College of the Pacific

Colliver Lecture Series

Speaker Garry Wills (on left) and Dr. George Randels, department chair

The Colliver Lecture Series was established in 1957 to honor the memory of George Colliver, a former religious studies professor at Pacific.

The College of the Pacific’s Religious & Classical Studies Department sponsors these events.

At least once a year—and often more—a speaker is brought to campus to discuss an aspect of religion in society. The lectures are free and open to the public.

Fall 2009 Colliver Lecture

Muslim feminist Asra Nomani, a former Wall Street Journal reporter and friend of Daniel Pearl, delivered the 2009 Colliver Lecture on September 30. In a personal and heartfelt talk, Nomani discussed the issues that confront Muslim women and urged her fellow Muslims to advocate for gender equity. Using clips from her documentary, The Mosque in Morgantown, Nomani recounted the tremendous opposition she faced to secure rights for women that are as simple as entering the front door of a local mosque, rather than a side door, or praying in the same room as males, rather than in a separate balcony. The Quran does not command such inequities, Nomani claimed; rather, they are the demands of a specific cultural interpretation of the Scriptures—an interpretation, she argued, that is out of step with both ancient Islam and the modern West. The struggle for gender equity in the faith, Nomani asserted, is nothing less than the struggle for the heart of Islam.

Muslim feminist recounts perilous path (Stockton Record)

Asra Nomani spoke on September 30, 2009.

Past Lectures

Some past speakers have included:

*At the request of audience members, Dr. Wogaman has supplied his lecture for download and further discussion.