I explore paradoxes of 'hard hope', democracy, religious inclusivity, and racial justice at the intersection of ethics, equity, and authenticity.
Specialization(s)
Philosophy, Religion, civics
Professional Biography
Sarah Pessin is Professor of Philosophy and Jewish Thought. She holds an Interfaith Chair, and works in areas of phenomenology, existentialism, Neoplatonism, interfaith civics, philosophy of religion, ethics, and social justice. She has won a teaching award from the graduate student council of the DU-Iliff Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion, has served as a Fellow with the American Council on Education, and is the new Director of Spiritual Life for DU's Student Affairs and Inclusive Excellence. She has previously served as the Director of the Center for Judaic Studies and as the Faculty Senate President.
Learn more about her current projects at sarahpessin.com
Degree(s)
Ph.D., Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2000
Pessin, S. (2014). Islamic and Jewish Neoplatonisms. In P. Remes & S. Slaveva-Griffin (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Neoplatonism (pp. 541-58). Durham: Acumen Press/ Routledge.
Pessin, S. (2021). Emanationist Powers: Plotinus, Theology of Aristotle, and Ibn Gabirol. In J. Jorati (Ed.), Powers: A History (pp. 56-81). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Presentations
Pessin, S. (2022). Mercy Without Cheer?: Towards a Phenomenology of "Difficult Politics" & "Uncomfortable Virtues" in Levinas, MLK, and Marx. 18th Psychology for the Other Conference. Seattle: Seattle University.
Pessin, S. (2022). Heideggerian and Levinasian Traces in Wolfson's Phenomenology of Life. Association for Jewish Studies Annual Meeting. Boston: Association for Jewish Studies.
Pessin, S. (2018). Past, Pause, Paradox, Pardon [and Method] in Early Levinas. Jewish Thought Workshop. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University.
Pessin, S. (2019). Powers and Receptivities in Ibn Gabirol and Maimonides. Conference for contributors to Oxford University Press volume on powers. Columbus, OH: Department of Philosophy, The Ohio State University.
Pessin, S., & Tuitt, F. (2018). Difficult Conversations: Race in the Classroom. ODI, OTL.
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