Laura Carlson Hasler will explore “The Disappointing Prophet: What the Book of Haggai can tell us about how we read” Feb. 24; The Public is Invited

Topeka, Kan. - The Washburn University Philosophy & Religious Studies Department will host the annual Thomas L. King Lecture at 7 p.m. Feb. 24 in the Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center, on the Washburn University campus. This year, Laura Carlson Hasler will discuss "The Disappointing Prophet: What the Book of Haggai can tell us about how we read." This event is free, and the public is invited.

Carlson Hasler asks us to ponder, "Why read the Bible's prophets? What do we want from them? For generations, readers from many traditions (including scholars) have asked these texts to inspire them and even to predict the future. But what if a biblical prophet made a prediction that was wrong? Why keep or read a failed prophet?"

In this talk, Carlson Hasler will introduce Haggai, a short collection of disappointing prophecies. Brief, unpoetic and (arguably) wrong, Haggai doesn't sound like the kind of prophet we want in our Bibles - and yet, he's there. This lecture will explain how a disappointing prophet reveals the power of our own expectations: in this case, that biblical prophecy must be good, beautiful and true in particular kinds of ways. With our own biases in mind, she argues that Haggai still does surprising and valuable work for us. Instead of offering inspiration or accurate prediction, this "unpoetic," failed prophecy helps us rethink divine violence, human bodies and human speech.

About Laura Carlson Hasler

Carlson Hasler is an assistant professor of religious studies and Jewish studies at Indiana University Bloomington, where she holds the Alvin H. Rosenfeld Chair in Hebrew Bible. Her first book, "Archival Historiography in Jewish Antiquity" (Oxford University Press, 2020) won the Manfred Lautenschlaeger Prize for Theological Promise.

About the Thomas L. King Lecture

The Thomas L. King Lecture in Religious Studies, established in 1982 through a generous gift from the First Congregational Church in Topeka in memory of alumnus and Washburn benefactor Thomas L. King, now also receives support from contributions in memory of Rev. Dick Dickinson and Dr. Barry Crawford. This lecture series significantly enhances Washburn's religious studies program by offering a platform each spring semester for students, faculty and community members to engage with the works of eminent scholars in the field.

Over the years, the series has been privileged to host distinguished speakers such as Walter Brueggemann, Jacob Neusner, Martin Marty, John Dominic Crossan, Huston Smith, Wendy Doniger, Bart Ehrman, Peter Gomes and Liz Bucar. Beyond the formal public lecture, speakers often arrange informal meetings with undergraduate classes, further enriching the educational experience.

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