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

Posted on by Maya Clare

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
Picture of scholars Aaron Hughes, Jason Blum, Mike Altman, Tara Baldrick-Morrone, and 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

Real Talk: Should I be Proposing Conference Paper(s)

Posted on by Richard Newton

Real Talk is our new professional development series. We discuss the things that'll make you a better teacher-scholar. If you have a question or want to share your own thoughts, message our curator. Dear Professor Newton, The Call for Papers is out for the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature annual meetings. … Continue reading Real Talk: Should I be Proposing Conference Paper(s)

“Better Know a Religion Blog” and “The State of the Study of Religion”

Posted on by Richard Newton

  Looking to add some substantial religious studies scholarship to your blog diet? The North American Association for the Study of Religion has you covered with their fantastic new series, "Better Know a Religion Blog." This has been a great way for us to keep track of what our colleagues are doing in the field. Last … Continue reading “Better Know a Religion Blog” and “The State of the Study of Religion”

The Bible and Race in the USA: the Redundancy of Identity Politics

Posted on by Richard Newton

Hilary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign has prompted a number of post-mortem pieces on the state of the Democratic Party. Not too long ago, pundits had predicted that Donald Trump’s nativism spelled the end of the Grand Ole Party. Now the question is where did Hilary Clinton go wrong,