Inaugural James Conlon Memorial Lecture

On September 26th, 2016, the inaugural James Conlon Memorial Lecture took place at the University of Rochester Department of Religion and Classics. The event featured a screening of The Destruction of Memory, a documentary about the effort to protect, salvage, and rebuild works of cultural heritage in Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere in the face of ongoing devastation. The documentary is based on the book by Robert Bevan, The Destruction of Memory: Architecture at War.

A panel discussion followed the screening. The conversation included: Tim Slade, the writer, producer, and director of the film; Amila Buturovic, associate professor of humanities and religious studies at York University; Th. Emil Homerin, professor and chair of the Department of Religion and Classics; and Aaron Hughes, Philip S. Bernstein Professor of Jewish Studies, Department of Religion and Classics at the University of Rochester.

The James Conlon Memorial Lecture will be presented one or more times annually at the University of Rochester. It focuses on topics that explore Middle Eastern religions, cultures, art and architecture as well as Arabic languages. James graduated from the university in 1994 with a BA in Classics and Religion.

For more information on the film, visit The Destruction of Memory website.