A Short History of Blasphemy: A talk by Prof David Nash

Our June Talk: 'A short history of blasphemy' with Professor David Nash, Jesus College, University of Oxford.
A phenomenon that spans human experience, from the ancient world right up to today’s ferocious religious debates, blasphemy is an act of individuals, but also a widespread and constant presence in cultural, political and religious life. Please join us for an evening with Professor David Nash, whose research delves into the history of blasphemy, tracing its roots in ancient Greece and exploring its development through the medieval period, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment. We will examine how the concept of blasphemy has been used and interpreted across different cultures and historical contexts, but also discuss the contemporary relevance of blasphemy, including its role in secularism and globalisation, and how it intersects with issues of tolerance and freedom of expression. Hear first-hand about the fight against blasphemy laws, particularly in Ireland, where Prof Nash played a key role in the repeal of the law in 2018 - protecting freedom of speech and ensuring that religious freedoms could not be used to suppress dissenting voices.
*This event will be recorded for later viewing online; we will have lanyards available for any audience members who do not consent to being captured on video, which will allow us to identify you on the evening.*
Our Speaker: *Professor David Nash *is Senior Research Fellow in History at Jesus College, University of Oxford, and was previously at the Universities of Leicester, York and Oxford Brookes where he taught primarily 19th- and 20th-century British History. Prof Nash has been researching, lecturing and publishing on the history of blasphemy for 30 years, and is author of Blasphemy in Britain (1999), Blasphemy in the Christian World (OUP, 2007) and Acts Against God: A Short History of Blasphemy (2020) amongst others. Prof Nash's research interests also include the history of shame, blame and culpability, exploring links between religion and crime, the history of secularisation, history of atheism, history of radicalism and the affinities all these have with cultural history. As a leading authority on the history of blasphemy laws, Professor David Nash has used his expertise to make a profound difference to people’s daily lives. His in-depth research and advocacy led to the repeal in 2018 of Ireland’s law on blasphemy - a form of censorship which prevented religion from being discussed openly. The impact of the law’s repeal has been far-reaching. As a result, people in Ireland have been able to speak freely and to express their non-religious views through broadcasting, writing, artistic expression and other ways. The repeal also allayed global concerns that the modern blasphemy law in Ireland could potentially set a dangerous precedent for other countries around the world. David is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and an officer of the Social History Society of Great Britain.
We are thrilled to host David in Oxford in June and we hope you'll register to join us for what promises to be an interesting and informative topic. This event is free to join, however we do request registration to help us manage numbers with the venue and, as always, any donations you are able to contribute will support our running costs. https://humanists.uk/events/a-short-history-of-blasphemy-with-professor-david-nash-oxford-humanists/

Not sure if this is for you or have questions about the event? Please get in touch with Andrew, our Events Manager; we'd love to hear from you at [events-oxford@humanistbranches.uk](mailto:events-oxford@humanistbranches.uk).