Department News
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.
Abdul Manan Bhat Receives Presidential PhD Fellowship
PhD student Abdul Manan Bhat has been named a recipient of the Presidential PhD Fellowship. Mr.
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.
Faculty Bookshelf
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.
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.
Women in the Church of God in Christ: Making a Sanctified World
The Church of God in Christ (COGIC), an African American Pentecostal denomination founded in 1896, has become the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States today.
Surviving Sacrilege: Cultural Persistence in Jewish Antiquity
In a world of relentless and often violent change, what does it take for a culture to survive?
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.
Drawing on Tradition: Manga, Anime, and Religion in Contemporary Japan
Manga and anime (illustrated serial novels and animated films) are highly influential Japanese entertainment media that boast tremendous domestic consumption as well as worldwide distribution and a
Buddhist Narrative in Asia and Beyond
Publication of the proceedings of the conference "Buddhist Narrative in Asia and Beyond" at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, August 2010, edited by Peter Skilling & Justin McDaniel.
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.