What if the study of religion started with the African American experience? Instead of privileging a specific tradition, this course examines the history of a people who came to a new world compelled to quickly learn the significance of "religion" itself. We will follow along by plumbing the depths of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, listening to … Continue reading REL 101 (WCH): Signifying Religion: An African American Worldview
Business Insider recently shared a thought-provoking video on the spread of religion around the world. Producer Alex Kuzoian used a spinning globe to map the spread of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in under three minutes. A timeline of the last five millennia progresses in correspondence with the changing domains of each religion. Annotations … Continue reading Mapping Source-Places and the Roots of Religion
The idea is to create an environment where students are encouraged to learn from their mistakes and to get help when they can't figure something out on their own.
This fall I joined Elizabethtown College as an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies. The department is situated in a comprehensive liberal arts college with historical roots in the Church of the Brethren. Students of all disciplines may take Religious Studies courses in fulfillment of an elective, core curriculum, or degree requirements. The varied intellectual interests … Continue reading Signifying on the World Religions Paradigm: My Introduction to Religion Course
I have never really felt comfortable with the presumed division between teaching and scholarship. The challenges and insights of my students inspire me to research. In fact, I do my best work after my ideas are have been vetted in the classroom. My primary area of study is the anthropology or social construction of scriptures. … Continue reading When Texts Sell
