Reading “The African American Bible” on Paper and in Class

Posted on by Richard Newton

The Journal of Biblical Literature recently published a series on ways that biblical scholars have engaged with #BlackLivesMatter in their work. Adele Reinhartz, the journal's general editor, introduces the essays in this way: In this Forum, six scholars reflect on how racial violence and the movements that attempt to eradicate such violence intersect with the field of biblical studies, both … Continue reading Reading “The African American Bible” on Paper and in Class

Blessings:Reprise–Chance the Rapper, Religion, and the Senses

Posted on by mayaisinclass

Students in Dr. Richard Newton's Signifying Religion: An African American Worldview course were invited to employ tools and theories from religious studies to explore how meaning making works. Miriam Balasundram took a phenomenological approach to consider religion and the senses. She was taken by the rhythms of Chance the Rapper and reflected on what led her to … Continue reading Blessings:Reprise–Chance the Rapper, Religion, and the Senses

Real Talk: Reading the Academic Conference Terrain

Posted on by Richard Newton

My last post responded to a question about whether presenting conference papers is worthwhile. Readers weighed in with some great points that must be factored into such deliberations. Dr. Josh Brockway noticed that I had used the annual meetings of the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature as my frame of reference. Thinking … Continue reading Real Talk: Reading the Academic Conference Terrain

Teaching Starter: Milking Classification

Posted on by Richard Newton

NPR and WBUR's Here and Now featured a fascinating example of the power of classification. Dairy farmers say makers of plant-based milks — like almond milk and soy milk — are stealing away their customers. As Harvest Public Media's Luke Runyon (@LukeRunyon) reports, the fight boils down to the definition of a single word. If … Continue reading Teaching Starter: Milking Classification

#BakerTravels – Exploring religious spaces through travels

Posted on by mayaisinclass

In this interview, Nicholaus Pumphrey tells us the lessons he and his students learn in approaching different religious spaces through traveling and offers tips on how to do so successfully.   Tell us about #BakerTravels. Describe the project. Every year, Baker University has a January term that we call Interterm. The purpose is that students take … Continue reading #BakerTravels – Exploring religious spaces through travels