Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026 from 12:30-2:00PM

Location: The Interchurch Center, 61 Claremont Avenue

Series: American Body Politics 

Speakers: Kira Kieffer (Fairfield University) and Wendy Kline (Purdue University)

Moderator: Jamie Marsella (Columbia University) 

Ideas about what is natural pervade American public life. From mesmerism to phrenology, and even the invention of the Graham cracker, Americans have long struggled to sift through conflicting and contradictory claims about “natural” health and wellness regimes, family structures, and gender dynamics. While internet subcultures today offer one way of cutting through the noise, Americans regularly encounter shifting definitions of the normal that blend scientific and pseudoscientific claims with moral prescriptions. Join us in a conversation with historians of religion and medicine as they unpack the stakes behind these competing senses of “natural.”

Free and open to the public

Registration is required—Please register in advance to reserve your spot

All prospective attendees must register by 11:59PM on Monday, April 6. Registration will close at that time.

Columbia University makes every effort to accommodate individuals with disabilities. If you require disability accommodations to attend an event at Columbia University, please contact Disability Services (disability@columbia.edu or 212-854-2388) at least 10 days in advance of the event. Requests for CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) or sign language interpretation require two weeks' notice.