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POWELL, Wyo. - Seth Ward will discuss how religion affects food and politics in two separate programs Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 29 and 30, at Northwest College.
Ward, who teaches Islamic history and religion at the University of Wyoming, will talk about “Democracy and Religion in the Middle East,” in his first presentation Monday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. in the DeWitt Student Center Lounge. In this discussion, he’ll look at how much of the U.S. Middle East policy has been driven by a discourse about democracy.
“Foodways, Faith, Fellowship and Identity” is the title of his Tuesday, Oct. 30, talk that begins at 7 p.m. in Room 70 of the Fagerberg Building. He’ll discuss the notion of “coffee and cookies” as part of America’s religious tradition, as well as other ideas about food and its relationship to religious identity, including food practices of different religions and holiday food traditions.
Ward brings to his discussions a formal education culminating in a doctorate in Near Eastern languages and literature from Yale University. He has taught at Colorado College and the University of Denver where he directed the Institute for Islamic-Judaic Studies.
For information about “Democracy and Religion in the Middle East,” contact Rachel Hanan at 307-754-6121 or Milo Asay, 307-754-6428. Inquiries about the Tuesday evening program on food and faith can be directed to Powell Valley Community Education online or by calling 307-754-6469.
Both programs in Powell are presented by the Wyoming Humanities Council’s Humanities Forum in collaboration with the NWC Diversity Awareness Committee and Powell Valley Community Education.
The Wyoming Humanities Council provides public humanities-based programs in partnership with local organizations and is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Powell Valley Community Education programs are a result of a Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) agreement between Northwest College and Park County School District Number One.