Stephen Lahey, professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies, will give the talk "Holy Agnosticism" at 5 p.m. Feb. 24 in the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center's Ubuntu Room (Room 202).
The event is free and open to the public and will be livestreamed on Zoom. Register online for the link. His talk continues this academic year's CAS Inquire series, "Uncertainty."
Lahey's lecture will explore how agnosticism isn't just about "not knowing" God, but a long-standing spiritual tradition in which people engage with mysterious, transformative experiences of the divine despite lacking certainty. It will trace how encounters described in sacred texts, and later termed “mysticism,” often involve ambiguity, self‑loss, and what some have called “learned ignorance.” He will introduce Western Mysticism as a two‑thousand‑year practice that embraces a lack of knowledge about God as a meaningful and authentic path.
The series opened Sept. 9 and has included talks from the perspectives of Earth and atmospheric sciences, sociology, political science, and modern languages and literatures. A panel discussion with all the speakers will take place in March to close the series.
Students in the CAS Inquire program connect with college thought leaders and other inquisitive students to discuss ideas, using a college-wide series of public lectures as a focal point. The series launched in September 2019, and themes have included "The Rise of the Machines," "Finding Common Ground" and "Pain and Pleasure." During the three-year program, CAS Inquire students take specialized courses, help with facilitating the program, and enjoy additional benefits. They can apply, or be nominated by faculty, for the program as freshmen.
