Scriptural Roots: How Alex Haley Read “America Great Again”

Posted on by Richard Newton
TV Guide Cover featuring "'Roots': The Story Behind the Search' by Alex Haley."

During the U.S. bicentennial, Alex Haley's Roots: The Saga of an American Family took American reading and viewing audiences by storm. The pre-internet social media event challenged a nation to rethink the terms on which one can identify as American. Dr. Richard Newton, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies University of Alabama, discusses the history, spectacle, and … Continue reading Scriptural Roots: How Alex Haley Read “America Great Again”

Re-reading the Scriptures with Alex Haley and Malcolm X

Posted on by Richard Newton
Alex Haley typing while Malcolm X speaks

Dr. Richard Newton, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies University of Alabama, takes a look at two of the most influential works in 20th century American history—The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley and Roots: The Saga of an American Family—for guidance on how we got to this volatile moment. Drawing upon his research on identity formation, Newton … Continue reading Re-reading the Scriptures with Alex Haley and Malcolm X

Get Resourceful for REL #COVID19

Posted on by Richard Newton

I was talking with a friend earlier today. And as we were sharing about how our institutions are facing #COVID19, I realized that I have a lot of material that may be of use to those scholars of religion who are preparing to change how they'll teach their classes. Below you'll find a guide to content that you might find useful.

All Quiet on The Small Internet

Posted on by Richard Newton
"Quiet Please" is written on Brick

And somewhere in-between I had the realization that, contrary to popular belief, the internet isn't just about generating original content that demonstrates influence or raises one's clout. The web need not be worldwide; and our time in it, world dominating. I'm here for the small internet, where a niche of people find what they're looking for--whether they were looking for it or not. And for me this has involved what Kelly J. Baker has called "the cold take," and C. Travis Webb describes as "intellectual intimacy."

A Slice of Social Theory

Posted on by Richard Newton

The other night, I got to thinking about how Domino's Pizza reinvented itself in the last decade. Rather than ordering a late night pie, I wrote a blog post about it over at The University of Alabama's Study Religion blog. A scholar of religion might redescribe the company’s reception to negative feedback as a form … Continue reading A Slice of Social Theory