Kristy Nabhan-Warren, associate professor of religious studies in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will read from her new book, The Cursillo Movement in America: Catholics, Protestants, and Fourth-Day Spirituality, at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, in a free reading at Prairie Lights Books in downtown Iowa City. The reading also will be streamed live on the University of Iowa Writing University website.

The internationally growing Cursillo movement, or "short course in Christianity," has become popular among American Catholics and Protestants alike. Nabhan-Warren’s book tells how this lay-led weekend experience helps participants recommit to and live their faith. Emphasizing how American Christians have privileged the individual religious experience and downplayed denominational and theological differences in favor of a common identity as renewed people of faith, she focuses on cursillistas—those who have completed a Cursillo weekend—to show how their experiences are a touchstone for understanding these trends in post-1960s American Christianity.

Nabhan-Warren has taught at the University of Iowa since 2012, where she is the V.O. and Elizabeth Kahl Figge Fellow in Catholic Studies. She previously taught at Augustana College and is the author of The Virgin of El Barrio.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to attend this reading, call Jan Weissmiller at Prairie Lights in advance at 319-337-2681.

For a UI arts calendar and details about upcoming events visit the Arts Iowa website.