[Currents header graphic]

May 17, 1999

Visiting scholar to speak on Jewish sexuality in the 18th century

By Barbara McKenna

"Eros and the Jews: Erotic Theology and Human Sexuality in 18th-Century Hasidism" will be the topic of the eighth annual Noel Q. King Lecture at UCSC. The lecture takes place on Wednesday, May 19, from 7 to 8 p.m. at 150 Stevenson College. A reception follows. The talk is free and open to the public.

The lecture and discussion will feature David Biale, Koret Professor of Jewish History and the director of the Center for Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. Biale has written extensively on Jewish history, including the works of Gershom Scholem and history, Eros and the Jews, American Jews and multiculturalism. He was recently honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship for his important and wide-ranging work.

Noel King is a professor emeritus of history and comparative religion at UCSC. The Noel Q. King Lecture was established after King's retirement in 1992 to honor the popular teacher and respected scholar. King was instrumental in providing foundation courses and a comparative framework for those interested in a religious studies major as well as those students who just wanted to learn about religion in an academic setting.

This annual lecture is presented by the Committee for the Advancement of Religious Studies at UCSC and the Santa Cruz Hillel Foundation. For more information, call (831) 426-3332.


To the Currents home page

To UCSC's home page