Inaugural Grinnell Lecture

Tyler Roberts, professor of religious studies, gave the inaugural Grinnell Lecture about different types of critical thinking in humanistic scholarship and liberal arts teaching at Grinnell. The new lecture series recognizes a distinguished body of scholarly work, including artistic production and performance, that makes a significant contribution or has a broad impact on the scholarly community. The faculty member selected receives a $1,000 honorarium to deliver a lecture to their colleagues.

Roberts’ lecture in December expanded on topics he grappled with after writing the book Encountering Religion: Responsibility and Criticism after Secularism. His book covered debates in the field about the right way to study religion “critically,” he says.

“In the lecture I explained why it is important for scholars in my field, and the humanities and some of the social sciences, to think about this question,” Roberts says. “I argued for the value of distinguishing between different kinds of critical thinking.”

The distinction can help faculty members gain a clearer sense of their research and reflect on what it means to teach critical thinking at Grinnell, Roberts says.

The Dean’s office and Center for the Humanities organized the event, which was followed by a dinner.