Rogers State University faculty members Renee Turk and Michael McKeon will review the book “The End of Faith: Religion, Terror and the Future of Reason” by Sam Harris on Friday, Nov. 10, at the Stratton Taylor Library.
The book review, which is part of the library’s Literary Review Series, will begin at 1 p.m. in Room 207. The event is free and open to the public.
According to the publisher’s description, the book delivers an analysis of the clash of faith and reason in today’s world. The author offers a historical tour of mankind’s willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs, even when those beliefs are used to justify harmful behavior and sometimes heinous crimes, according to the publisher. Most controversially, he argues that we cannot afford moderate lip service to religion—an accommodation that only blinds us to the real perils of fundamentalism.
Dr. Turk is an English instructor at RSU. She earned a master’s degree in English and a bachelor’s degree in secondary education, both from Northern Arizona University, and an associate’s degree in liberal arts from Mohave Community College in Kingman, Ariz. She previously taught courses in English composition and U.S. History at Maricopa Community College in Phoenix, Ariz., and Mohave Community College.
Dr. McKeon is an assistant professor of humanities at RSU. He earned a doctoral degree in interdisciplinary arts from Ohio University, a master’s degree in humanities from Brigham Young University, and bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and history, from California State University-Northridge and BYU respectively. His areas of specialty include history of art and ideas, contemporary analytic philosophy, 19th century European intellectual history, contemporary art theory, late 19th century and early 20th century European theater.
For more information on the book review, contact the library at (918) 343-7716.