categories: Collaborative Governance; Confidence in Senior Leadership; Facilities, Workspace, and Security; Job Satisfaction; Professional/Career Development Programs; Respect and Appreciation; Supervisor or Department Chair Relationship; Tenure Clarity and Process; Work/Life Balance. Areas where they did not score as highly include:  Compensation and Benefits; Diversity; Teaching Environment. Congratulations to Ole Miss for doing so well.