2021-2022 Weltin Lecture: Signifying on the “Tribe[s] of Interpreters”: “Early Christianity” as Colonialist-Nationalist Masquerade

Dr. Vincent L. Wimbush - Director, Institute for Signifying Scriptures

This lecture is intended to account for the practices, dynamics, operations, and effects---including the patho-logics and politics (masquerade)—that involves “scriptural”/“early Christian” studies, theorized broadly and transgressively. The exegetes (jurists and scholars) of such cultural-intellectual-political work/play—traversing several academic and extra-academic professional fields (literary criticism; classics; history; scriptural exegesis/church history; jurisprudence; science; socialsciences)—are encouraged to excavate the origins of such practices and their continued participation in them as part of the maintenance of the “symbolic” andpolitical “order of things” (scripturalization). All thoughtful persons, including cardcarrying academic guild members, are challenged to consider for the sake of our collective health and thriving the necessity of ex-centric and transgressive ways forward.

Vincent l. Wimbush, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized scholar of religion, with primary focus on the phenomenology and psycho-social politics of scriptures in society and culture.  He is past president of the Society of Biblical Literature and is Founding Director of the Institute for Signifying Scriptures.

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E. G. Weltin retired from full time teaching after a long distinguished career as professor of Greek and Roman history and Director of the Program in Religious Studies at Washington University. Upon retirement, a lectureship in early Christian history was established in his honor by gifts from his students. Over the past 25 years, the Weltin lectures have brought distinguished scholars of early Christianity to campus for what has become one of the most anticipated events in the Religious Studies academic year.

To learn more about the impact of the Weltin Lecture visit: A professor’s lasting impact.