Date: 31 March 2021
Where: Online
Cost: Free
In the last University of Gloucestershire Living Room Lecture of the current series, Dr Pekka Pitkänen, Senior Lecturer in Education and Humanities, talks about how the religious links to our national holidays are fading away in popular culture. He also explores the origins of Easter as a spring festival and the relevance of this today.
Dr Pitkänen said: “My first degrees were in computer science. I then studied Christian theology and subsequently completed a PhD in the Hebrew Bible. I now teach Humanities at the University of Gloucestershire, covering issues that relate to the Christian and Jewish religions, but also themes pertaining to the wider human experience, whether religious or secular. I have a passion for teaching and research, and hope to assist students fulfil their potential in their studies.
“As part of my work, I particularly like to foster multidisciplinary approaches to the study of humanities. My most recent book was on migration and colonialism in the ancient world, with coverage of issues that relate to religion, world history and how human societies work.”
This short online presentation is at 1pm on Wednesday 31 March, and will be followed by a live Q&A. Please submit your questions during the lecture directly on the university’s Facebook page.