{"nodes":[{"node":{"nid":"77011","title":"\u0027Franny Crosby: American Methodist Hymnwriter or Mystical Russian Sectarian?\u0027 with Eugene Clay","campus":"Tempe campus, Online event","locations":"Coor Hall 4403 and Online","college_unit":"Melikian Center, School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, The Melikian Center: Russian, Eurasian and East European Studies","department":"","field_cost_value":"Free","event_price_level":"Free","asu_events_price_desc":"Free","body_summary":"\u003Cp\u003EIn 1912 the former Russian Orthodox missionary-turned-ethnographer Tikhon Semenovich Rozhdestvens\u003C\/p\u003E","full_body":"\u003Cp\u003EIn 1912 the former Russian Orthodox missionary-turned-ethnographer Tikhon Semenovich Rozhdestvenskii and his scholarly partner Mikhail Ivanovich Uspenskii published a collection of 716 mystical sectarian songs in the prestigious Notes of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society, Ethnographic Section. A major source for the collection was Rozhdestvenskii\u2019s Manuscript No. 1, which he had obtained from a leader of a group of so-called \u0022flagellants,\u0022 who were rumored to engage in ecstatic orgies and to worship \u201csectarian gods and goddesses.\u201d Rozhdestvenskii and Uspenskii would no doubt have been surprised to learn that several of the songs in their collection had not originated in Russia at all but were translations of popular pietistic hymns from Europe and the United States. For example, Frances Jane Crosby (better known as Fanny Crosby), the blind American Methodist bard who authored thousands hymns, including such classics as \u0022Blessed Assurance,\u0022 wrote one of the songs copied down into Manuscript No. 1. Moreover, Crosby\u2019s hymn was included in a completely different, authoritative collection of Russian folk poetry collected by the Bolshevik scholar Vladimir Bonch-Bruevich. This talk analyzes the reception of some revivalistic Western hymns into the Russian folk corpus.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis event is presented by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/shprs.asu.edu\/religiousstudiesfaculty\u0022\u003Ereligious studies faculty\u003C\/a\u003E at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/shprs.asu.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Chr class=\u0022copy-divider\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the speaker\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cimg class=\u0022img-fluid none\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/g\/files\/litvpz3506\/files\/inline-images\/aajec.png\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u00226879dae0-ef61-4e40-a1d4-60e011c6aee9\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022file\u0022 alt=\u0022Eugene Clay\u0022 width=\u0022239\u0022 height=\u0022240\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEugene Clay\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E is an \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/search.asu.edu\/profile\/185\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eassociate professor of religious studies\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E at the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/shprs.asu.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESchool of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E at Arizona State University, where he writes and lectures about religious movements in Russia and Eurasia, the relationship between religion and nationalism, and the encounters of the world religions. He has received honors, grants, and awards from the Social Science Research Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Slavic Honors Society, and the International Research and Exchanges Board. He has served as president of the Association for the Study of Eastern Christian History and Culture. He also is an affiliate of the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/melikian.asu.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMelikian Center\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/jewishstudies.asu.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECenter for Jewish Studies\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/acmrs.asu.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EArizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, and the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/csrc.asu.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECenter for the Study of Religion and Conflict\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","phone":"","contactname":"Kalani Pickhart","email":"kalani.pickhart@asu.edu","delta":"0","alias":"https:\/\/asuevents.asu.edu\/event\/franny-crosby-american-methodist-hymnwriter-or-mystical-russian-sectarian-eugene-clay?id=0","ticketing_rsvp_txt":"RSVP","ticketing_rsvp_txt2":"","ticketing_rsvp_url":"https:\/\/specialevents.asu.edu\/ereg\/newreg.php?eventid=878613\u0026amp;","ticketing_rsvp_url2":"","website":"https:\/\/shprs.asu.edu","image_url":"https:\/\/asuevents.asu.edu\/sites\/g\/files\/litvpz3506\/files\/2026-04\/Ecstatic_ritual_of_Khlysts_%28radeniye%29.jpg","image_alt":"","image_title":"","start_date":"Apr 23 2026 - 12:00pm","end_date":"Apr 23 2026 - 2:00pm","time_description":"","very_start_date":"2026-04-23T12:00:00Z","very_end_date":"2026-04-23T14:00:00Z","event_types":"Lecture, Workshop","interests":"Academics|Events|History|Lectures|Religion","audiences":"For alumni|For current ASU students|For staff|For faculty|For the community","event_units":"Melikian Center|School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies|The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences|The Melikian Center: Russian, Eurasian and East European Studies","event_topics":"Academic events|Free|Open to the public","download":"\/sites\/g\/files\/litvpz3506\/files\/2026-04\/Fanny%20Crosby%20-%20Eugene%20Clay.pdf","event_map_url":"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/5Mdfz71m3xEbgeNn7","event_map_title":"","event_video":"","location_term":"Tempe campus, Online event","venue_address":"975 S Myrtle Ave","venue_city":"Tempe","venue_state":"Arizona","venue_zip":"85281","alias-indexed":"https:\/\/asuevents.asu.edu\/event\/franny-crosby-american-methodist-hymnwriter-or-mystical-russian-sectarian-eugene-clay?id=0","sport_tag":"","game_type":"","subtitle":"American Methodist Hymnwriter or Mystical Russian Sectarian?\u0026amp;#039; with Eugene Clay","season":"","athletic_conference":"","tv_network":"","radio_station":"","wear_color":"","game_theme":"","history":"","history_text":"","related_stories":"","related_stories_text":"","game_notes":"","game_notes_text":"","recap_link":"","recap_link_text":"","live_stats":"","live_stats_text":"","game_time_tba":"No","sda_all_day":"No","opponent_logo":"","related_videos":"","related_videos_text":""}},{"node":{"nid":"77806","title":"Research Pieces Spring Edition + Affiliate Meeting","campus":"Tempe campus","locations":"Memorial Union, Cochise Room (#228)","college_unit":"The Melikian Center: Russian, Eurasian and East European Studies, Melikian Center","department":"ASU Melikian Center","field_cost_value":"Free","event_price_level":"Free","asu_events_price_desc":"Free","body_summary":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Pieces\u003C\/strong\u003E presentations by Melikian Center affiliates:\u003C\/p\u003E","full_body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch Pieces\u003C\/strong\u003E presentations by Melikian Center affiliates:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul class=\u0022uds-list\u0022\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERebecca Stuch |\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EPhD Candidate, Innovation in Global Development, ASU | Her research has been supported by the Melikian Center, including funding for language study and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan\u003Eresearch. She explores how Moldovan youth experience national identity in their everyday lives through participatory digital storytelling, and, during Research Pieces, she shares her research approach and current work. | \u003Cstrong\u003E\u201cEveryday Nationhood in Moldova: Youth, Identity, and Digital Storytelling\u201d\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames Russell | \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMaricopa County Community College District Fellow at the Melikian Center, 2025-2026; Dual Enrollment Instructor, History, Rio Salado Community College and Heritage Academy | \u0022\u003Cstrong\u003EHow does an emerging religious movement engage with the Middle Ages?: Marzieh Gail as a Persian Baha\u0027i translator and medievalist\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMelikian Center Faculty Affiliate Mentor - \u003Cstrong\u003EMatthew Slaboch\u003C\/strong\u003E, Assistant Professor, SCETL, ASU\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESean Tingle | \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMaricopa County Community College District Fellow at the Melikian Center, 2025-2026;\u0026nbsp;Adjunct Faculty, English (Composition), Estrella Mountain Community College; Instructor, English, ASU | Recorded presentation with title forthcoming (as of 4\/20\/2026)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMelikian Center Faculty Affiliate Mentor - \u003Cstrong\u003EAna Hedberg Olenina\u003C\/strong\u003E, Associate Professor, SILC, ASU\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research presentations and Q\u0026amp;A will be followed immediately by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpring 2026 Melikian Center Affiliate Meeting.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","phone":"480-965-4188","contactname":"David Brokaw","email":"david.brokaw@asu.edu","delta":"0","alias":"https:\/\/asuevents.asu.edu\/event\/research-pieces-spring-edition-affiliate-meeting?id=0","ticketing_rsvp_txt":"RSVP by 4\/23 to Attend","ticketing_rsvp_txt2":"","ticketing_rsvp_url":"https:\/\/melikian.asu.edu\/form\/rsvp-research-pieces-plus","ticketing_rsvp_url2":"","website":"https:\/\/melikian.asu.edu\/events","image_url":"https:\/\/asuevents.asu.edu\/sites\/g\/files\/litvpz3506\/files\/2026-04\/2026%2004%2029%20Research%20Pieces%20Spring%20Edition_graphic.jpg","image_alt":"","image_title":"","start_date":"Apr 29 2026 - 12:00pm","end_date":"Apr 29 2026 - 2:00pm","time_description":"","very_start_date":"2026-04-29T12:00:00Z","very_end_date":"2026-04-29T14:00:00Z","event_types":"Meeting, Presentation","interests":"Academics|Interdisciplinary|International|Research","audiences":"For alumni|For current ASU students|For donors|For staff|For faculty","event_units":"The Melikian Center: Russian, Eurasian and East European Studies|Melikian Center","event_topics":"Academic events|Free|Open to the public","download":"","event_map_url":"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/XVPkL356yRPGaaMT8","event_map_title":"","event_video":"","location_term":"Tempe campus","venue_address":"301 E Orange Street","venue_city":"Tempe","venue_state":"AZ","venue_zip":"85281","alias-indexed":"https:\/\/asuevents.asu.edu\/event\/research-pieces-spring-edition-affiliate-meeting?id=0","sport_tag":"","game_type":"","subtitle":"","season":"","athletic_conference":"","tv_network":"","radio_station":"","wear_color":"","game_theme":"","history":"","history_text":"","related_stories":"","related_stories_text":"","game_notes":"","game_notes_text":"","recap_link":"","recap_link_text":"","live_stats":"","live_stats_text":"","game_time_tba":"No","sda_all_day":"No","opponent_logo":"","related_videos":"","related_videos_text":""}}]}