Sam Epps explores the formation of Boko Haram and the lesser publicized effects it has had on Nigeria.
A Passionate Education?: The Creation of Boko Haram
Rethinking American Religions: Failing to Explain America or Continually (Re)Shaping It?
This week we feature the work of Andie Alexander, a Religious Studies graduate student at University of Colorado-Boulder. She challenges us to probe narrations of the history of “American Religions.” With cutting insights into the scholarly literature, Alexander surveys scholarly claims on the past to question the politics of sophisticated selective memories. This post has been … Continue reading Rethinking American Religions: Failing to Explain America or Continually (Re)Shaping It?
Boko Haram and the Aesthetics of Violence
Garrett Clark considers the overlapping sensory experiences represented by Boko Haram’s flags, arguing that this synesthesia facilitates deep psychological violence.
Looking in Vain for the Temple Prostitute
Our series on the power of words features a reflexive research essay by Abby Sanders. Her exegesis of “the temple prostitute” of Genesis 38 turned into an odyssey through the languages and desires of readers past. With the mentorship of Elizabethtown College professor Dr. Christina Bucher, an undergraduate student visits whom this character is written … Continue reading Looking in Vain for the Temple Prostitute
Going through the Emotions: Islamic Calligraphy in a Public School
In the example below, parents at an American public high school balk at the secular study of Islamic calligraphy because the writing’s legacy is sacred for Muslims. Emily Egolf helps us think through the dispute.
