Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, VA
Home MenuMay 31 & June 1 • Jamestown Settlement
“Ways of Being: Evolving Religion and America” Symposium will examine religion and the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples, Africans and Europeans who converged under European colonialism in early America.
Differing cultural concepts of religion had far-reaching impacts on the social, political and economic lives of all three groups. Legacies of the cultural responses to these impacts are reflected in the societal fabric of America today.
Through this symposium, participants will engage with religion scholars, museum professionals and our surrounding communities to explore the role of religion in early America and connections to the present day.
Speakers
- Tazeen Ali, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor of Religion and Politics, Washington University in St. Louis
- Harvey Bakari - Curator of Black History and Culture, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
- Shelby Balik, Ph.D. - Professor of History, Metropolitan State University of Denver
- Brandon Bayne, Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Edward Bond, Ph.D. - Former Visiting Assistant Professor of Church History at the School of Theology, Sewanee: The University of the South
- Christy S. Coleman - Executive Director, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
- Rev. John Ericsson - Education Coordinator, St. Luke's Historic Church and Museum, Host of "History from the Old Brick Church" Podcast
- Erika Gault, Ph.D. - Director of Center for the Study of African American Religious Life and the Lilly Endowment Curator of African American Religious History at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Travis Harris, Ph.D. - Visiting Assistant Professor, Norfolk State University
- Travis Henline - Curator of Indigenous History and Culture, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
- James Ingram Jr. - Historical Interpreter as Nation Builder: Rev. Gowan Pamphlet, Colonial Williamsburg
- Jamie Jacobs - Traditions Keeper, Tonawanda Seneca and Curator, Rochester Museum & Science Center
- Martha Katz-Hyman - Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
- Pippa Koch, Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Missouri State University
- Rev. Carlon Lassiter - Pastor at Saint John Baptist Church
- Mariruth Leftwich, Ph.D. – Senior Director of Museum Operations and Education, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
- B.J. Pryor - Historical Interpreter, Owner of Benjamin Franklin LIVES
- Shari Rabin, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies, Oberlin College
- John Ragosta, Ph.D., JD - Historian, Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello
- Lee Ann Rose - Historical Interpreter, Owner of Shades of Our Past
- Alphonso F. Saville IV, Ph.D. - Princeton University Associate Research Scholar of The Crossroads Project
- Dr. Bly Straube, FSA - Senior Curator Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
- Lara Templin - Gallery Experience Manager, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Schedule
| FRIDAY, MAY 31 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Event | Location |
| 5-6:30 p.m. | Welcome Reception and Living History Interpretations - James Ingram, B.J. Pryor and Lee Ann Rose | Robert V. Hatcher, Jr. Rotunda & Great Hall and Living History Areas |
| 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Plenary Session: Evolving Religion in America - Rev. John Ericsson, Erika Gault, Rev. Carlon Lassiter, Mariruth Leftwich and Shari Rabin | Robins Foundation Theater |
| SATURDAY, JUNE 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Event | Location |
| 8-8:30 a.m. | Breakfast Buffet | Robert V. Hatcher, Jr. Rotunda |
| 8:30-9:30 a.m. | Morning Plenary: Ways of Being - Perspectives on Religion - Tazeen Ali, Shelby Balik, Brandon Bayne, Edward Bond, Travis Harris, Shari Rabin and Alphonso Seville | Robins Foundation Theater |
| 9:45-10:30 a.m. | Breakout Session 1 | |
| Handsome Lake and the Longhouse Religion - Jamie Jacobs | Education Wing Classroom A | |
| Church and State Legacy: A Separation of Salvation and Slavery - Harvey Bakari | Education Wing Classroom C | |
| Rebecca Taliaferro: an Anglican woman, wife, and mother during the American Revolution - Lara Templin | Education Wing Classroom E | |
| 10:45-11:30 a.m. | Breakout Session 2 | |
| Black Religious Thought in Early America - Alphonso Seville | Education Wing Classroom A | |
| Catholic Devotional Objects from 17th-Century Contexts at Jamestown - Bly Straube | Education Wing Classroom C | |
| Religion and Nature in the Atlantic World - Pippa Koch | Education Wing Classroom E | |
| 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. | Lunch | |
| 1-1:45 p.m. | Breakout Session 3 | |
| Missionaries, Martyrs, and Mourning: Making Meaning from Suffering in Early America - Brandon Bayne | Education Wing Classroom A | |
| “They Had the Bible, We Had the Land”: Indigenous Experiences with Missionaries - Travis Henline |
Education Wing Classroom C | |
| Mr. Andrew’s Bands: Women’s Work and Religious Domesticity in the Early Republic - Shelby Balik | Education Wing Classroom E | |
| 2-2:45 p.m. | Breakout Session 4 | |
| Religion Outside the Church Building - Edward Bond | Education Wing Classroom A | |
| Muslims in America - Tazeen Ali | Education Wing Classroom B | |
| Imperial Protestantism in North America - John Ericson | Education Wing Classroom C | |
| "...in our house we all live as Jews as much as we can": Jews and Jewish life in Early Virginia - Martha Katz-Hyman | Education Wing Classroom E | |
| 3-4:15 p.m. | Closing Plenary: Religion and Public History - Christy S. Coleman, Erika Gault, James Ingram, B.J. Pryor, and John Ragosta | Robins Foundation Theater |
The symposium is part of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation’s “Religion and Early America” program, supported by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. which seeks to expand the discussion of religion throughout exhibition galleries and interpretation in living-history areas at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.
Advance online registration is required for this free symposium. Refreshments and meals provided.
About Jamestown Settlement
Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Jamestown Settlement is located on State Route 31 just southwest of Williamsburg. The museum features expansive exhibition galleries and films that connect visitors with the lives of the Powhatan, English and West Central African cultures that converged at 17th-century Jamestown. Outdoor living-history areas feature historical interpretation in re-creations of Paspahegh Town, 1607 English ships and a colonial fort.
Admission tickets can be purchased online or in person. Plan your visit today or call (757) 253-4838 for more information.