Past Lectures

Over the years, a number of prominent lectures have been given at Duke that address Jewish culture, rights, traditions and more. These include presentations by Duke professors from a variety of departments, as well as Duke alumni and visiting lecturers from other universities.

The Duke Center for Jewish Studies celebrated 50 years at Duke on February 19, 2023 with the launch of Eric Meyers' memoir An Accidental Archaeologist: A Personal Memoir. Professor Meyers was interviewed by special guest and Duke alum, Professor Benjamin Gordon.
Up Close: SUNY Stony Brook professor Sara Lipton, author of "Dark Mirror: The Medieval Origins of Anti-Jewish Iconography," and Duke University professor Laura Lieber, author of "A Vocabulary of Desire: The Song of Songs in the Early Synagogue"
The Bible and Middle East Policy: Yaakov Ariel & Mordechai Inbari
Jacques Berlinerblau: The Bible and Presidential Politics

Jacques Berlinerblau (Georgetown University) discusses the Bible and Presidential Politics in the keynote address of the Bible in the Public Square Conference held at Duke University September 9-10, 2012
The Bible and Popular Culture (Pt. 2): David Morgan and Rubén Dupertuis:

David Morgan (Duke University) discusses: "The Bible as Image in American Visual Culture." Rubén R. Dupertuis (Trinity University) gives a talk on "Translating the Bible into Pictures: Comic-Book Bibles and the Politics of Interpretation."
The Bible and Popular Culture (Pt. 1): Adele Reinhartz and David Stowe:

Adele Reinhartz (University of Ottawa) presents "Then as Now: Old Testament Epics and American Identity." David W. Stowe (Michigan State University) gives a history on "Babylon Revisited: Psalm 137 as America's First Protest Song."
The Bible and America's Founding Era: John Fea and Shalom Goldman:

John Fea (Messiah College) presents "Does America Have a Biblical Heritage?" Shalom Goldman (Duke University) looks at the roots of Christian Zionism in "God's American Israel: Hebrew, the Bible and the American Imagination"
Moderated by Carol Meyers.
The Bible and Public Schools: Charles Haynes, Melissa Rogers, and Mark Chancey:

Charles Haynes (First Amendment Center) presents "Battling over the Bible in Public Schools: Is Common Ground Possible?" Melissa Rogers (Wake Forest Center for Religion & Public Affairs) discusses recent court decisions during "'Rightly Dividing the First Amendment? An Evaluation of Recent Decisions regarding the Bible and Public Schools." Mark Chancey (Southern Methodist University) looks at Bible classes in "The Good Book as Textbook in Historical Perspective"