UA Lecture Looks at Houses of Worship in Washington, D.C.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.  — Dr. David Bains, a professor in the department of religion at Samford University, will give a public lecture for the “Religion in Culture” Series of The University of Alabama department of religious studies.

His lecture, “National Cathedral to National Gurdwara: Erecting American Religions in Washington, D.C.,” will take place at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18, in Gorgas Library Room 205. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Bains’ lecture focuses on the development of “national” houses of worship in Washington, D.C. Many Americans have long regarded religion as essential to the character and welfare of the nation. Accordingly, they wanted landmark houses of worship to be part of their capital city’s symbolic landscape.

Yet, because Americans have differed so widely in the religions they favor, not one building, but many different “national” houses of worship have been required. The success of such buildings has been complicated by basic features of the nation and its capital. These include the separation of church and state, the congregational character of most American religions and the bold plan and slow development of Washington.

An associate professor at Samford University, Bains teaches courses in American religious history, ritual studies and other areas. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and received his doctorate from Harvard University. He serves on the steering committee of the Consultation on Space, Place, and Religious Meaning of the American Academy of Religion.

For more information, visit as.ua.edu/rel/events.html or contact Dr. Steven Ramey at sramey@as.ua.edu or 205/348-4218.

The department of religious studies is part of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.