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The CSRS Weekly Lecture Series

September-December 2024

These CSRS lectures feature our fellows and special guests. They are held from 5:00-6:00 pm Pacific Time on Thursdays throughout the academic year, with the exception of some special lectures (see dates below with an asterisk* for exceptions). 

Scholars in the Square: Our Public Lecture Format

We are pleased to highlight the research of our fellows and visiting scholars in our Scholars in the Square public lecture series. The lectures are held weekly in an intimate venue, with a maximum audience of 20 people. The unique format includes a 20 minute lecture, a 20 minute discussion with a designated dialogue partner, and 20 minutes of audience Q&A. This format helps us to share with the world the very best of the CSRS: collegial conversations that build bridges between specialists and broadly curious members of the public.

The general public is welcome to join us online. To join the lecture online, click the button below. Please sign in at least five minutes prior to the lecture.

All lectures include audience Q&A. 

An invitation for in-person attendance for each lecture is sent to subscribers of our Lecture Notices. Please sign up from the green button above.

Video/audio recordings of our past lectures are available on YouTube from the link above, , and  page. 

The CSRS Weekly Lecture Series - May 2024

These CSRS lectures feature our fellows and special guests. They are held from 12:00-1:00 pm Pacific Time (unless otherwise noted). The general public is welcome to join us online. Simply click the lecture attandance button on top of this events page to do so. Please sign in at least five minutes prior to the lecture.

Scholars in the Square: Our New Public Lecture Format

We are delighted to continue to provide the brand-new Scholars in the Square format that launched in September 2023. These lectures will be held in an intimate venue, with a maximum audience of 20 people. The speaker will present their lecture in 20 minutes, after which the CSRS director and an interlocutor with expertise in the speaker’s topic will engage the speaker in conversation for 20 minutes. The “Square” in our new format refers to the public square, and so in the final 20 minutes of the event, we will take questions from the other people in the room and from an online audience. The talks will then be posted on our website. This format helps us to share with the world the very best of the CSRS: collegial conversations that build bridges between specialists and broadly curious members of the public.

All lectures include a live audience Q&A (unless otherwise noted)

A limited number of in-person attendance is also available. Please sign up  for the green button above for our weekly Lecture Notices mailing list to receive invitations for the in-person attandance. Recordings of past lectures are also available on . 

The CSRS Weekly Lecture Series

January-April 2024

These CSRS lectures feature our fellows and special guests. They are held from 5:00-6:00 pm Pacific Time on Thursdays throughout the academic year, with the exception of some special lectures (see dates below with an asterisk* for exceptions). 

Scholars in the Square: Our New Public Lecture Format

We are delighted to launch the brand-new Scholars in the Square format in September 2023. These lectures will be held in an intimate venue, with a maximum audience of 20 people. The speaker will present their lecture in 20 minutes, after which the CSRS director and an interlocutor with expertise in the speaker’s topic will engage the speaker in conversation for 20 minutes. The “Square” in our new format refers to the public square, and so in the final 20 minutes of the event, we will take questions from the other people in the room and from an online audience. The talks will then be posted on our website. This format helps us to share with the world the very best of the CSRS: collegial conversations that build bridges between specialists and broadly curious members of the public.

The general public is welcome to join us online. To join the lecture online, click the button below. Please sign in at least five minutes prior to the lecture.

Click speakers' names for more details.​ Click  to access our YouTube channel for recordings.

All lectures include audience Q&A. 

Audio recordings of past lectures are available on  and the videos for the John Albert Hall Lectures are available on our page. 

Coming up for John Albert Hall Lectures 

(click the title for more detail)

Recent JAH lecture:

Queerness Isn't Inclusive, and Church Shouldn't Be Either wth Dr. Linn Tonstad (February 8, 2024) 

The John Albert Hall Lectures are a multi-part speaker series featuring expert perspectives on the changing role of religion in contemporary society. Support for this series is generously provided by the Anglican Diocese of Islands and Inlets John Albert Hall Trust. 

Special Events

The CSRS hosts a range of special events including conferences, symposia, tours, and one-off lectures, often in collaboration with other UVic departments, community organizations, or affiliates.

Click the image below for more information on upcoming special events.

MEICON-BC events

The Middle East and Islamic Consortium of British Columbia (MEICON-BC) is a collaborative project of Simon Fraser University (), the ·¬ÇÑÉçÇø, and the University of British Columbia. The ·¬ÇÑÉçÇø hosts UVic MEICON, a sub-group of the larger MEICON-BC collective.

• 14th Annual MEICON-BC Student Conference on the Middle East and the Islamic World (March, 2024)

Distinguished Lecture in Islam

The CSRS presents lectures from an eminent scholar working in fields related to Islamic studies. A fund supporting this lecture series was established in 2007 by an anonymous donor who wished to increase the community's understanding of Islam.

Past Events

March 15th, 2019 -- "Religion and its Others: Power, Sovereignty, and Politics in Indian Religions Past and Present" Sponsored by the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute. Please click here for the symposium agenda.

Centre-Cine Film Series

Examples of past Centre-Cine films:

Night and Fog (Director: Alain Resnais) 

Just Mercy (Director: Destin Daniel Cretton) .

From September through April, the CSRS presents feature or documentary films as part of the Centre-Cine Film Series. The films are carefully chosen to explore questions of morality, culture, the search for meaning, and other themes arising from the human spiritual journey.

Centre-Cine participants from centre fellows will be sent the name of selected films. It is up to participants to locate and watch the films themselves. All participants are then invited to meet for a group discussion on the films with CSRS Artist-in-Residence, Terry Marner, acting as a facilitator. All films in the series will be available on Netflix and most will be available from the Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) on DVD. Viewers may have to place a hold on the movie if they are using the GVPL.