Department News
Anthea Butler Named Geraldine R. Segal Professor in American Social Thought
Congratulations to Prof. Anthea Butler, chair of Religious Studies, who has been named Geraldine R. Segal Professor in American Social Thought!
Professor Robb's Archival Work with Students Featured in Penn Today
Professor Robb's project of creating a digital archive of the letters of an 18th century Mughal woman was featured in the latest issue of Penn Today.
Professor Thomas Publishes Chapter in New Book on Religious Freedom
Professor Thomas recently published a chapter titled "Microclimates of Religious Freedom" in a volume edited by Penn professors Heather J.
Prof. Butler, Department Chair, Promoted to Full Professor!
The Department of Religious Studies is thrilled to announce that Prof. Anthea Butler has been formally promoted to the rank of full professor. Prof.
GRE Requirement in the 2021-2022 Admissions Cycle Waived
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Religious Studies is waiving the GRE requirement for the 2021-2022 graduate admissions cycle.
PhD Candidate Ali Noori Receives Janet Lee Stevens Fellowship
PhD Candidate Ali Noori was one o
Prof. Thomas Tenured and Promoted to Associate Professor!
The department is thrilled to extend its congratulations to Prof. Jolyon Thomas, who has been officially granted tenure and promoted to associate professor!
Professor McDaniel to Serve as 2021 Baccalaureate Speaker
Professor McDaniel will serve as the baccalaureate speaker for the Class of 2021, which will air on May 16 at noon. Details at the link below.
Professor McDaniel Talks about Listening at the Park
Professor McDaniel appeared on The Park podcast to discuss listening recently. Here's a description, link follows below:
Angela Xia Named CTL Graduate Fellow for Teaching Excellence
PhD student Angela Xia has been named one of 14 Graduate Fellows for Teaching Excellence by the Center for Teaching and Learning. In the 2021–22 academic year, Ms.
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
Oct. 21 Curriculum
Melissa Sanchez (Penn, English/GSWS/FQTC): Queer Faith: Reading Promiscuity and Race in the Secular Love Tradition
Melissa E. Sanchez
Nov. 11 Colloquium
Rupa Pillai (Penn, Asian American Studies): "More than an Altar: Faith, Culture, and Resilience of Asian/American Business Owners in Philadelphia during COVID-19"
Rupa Pillai
Faculty Bookshelf
Faking Liberties: Religious Freedom in American-Occupied Japan
Religious freedom is a founding tenet of the United States, and it has frequently been used to justify policies towards other nations.
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.
Jacob of Sarug’s Homilies on Women Whom Jesus Met
Bi-lingual in Syriac and English. Published by Gorgias Press.
Gathering Leaves and Lifting Words: Histories of Buddhist Monastic Education in Laos and Thailand
Gathering Leaves and Lifting Words examines modern and premodern Buddhist monastic education traditions in Laos and Thailand.
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
Religion and the Self in Antiquity
Many recent studies have argued that the self is a modern invention, a concept developed in the last three centuries.
Solomon: The Lure of Wisdom
Tradition has it that King Solomon knew everything there was to know—the mysteries of nature, of love, of God himself—but what do we know of him?
Religious Affects: Animality, Evolution, and Power
In Religious Affects, Donovan Schaefer challenges the notion that religion is inextricably linked to language and belief, proposing instead that it is primarily driven by affects.