09/09/2026
Three really neat Italian- and Modern-Languages-adjacent events happening next week (Thursday, Sept. 17 and Friday, Sept. 18) with Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Dr. Thomas E. Burman of Notre Dame.
1. Thurs, Sept 17, 4:00-5:00 pm, Gorman C: "Medieval Arab Christianity: The Most Understudied Topic in Christian History"
As Princeton historian Jack Tannous has pointed out, in the early medieval period, far more Christians lived in the Muslim Caliphate, which embraced the lands from the Pyrenees through North Africa and Egypt to Syria, Palestine, Iraq, and Iran, than under Byzantine or Latin rule. It did not take long before this vast Christian population became speakers of Arabic and participants in the dynamic culture of the Islamic world while remaining Christians for generations. This session will focus especially on how such Christians adopted some aspects of Muslim culture even as they rejected others as strategies for sectarian survival. Professor Burman will present a broad area of his expertise. This class is aimed especially at students and faculty of the University of Dallas; locals of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern heritage are also especially warmly invited.
2. Thursday, Sept 17, 7:30 to 9:00, SB Multipurpose: "A Multilingual Priest Confronts a Multireligious World: Ramon Martí OP (fl. 1250-1284) and the Religions of the Book"
The greatest European linguist between late antiquity and the seventeenth century, Ramon Martí had exquisite expertise in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic. As a Dominican friar, he was called to preach the Gospel to the whole world, and his surviving works reveal that he took this calling seriously. He had read widely in the core texts of both Islam and Judaism and applied this knowledge in writing deeply learned works that critiqued those religions. But his engagement with these religions and their intellectual traditions was in certain ways puzzling. For one thing, he had far more to say about Judaism than Islam, even though he lived in the Crown of Aragon, which had a huge population of restive Muslim subjects, but only a tiny, non-threatening community of Jews. Furthermore, while he was clearly a hostile critic of Islam, he was a lifelong admirer of Arab philosophy, which he read in Arabic until the end of his life. This lecture will explore Martí’s intense and surprising interrogation of the religions of the book.
This keynote lecture features new discoveries that are part of Professor Burman’s current book project. It is offered for the entire University of Dallas community. It will be followed by panel of University of Dallas scholars with special knowledge of the field (Drs. Ivers, Parens, and Heyne) who will hold public conversation with Professor Burman about his presentation.
The venue will open at 7:00 for those who would like to come early for tea and conversation, with talks beginning at 7:30.
3. Friday, Sept 18, 12:00 to 12:50, Braniff 201: "Reflections on Humanistic Study after 30 Years on Faculty and Administration"
Professor Burman’s campus visit will close with an occasion to speak about the role of research in our universities. It will consist of a shorter, personal presentation, plus time for Q&A. Faculty and students who are considering careers in higher education are especially warmly invited. Attendees may bring their lunches.
