Rational Religion

20:50

2 Nov 2010

Evolution

Monica Ringer

Salman Hameed

Monica Ringer (Amherst College, MA) discusses the intellectual effects that resulted from the the ideas of evolution in the Middle East.  Her talk is entitled, “Rational Religion:  Evolution and the Generation of Secularism and Citizenship in the Middle East and India”.  Her talk integrates ideas from comparative religion and politics.  She includes discussions on ritual, piety, and the emergence of national identities.

The lecture was presented as a part of the “Darwin and Evolution in the Muslim World” conference at Hampshire College, Amherst Massachusetts (USA) October 2-3, 2009.  The speaker is introduced by Salman Hameed.

Evaluation:

The material on Islam is within the bounds of what Muslims have historically understood as acceptable.

Discussions of science correspond to scholarly understandings.

Discussions of history are accurate.