"Religion for Atheists," Alain de Botton, The University of Kansas

Acclaimed author and “philosopher of everyday living” Alain de Botton has published on literature, art, philosophy, architecture, film and more, yet his work always returns to the question of how one may use culture in a therapeutic way, to find meaning or consolation. De Botton has been praised and condemned for this practical approach to utilizing the arts. But as interviewer Katy Guest of the Independent puts it, “his mission is to wrestle back those consolations from ‘the huge gatekeeper’ ... that is academia.” In his presentation “Religion for Atheists,” de Botton will use his witty, controversial approach to culture to propose a secular means toward the deep fulfillment that many seek in organized religion. De Botton, a Swiss writer living in England, is the author of 10 books, including “How Proust Can Change Your Life” (1997), “The Architecture of Happiness” (2006) and “The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work” (2009). He is the founder of Living Architecture, an innovative nonprofit organization whose goal is to build interesting and affordable vacation housing in the UK.