Join us for an afternoon lecture on May 4th in HUB 250 featuring Dr. Ralph H. Craig III on Black Buddhism Through the Lens of Tina Turner. A light reception will be provided.
Tina Turner’s (1939–2023) successful recording career and electrifying stage performances earned her the moniker of “Queen of Rock and Roll.” At the same time, Turner was perhaps one of the most famous Black Buddhist celebrities. In this talk, I will highlight the ways that Turner’s Buddhist practice combined her Afro-Protestant upbringing, the trans-Atlantic flow of metaphysical religious ideas, and SGI Nichiren Buddhism. The talk will show how Turner’s combinatory religious sensibilities are indicative of trends in Black Buddhism.
Ralph H. Craig III is an Assistant Professor of Religion at Whitman College. He is an interdisciplinary scholar of religion whose research focuses on South Asian Buddhism and American Buddhism. His first book, Dancing in My Dreams: A Spiritual Biography of Tina Turner (Eerdmans Publishing, 2023), explores the place of religion in the life and career of Tina Turner and examines her development as a Black Buddhist teacher. His next book project is a monograph on preachers in ca. 1st century BCE-6th century CE Buddhist sūtras.
