Monthly Archives: June 2012

Religion as Foreign Policy: The Russian Orthodox Church, Syria, and the Christian Community

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Donovan Schaefer

The New York Times recently reported that the Russian Orthodox Church is mirroring the political position of Russian president Vladimir Putin in its approach to the civil war in Syria: taking a hard-line stance in favor of the Syrian president, … Continue reading →

Posted in Donovan Schaefer, Politics and Religion, Religion and Society, Religion in the News, Theory in the Real World | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Identity or Affiliation: To Share or Not to Share?

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Craig Martin

I want to pose a question to professors in religious studies: do you share your “religious” identity or affiliation (or disaffiliation) with students? Why or why not? Have you had positive of negative experiences as a result of sharing? I … Continue reading →

Posted in Craig Martin, Pedagogy | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Hollywood Images as Religious Resources

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Kenny Paul Smith

Towards the end of her fine essay in Mark C. Taylor’s Critical Terms for Religious Studies, Margaret R. Miles distinguishes between icons used in some Christian traditions (e.g., Eastern Orthodox) and the images of contemporary film. The latter, she argues, … Continue reading →

Posted in Kenny Paul Smith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Right Reverend: Sex, Contraception, and the Episcopal Body

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Donovan Schaefer

Since January of this year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has been one of the most vocal critics of the Obama administration’s mandate that all non-church institutions (including Catholic-run hospitals and universities) must make contraception available as part … Continue reading →

Posted in Donovan Schaefer, Politics and Religion, Religion and Society, Religion and Theory, Sexuality and Gender, Theory in the Real World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Klansmen, Zombie Apocalypses, and End Times Narratives: Or, an Afternoon with Kelly J. Baker

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Kenny Paul Smith

Kelly Baker is a Lecturer of Religious Studies and American Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In the following interview, Baker discusses her recent book, Gospel According to the Klan (University Press of Kansas, 2011), which, as her UT … Continue reading →

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Scholarship From The Road: Southern India

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Kenny Paul Smith

By Deeksha Sivakumar I am currently in South India, conducting pre-dissertation fieldwork on some of the dolls commonly used in Bommai Golu. Golu is a tiered arrangement of dolls used to commemorate the South Indian version of the an annual … Continue reading →

Posted in Deeksha Sivakumar, Scholarship on the Road, South Asian Studies | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Islamophobia Racism?

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Donovan Schaefer

Short answer: Yes. The long answer: So you remember Don Imus? The sports commentator who called the teenage girls of the Rutgers basketball team “nappy-headed hoes” and was dropped from NBC? How about Michael Richards—the guy who played Kramer on … Continue reading →

Posted in Donovan Schaefer, Politics and Religion, Religion in the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments