Medieval and Early Modern Studies Focus of Conference

Conference sessions, which are free and open to the public, will focus on learning and teaching about medieval and early modern times in an increasingly diverse world. The conference will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Benson University Center’s Pugh Auditorium.

The conference will include three sessions: “East and West: Crossings, Pathways, Mirrors” at 10 a.m.; “Computer Technologies as Gateway into the Past” at 2:30 p.m.; and “Gender Across/Within Borders” at 4 p.m.

The sessions will cover topics such as cultural contacts between Native Americans and Europeans, the use of technology in teaching and learning about the past, European missions across the Atlantic Ocean, influences between Christianity and other religions, and the perceptions of self in Middle Eastern and Northern European literature.

Jodi Bilinkoff, a professor with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, will present the keynote address, “Navigating the Waves (of Devotion): Gender and the Formation of a Transatlantic Catholic Culture,” at 1 p.m.

A dinner featuring music and poetry from Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. There is a charge for lunch and dinner.

The conference is sponsored by the dean of the College, the medieval studies program and the humanities program. For registration information, call 336-758-7169.