The Study of Religion Colloquium:   "Religion, Complex Identities, & American Politics: The 2008 Presidential Race"   Religion has been an issue this primary season and will continue to have some traction as the primaries roll on. There is Huckabee's evangelical base, there was Romney's Mormonism, there were so-called "accusations" that Obama is or was a Muslim, and there are the many ways in which the "line" seems to have been crossed by pastors in endorsing candidates, such as the Rev. Calvin O. Butts endorsement of Hillary Clinton on the steps of Abyssinian Baptist Church.  How important are "identity" issues in American politics today --religion, race, culture, ethnicity? What does this presidential race say about the United States, about us?  Have the issues changed over the last few decades?  Can scholars of religion shed any light on these issues?   * Tuesday, February 26 * 7:00 p.m. Thompson Room, Barker Center   Panelists:  Richard Parker, Kennedy School Melissa Proctor, Lecturer at Harvard Divinity Marla Frederick, Religion, African & African American Studies Sarah Eltantawi, Ph.D. Student, the Study of Religion   Doctoral students are invited to a pizza dinner and discussion before the colloquium at 6 p.m.

The Committee on the Study of Religion csrel(a)fas.harvard.edu 617-495-5781