Department News
Professor Thomas Selected for Sacred Writes 2021 Cohort
Professor Thomas has been selected as one of 24 fellows for trainings conducted by Sacred Writes, a project supporting public scholarship on religi
Professor Thomas Curates "American Religion, Inside Out"
Professor Thomas has curated a collection of essays as an online journal supplement for American Religion.
Professor Robb Awarded Fulbright Research Chair in South Asian Islam
The U.S. Department of State and the J.
Professor Robb Speaks at the Society for the Promotion of Urdu (India)
Professor Robb will speak for the Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu (Hind) or the Society for the Promotion of Urdu (India) on Friday, January 29th at 11:30 PM Eastern Standard Time.
Professor Schaefer at the Classical Ideas Podcast
Professor Schaefer was recently interviewed about his book Religious Affects at the Classical Ideas Podcast.
Professor Thomas on Religious Freedom at the Berkley Forum
Professor Thomas wrote an essay for the Berkley Forum on how the incoming Biden administration can handle the topic of international religious freedom. Here's the start of his piece:
Professor Durmaz Reflects on Teaching at Ancient Jew Review
Professor Durmaz talked about having students write biographies of objects in her "Religions of the West" course for Ancient Jew Review. Here's an excerpt, link below:
Prof. Butler Awarded Major Grant from Luce Foundation
The department is delighted to announce that Prof. Anthea Butler has been awarded a major grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, along with Profs.
Spring 2021 Lecture Series: Jews, Race, and Religion
The Herbert D.
With particular strengths in the study of Christianity, Judaism, American religions, Islam, secularism, Buddhism, and other Asian religions, the Department of Religious Studies emphasizes descriptive, historical, and theoretical approaches to the study of religion.
Upcoming Events
Race, Class and Privilege: How Latino Jews Navigate Life in the United States
Laura Limonic, College of Old Westbury at the State University of New York
Book Launch: Hsiao-wen Cheng, "Divine, Demonic, and Disordered"
Hsiao-wen Cheng (Penn), with Lori Meeks (USC) Responding
“We are the Ethiopian Hebrews, Brothers to the Fair White Jew”: Race, Religion, and Jewish Identity in Harlem
Judith Weisenfeld, Princeton University
Faculty Bookshelf
Death before Dying: The Sufi Poems of Sultan Bahu
These 115 poems introduce readers in English to Sultan Bahu (d. 1691), a Sufi mystical poet who continues to be one of the most beloved writers in Punjabi.
Light Upon Light
Light upon Light: Essays in Islamic Thought and History in Honor of Gerhard Bowering brings together studies that explore the richness of Islamic intellectual life in the pre-modern period
The Lovelorn Ghost and the Magical Monk: Practicing Buddhism in Modern Thailand
Stories centering on the lovelorn ghost (Mae Nak) and the magical monk (Somdet To) are central to Thai Buddhism.
Song and Story in Biblical Narrative: The History of a Literary Convention in Ancient Israel
This book examines a literary form within the Bible that has slipped through the cracks of modern scholarship: the mixing of song and story in biblical narrative.
Key Themes for the Study of Islam
Key Themes for the Study of Islam examines the central themes and concepts indispensable to an informed understanding of Islamic religion and society.
From Mulberry Leaves to Silk Scrolls: New Approaches to the Study of Asian Manuscript Traditions
From Mulberry Leaves to Silk Scrolls is a multidisciplinary consideration of Asian manuscripts.
The Throne Carrier of God: The Life and Thought of ‘Ala’ ad-dawla as-Simnani
This book constitutes a comprehensive investigation of the life and teachings of one of the most famous Sufis of the Iranian world.
Muslims Against the Muslim League: Critiques of the Idea of Pakistan
An anthology of essays, edited by Ali Usman Qasmi and Megan Eaton Robb, exploring Muslim criticism of the founding of Pakistan.