Graduate students are invited to an exclusive opportunity to meet with Kirsten Wesselhoeft before her lecture. This is a chance for a more intimate discussion with Professor Wesselhoeft about her research and insights into contemporary Islam. Lunch will be provided.

About the Speaker:

Kirsten Wesselhoeft is an associate professor of religion at Vassar College. She specializes in contemporary Islam, using ethnography and political analysis to explore Muslim thought and culture in contexts shaped by colonialism and secular liberalism. Her forthcoming book, Fraternal Critique: The Politics of Muslim Community in France (Chicago, 2025), examines how young, engaged Muslims use disagreement and dissent to foster community—an approach that often challenges the political status quo. Her work has been published in leading journals such as Political Theology, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, and Sociology of Islam, among others.