Aslan, Writer and Scholar of Religions, featured Distinguished Sanchez Speaker Tuesday
Internationally acclaimed writer, scholar of religions and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Reza Aslan will shed new light on one of history’s most influential and enigmatic characters for the upcoming Texas A&M International University A.R. Sanchez, Sr. Distinguished Speaker Series, Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall.
Admission is free and open to the public.Dr. Aslan, author of “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth,” will sift through centuries of mythmaking and compare the Jesus of the Gospels against historical sources to reveal a man full of conviction and passion, and rife with contradiction.
Aslan’s fascinating, provocative and meticulously researched talk offers a singularly brilliant portrait of a man, a time and the birth of a religion.
He holds degrees in religion from Santa Clara University, Harvard, and UC Santa Barbara, and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa where he was named the Truman Capote Fellow in Fiction.
TAMIU’s A. R. Sanchez, Sr. Distinguished Lecturer Series honors Antonio R. Sanchez (1916-1992). After 20 years as the owner of an office equipment business, Sanchez began buying oil and gas leases and used his earnings to establish a bank.
Sanchez, along with his son, A. R. Sanchez, Jr., and geologist Brian O’Brien, established the Sanchez-O’Brien Oil and Gas Corporation. Under his leadership as chairman, International Bank of Commerce grew to become International Bancshares Corporation, with branches in more than 90 communities throughout Texas and Oklahoma.
A.R. Sanchez, Sr. is best remembered in Laredo for his philanthropic efforts. Known for his work ethic and generosity, he was a major crusader for a four-year University in Laredo and a supporter of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund. The lecture series is presented through the vision and generosity of Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Sanchez, Jr.
For additional information on the A. R. Sanchez, Sr. Distinguished Lecture Series, please contact the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at 326.2460.
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