Skip to main content
Intellect

Dead Sea Scrolls, Middle East, field studies topics for David M. Kennedy Center lectures

The David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies at Brigham Young University will host the following events Oct. 9-13:

  • Widely recognized and acclaimed public speaker, teacher and motivator Peter W. Flint will present two lectures Oct. 11 and 12. A Global Awareness lecture, “The Adventure of the Dead Sea Scrolls — Exploring the Greatest Discovery of the Twentieth Century,” will be presented Wednesday, Oct. 11 at noon in the Herald R. Clark Building.

    An Ancient Near Eastern Studies lecture, “The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible — The Accuracy of Scripture in Light of the Scrolls,” will be given Thursday, Oct. 12 at 11 a.m. in 3380 Wilkinson Student Center.

    Flint, a professor of religious studies and co-director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Institute at Trinity Western University in British Columbia, regularly participates in both public seminars and academic meetings on the Dead Sea Scrolls, Biblical topics, and the Christian faith in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Israel.

  • “A Peaceful Middle East: An Alternative Vision” will be presented by Akram F. Khater, director of international programs and associate professor of history at North Carolina State University, during a Middle East Studies/Arabic lecture Thursday, Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Khater chairs the committee on Middle East Studies at NCSU. He received a bachelor of science degree in electronics engineering at California Polytechnic State University, a master’s degree in history from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a doctorate in history from the University of California, Berkeley.

  • “Hope through Relativism: Learning to See Each Other as We Really Are” will be presented by Dave Kay, a South Africa Field Studies program facilitator, on Friday, Oct. 13 at noon in 238 Herald R. Clark Building. Kay is particularly interested in the challenges associated with rapid urban growth in the developing world. In 2005, he volunteered at the Zamani Educare Centre in East London, South Africa, to work with local government officials, city planners, parents and teachers to raise money and find land on which to construct a formal school building in the shantytown of Duncan Village.

    Most lectures will be archived online. For more information on David M. Kennedy Center events, see the calendar at kennedy.byu.edu.

    Writer: Lee Simons

    Related Articles

    data-content-type="article"

    New Utah law protects student privacy after BYU research found K-12 apps were collecting and sharing data

    August 18, 2026
    In an August 2025 investigation report prepared for the Utah State Board of Education (USBE), BYU information systems professors Mark Keith and Justin Giboney found major leaks in student digital footprints. Such privacy violations leave children vulnerable to unauthorized profiling, commercial exploitation, and safety concerns, including potential exposure to harmful online content.
    overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
    data-content-type="article"

    Family ties: BYU study finds older Hispanic adults are buffered against social isolation despite higher rates of sensory disabilities

    August 13, 2026
    A recent BYU study, led by nursing professor Corinna Trujillo Tanner, examined social isolation in an especially vulnerable group — older adults with vision and hearing impairments. Researchers say the results, showing higher social connection in US Hispanic and Mexican older adults, can be explained by the shared ethnic cultural value of familismo that prioritizes family, respect for the elders, and reliance on one another for essential support.
    overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
    data-content-type="article"

    Want a happier marriage? BYU study suggests one simple habit

    August 10, 2026
    BYU researchers found that couples who exercise together report stronger communication and conflict resolution.
    overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
    overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=