Lecture “Judaism and Paganism: Not Quite Polar Opposites”

Wednesday evening, 21 May at 6 pm, our library invites you to a lecture by Michael Strmiska on “Judaism and Paganism: Not Quite Polar Opposites“ The lecture will take place at the Vilnius Jewish Public Library (Gedimino 24). Entrance is in the courtyard of Vilnius Small State Theatre.
The event will be held in English.

The event will be led by Dr. Michael Strmiska, a scholar of Religious Studies with a focus on mythology, modern Paganism, and new religious movements. Dr. Strmiska holds a PhD from Boston University and an MA in South Asian Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His dissertation explored afterlife beliefs in ancient India and Scandinavia.

He has taught in the United States, Japan, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic, and has been awarded two Fulbright Fellowships for his academic work in Iceland and Lithuania. Since 2008, he has been teaching Global History and Religion at SUNY-Orange, where he has also developed new courses and led educational trips to Eastern Europe.
A frequent speaker at international conferences, Dr. Strmiska has published in leading journals such as Nova Religio and The Pomegranate, and edited the volume Modern Paganism in World Cultures. His scholarly achievements have been recognized with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities.

In this lecture, Dr. Strmiska will explore surprising parallels between two religious traditions not typically viewed as related: the pre-Christian, so-called “pagan” religions of Europe and Judaism.
After establishing working definitions to enable meaningful comparison, he will examine shared aspects that go beyond the standard contrast of Judaism as monotheistic and Paganism as polytheistic.
Topics will include the historical marginalization and survival of both traditions, their attitudes toward nature, conceptions of the divine feminine, and similarities found within their mystical branches.
This thought-provoking talk invites a deeper understanding of how these two distinct traditions might resonate in unexpected ways.

The organizers may be taking photographs and videotaping the event as part of the Vilnius Jewish Public Library’s historical record of its programs over the years.
Please register here.