To be clear, I'm not against statistics. We can qualify "religion." We can quantify "religion." But words and numbers represent human relationships (and thus, politics). Religious studies is about striving to see them more clearly. The discipline doesn't have a monopoly on this. But it is our intellectual burden, and we take it seriously.
The Institute for Signifying Scriptures is an independent research organization focused on investigating the dynamics associated with "scriptures." The conversation takes serious the category's development and deployment in Western cultural politics, working to surface the very assumptions that it belays. Founded by Vincent L. Wimbush, the collaborative enterprise has as its mission the "excavation of … Continue reading Reflections on the ISS- Scriptures at Their Root
The Wabash Center is a premier space for professional development for educators in Religious Studies and Theology. Through workshops, consultations, a journal, and a number of social media projects, the center has played a substantial part in the development of best practices and best practitioners. At the 2015 Reception for New Teachers, I was invited … Continue reading Wabash Center for Teaching & Learning in Religion & Theology
Last June was a pretty raucous time for me. I was finishing up my dissertation on the politics of scriptures. I was packing boxes to move from LA to PA. And I was doing a lot of dreaming, not just about what was coming next, but also about what I would be leaving behind. It … Continue reading Identity Cards & Identity Cost–Is it worth it?
On February 16, I had the pleasure of thinking aloud at Hamilton College. And a what great place to be! In the morning I guest taught in Brent Rodriguez-Plate's course, Religious Diversity in the USA. We looked at The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley as a pilgrimage journal. This was especially … Continue reading Talking Malcolm, Haley, and Bible at Hamilton College
