Prospective Majors Forum in Philosophy and Religion

Bill Blake in Babylon:
A Case Study in the Liberal Arts

By Jennifer G. Jesse
Chair and Professor of Philosophy and Religion

Tuesday, September 17, 2013, 4:30-5:50 p.m.
McClain Hall 209

Talk abstract:

I’ve been fascinated with the works of William Blake for over 30 years. I’m convinced that understanding his poetry and art requires interdisciplinary skills—not only specialized knowledge in multiple fields, but the kind of broad, integrative learning that emerges from a liberal arts education. In this forum, I’ll show how we can break open completely new meanings in Blake’s art by recognizing the religious ideas and values he was engaging. I hope this will spark a conversation about how our knowledge of current philosophical and religious dynamics deepens our understanding of what’s going on in other (social, political, cultural, economic) dimensions of our communal life. This session is geared toward those who are considering a philosophy and religion major or minor, but it’s open to anyone interested in the topic!

The talk is open to any who are interested in the topic.