Hosted by: Institute for Religion, Culture and Public Life
Natural Bodies: American Body Politics
Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026 from 12:30-2:00PM
Location: The Interchurch Center, 61 Claremont Avenue
Series: American Body Politics
Speakers: Kira Kieffer (Fairfield University) and Wendy Kline (Purdue University)
Moderator: Jamie Marsella (Columbia University)
Ideas about what is natural pervade American public life. From mesmerism to phrenology, and even the invention of the Graham cracker, Americans have long struggled to sift through conflicting and contradictory claims about “natural” health and wellness regimes, family structures, and gender dynamics. While internet subcultures today offer one way of cutting through the noise, Americans regularly encounter shifting definitions of the normal that blend scientific and pseudoscientific claims with moral prescriptions. Join us in a conversation with historians of religion and medicine as they unpack the stakes behind these competing senses of “natural.”
Free and open to the public
Registration is required—Please register in advance to reserve your spot
All prospective attendees must register by 11:59PM on Monday, April 6. Registration will close at that time.
