With Professor Morgan Shipley

Professor Shipley’s presentation will engage with material from the Simmons Collection, which consists of an archive of largely unpublished work by husband and wife V.L.R. and Nellie S. Simmons of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Comprised of five typescript and manuscript works, one published volume, and 21 hand-drawn educational charts, the Simmons Collection offers insight into the work, mindset, and spirituality of a self-professed Native American (“an Indian by choice”).

Shipley’s presentation will explore what the Simmons Collection tells us about the emergence and construction of alternative and new religions, and the way in which many contemporary new age spiritualities operate through iconoclastic “re-tellings” of previous religious and spiritual systems.

This is the fifth lecture in a series given by faculty in the Department of Religious Studies who use primary sources from Special Collections in the MSU Library in teaching and research. Each presentation will include ample time for conversation. The sources will be available for viewing during the talks. Bring your lunch; coffee and tea will be provided.