The UF Religion Department is excited to welcome the Izzat Hasan Sheikh Fellow in Islamic Studies and Assistant Professor of Religion Dr. Ali Altaf Mian to Gator Nation! Dr. Mian received his B.A. in Philosophy and M.A. in English from the University of Louisville, and his Ph.D. from the Graduate Program in Religion at Duke University. His research areas include Islam […]
Our very own Assistant Professor Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons devoted her life to civil rights, the public understanding of religion, justice, and international human rights. Now, she is entering into a new exciting phase in her career: retirement. During her distinguished career, her academic work focused on Islamic feminism and the interpretation of shariah and its […]
Read more "Professor Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons’ Retirement: A Look Back"
What do you get when you mix traditional Catholicism with Vaporwave art? The answer is, “TradWave.” TradWave is a microgenre of “cultural traditionalist themed vaporwave art with Catholic motives.” Vaporwave itself began as a sub-genre of electronic music and morphed into a visual culture of internet memes and digital art in the early 2010s. Samantha […]
Read more "UF Religion Undergrads Present Research on Catholic Vaporwave Art"
Louis Reinstein of the law firm Kelly Kronenberg was elected to serve as a Board Member for the University of Florida’s Department of Religion’s Advisory Board. Established in the 1980s, the Advisory Board promotes the visibility and recognition of religious studies and helps raise awareness for the critical contribution that religious diversification provides to society. The […]
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The American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting brings thousands of professors and students, authors, publishers, religious leaders, journalists, and interested laypersons to its Annual Meeting each year. Co-hosted with the Society of Biblical Literature, the Annual Meetings are the largest events of the year in the fields of religious studies and theology. […]
Why Major in Religion? Are you curious about people, societies, and cultures? Are you interested in the ideas and values that inspire and motivate people? Are you concerned about ideologies that inhibit progress or even spur people to violence? Religion is arguably the most powerful and pervasive force in the world. Majoring in religious studies […]
3rd Annual RSGA Graduate Conference March 17, 2018 In an increasingly interconnected world, religion continues to play a critical role in the lives of individuals and their relations to society. Processes of colonialism, migration, and globalization have shaped and have been shaped by religion, leading scholars and public intellectuals to rethink traditions, beliefs, and practices […]
Shobana Shankar (Stony Brook University) will be speaking at the Center for African Studies‘ baraza on Jan. 19th at 3.30 pm in Grinter, and her visit will be co-sponsored by the Center for Global Islamic Studies (CGIS) and Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions (CHiTra).
Read more "Afro-Dravidianism: A Senegalese-South Indian Muslim-Hindu Enchantment"
The American Academy of Religion brings thousands of professors and students, authors, publishers, religious leaders, journalists, and interested laypersons to its Annual Meeting each year. Co-hosted with the Society of Biblical Literature, the Annual Meetings are the largest events of the year in the fields of religious studies and theology. Some 10,000 people attended the […]
Read more "It’s a Boston Gator Party! UF Religion at AAR/SBL 2017"
Religion and society interact in multiple ways — from politics to pop-culture, fashion to technology. This week’s Religion in the News stories explore the variety of ways religion and society are all cobbled together for good and for ill. Here are the articles we found below: Bhalla defeats defusco to win hoboken mayoral race (NJ.com) MET Museum […]
Religion has always been with us. And it isn’t going away. Throughout history, it has expressed the deepest questions human beings can ask, and it has taken a central place in the lives of virtually all civilizations and cultures. Indeed, even today, we find religion everywhere we turn. In order to illustrate how relevant religion is […]
Religion has always been with us. And it isn’t going away. Throughout history, it has expressed the deepest questions human beings can ask, and it has taken a central place in the lives of virtually all civilizations and cultures. Indeed, even today, we find religion everywhere we turn. In order to illustrate how relevant religion is […]
Since its launch in 2014, Dr. Terje Østebø has been at the helm of University of Florida’s Center for Global Islamic Studies (CGIS) as its Director. However, his tenure comes to an end this Fall semester. Taking over from Dr. Østebø is Dr. Benjamin Soares. The Center for Global Islamic Studies’ mission is to deepen our […]
Read more "Center for Global Islamic Studies Welcomes New Director"
The UF Religion Department is excited to welcome Dr. Rachel Gordan to the Gator Nation! Dr. Gordan received her PhD from Harvard University, in North American Religions; her BA from Yale in American Studies, and her MAR from Yale Divinity school. After receiving her PhD, she held postdoctoral fellowships at Northwestern University and at the University […]
Read more "Q&A with New Faculty in American Religion & Jewish Studies"
In the fall of 2017 the department will inaugurate a newly revised and expanded graduate program. While always intended to prepare students for careers both in and outside academia, our program now is more explicitly designed to prepare students not only for academia but also for emerging careers in public service, non-governmental organizations, and various […]
Read more "Graduate Program Expanded: Global Islam, Buddhist & Hindu Traditions Added"
What do you know about Governor Sydney J. Catts and the anti-Catholic platform he ran on in 1916? Sarah “Moxy” Moczygemba, a Religion and the Americas doctoral student and outreach assistant for the Florida & Puerto Rico Digital Newspaper Project, offers a look at the populist figure and his relationship with the Florida media over […]
Read more "Gov. Catts & Historical Anti-Catholic Politics in Florida"
Ever wondered how to harness the powers of Google for your academic research? Ever wanted to go beyond using the search engine for basic queries? Google News Lab may be the resource you’ve been looking for. Designed for journalists and those interested in news writing, analysis, and commentary, its tools can also be used for […]
Ever wondered how to harness the powers of Google for your academic research? Ever wanted to go beyond using the search engine for basic queries? Google News Lab may be the resource you’ve been looking for. Designed for journalists and those interested in news writing, analysis, and commentary, its tools can also be used for […]
Bodies shape and are shaped by religious practice—they enact ritual, are fashioned to reflect religious identity, inspire and create devotional objects, and define boundaries of sacredness. How does the gender of such bodies shape experiences of the sacred, and how do devotees perform gender within religious landscapes? What does it mean to “masculinize” or “feminize” […]
The Center for Global Islamic Studies is happy to announce the Graduate Certificate in Global Islam. The goal of this certificate is to train students to pursue careers in teaching and research related to Islam, and will broaden students’ understanding of the diversity of Islam in the global context. The certificate requires the completion of 15 credits for […]
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