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Ableson Religious Reconciliation Lecture

About the Lecture

Named for Bradford Edward Ableson—USAO Alumni Hall of Fame member, U.S. Navy Captain, visionary in religious reconciliation and an architect of modern military chaplaincy—this series features religious and cultural leaders who have contributed to communication across communities.

Woman wearing black glasses sits on a blue bench in front of green treesUPCOMING EVENt

Dr. Tanya Luhrmann
Thursday, October 3, 2024 | 7 p.m.
USAO Ballroom, Student Center

Join us for the 2024 Ableson Religious Reconciliation Lecture featuring Dr. Tanya Marie Luhrmann, the Albert Ray Lang Professor of Anthropology at Stanford University. Dr. Luhrmann is an acclaimed author and researcher whose work explores the ways religious people make God real in their everyday lives.

Dr. Luhrmann's research takes her to diverse places and communities. She's worked on the streets of Chicago with homeless and mentally ill women, and engaged with people who hear voices in cities like Chennai, Accra and the South Bay. She's also spent time with evangelical Christians who seek to hear God speak back, Zoroastrians who set out to create a more mystical faith, and with people who practice magic.

Her innovative approach combines storytelling from her fieldwork with scientific methods to explore how our beliefs shape our sensory experiences. Through her work, Dr. Luhrmann aims to find ways to support those who struggle with distressing voices and visions.


The Brad Ableson Scholarship

In addition to annually sponsoring a speaker in religious reconciliation and tolerance, the Brad Ableson Chair awards one student annually who has demonstrated academic excellence, financial need, and a commitment to the cosmopolitan vision of Brad Ableson. The scholarship is for the final two years of a student’s time at USAO and totals up to $5,000 per year. 

Apply online

About Bradford Edward Ableson

U.S. Navy Chaplain Bradford E. Ableson dedicated his adult life to the service of God and his country. As a captain in the Navy and an Episcopal Priest, he traveled the globe many times caring for the needs of his shipmates. Ableson graduated magna cum laude from the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma in 1980. He later earned a master of theology degree from Boston University School of Theology, a master of divinity degree from Yale University Divinity School and a doctor of ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary. Subsequently, he graduated with distinction from the United States Naval War College. In 2008 he received the Lux et Veritas distinguished alumnus award from Yale. In the Navy, Ableson served with U.S. Marine Corps units, in surface ships, in the Navy’s largest submarine squadron and as command chaplain of aircraft carrier USS George Washington. He qualified for the Veterans of Foreign Wars five times. Ashore, Ableson served as chaplain for President Bill Clinton at Camp David and as an executive officer to the Navy Chief of Chaplains. As command chaplain of the U.S. Strategic Command, he pioneered global religious reconciliation initiatives that continue to sow seeds of peace in war-torn areas. Ableson worked toward equality issues in the military and was the primary mover behind a series of Navy-wide heritage celebrations that continue to be observed throughout the fleet. He was the architect behind the transformation of the chaplaincy from an institution focused almost wholly on the pastoral needs of personnel to one that embraces senior chaplains as agents of reconciliation with religious leaders around the globe.