ABERDEEN, S.D. – Dr. Joseph Bottum, professor and director of the CLASSICS Institute at Dakota State University, will speak at Northern State University on March 28.
Bottum will present “The Church of Christ Without Christ: The Religious Origins of Identity Politics” at 7 p.m. in Johnson Fine Arts Center Room 181, also known as the “Blue Room.” The public is welcome to the event, which is sponsored by the NSU Center for Public History and Civic Engagement.
Drawing on his book, “An Anxious Age: The Post-Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of America,” Bottum will discuss the manner in which contemporary political debates regarding identity politics find their origins in certain religious ideas, with identity politics being essentially a religious phenomenon.
“Joseph Bottum is one of America’s most astute and articulate public intellectuals,” said Dr. Jon Schaff, director of the NSU Center for Public History and Civic Engagement. “We are honored to host him at Northern State.”
Bottum is also poetry editor of the New York Sun, a No. 1-bestselling author on Amazon, and the writer of such widely noticed books as “An Anxious Age” and “The Decline of the Novel.” He is former editor of First Things; former literary editor of The Weekly Standard; winner of the Christopher Medal for best volume of children’s verse; and has published essays, poems and reviews in journals from the Atlantic to the Washington Post.
About Northern State University
Northern State University is a student-centered institution that provides an outstanding educational experience, preparing students through the liberal arts and professional education for their future endeavors. A regional university, Northern offers rigorous academics; diverse civic, social and cultural opportunities; and a commitment to building an inclusive environment for all points of view. Northern also offers a broad-based athletics program, sponsoring 15 NCAA Division II intercollegiate varsity sports that compete in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NSIC). The university strives to enrich the community through partnerships such as its Educational Impact Campaign, which opened a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired; new athletic and recreation fields; and an on-campus regional sports complex. With the $55 million campaign, NSU has been the recipient of more than $150 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.