The UNA Distinguished Events Series will host “A Dialogue of Religion,” which will take place April 12 at 7 p.m. in the GUC Performance Center.

This event will feature Dr. Stephen Prothero, a professor of religion at Boston University. He will discuss his book “Religious Literacy: What Americans Need to Know” and explain the rut that Americans have gotten themselves in by not understanding the religions they say they believe in.

Prothero has also discussed religion on NPR, CNN, NBC, MSNBC, FOX, PBS and has been featured on “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

Debbie Chaffin, director of Educational Technology Services and chair of the Distinguished Events Series Committee, is excited to have Prothero at UNA.

“We feel very honored we were able to secure Dr. Prothero for this event,” she said.

A panel consisting of three people representing the Christian, Islamic and Jewish faiths will also discuss various aspects of the different religions with Prothero serving as moderator.

Bishop William Willimon has served as bishop of the United Methodist Church since 2004, where he leads 157,000 Methodists and 792 pastors in North Alabama. Willoman has also written 60 books and given lectures at many colleges and universities across the world.

Sheikh Ossama Bahloul, imam of the Islamic Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., will discuss the Islamic faith. He received his bachelor’s degree in Islamic studies from Al-Azhar in Cairo, Egypt, and has recently received his doctorate in comparative religious studies. He has also traveled to many countries including Germany, Holland and Belgium and applied his master’s degree theories on both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Named by Memphis Magazine as one of the city’s most significant leaders, Rabbi Micah Greenstein of Temple Israel in Memphis will answer questions concerning the Jewish faith. Greenstein became Temple Israel’s Senior Rabbi in 2000 after serving as assistant and associate rabbi since 1991.

Greenstein has also been elected as president of the Memphis Ministers Association twice and is on the executive board of the National Civil Rights Museum.

“The purpose is to come together to understand more about each other’s different faiths and belief systems,” said Chaffin. “Given all the unrest in the world today, this will be an opportunity to see how we can learn from each other, understand each other and get along.”

There will also be a book signing with Prothero after the event.