A recording of a conversation with the religion department at UF about the ongoing war in Gaza. This discussion features Professors Yaniv Feller, Terje Ostebo, and Anna Peterson of the […]
Read more "OUR MORAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO EACH OTHER IN A TIME OF WAR"
Each year the Department of Religion at the University of Florida awards top student performers in Religious Studies. The 2023 Russell Jaberg Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by a graduating […]
Distinguished professor Dr. Vasudha Narayanan has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She helped create the University of Florida’s Center for the Study of Hindu […]
Read more "Dr. Narayanan elected to the Academy of Arts and Sciences"
The Department of Religion is happy to announce – and welcome – our new addition to its faculty: Prof. Yaniv Feller. Prof. Feller is a scholar of modern Jewish thought […]
Just a few of the courses being offered in the spring of 2022 in the Department of Religion. Click HERE for more information about each of these courses as well […]
Preview of some of the courses being offered this fall in the Department of Religion. Click HERE for more information about each of these courses as well as a complete […]
The University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce the creation of a new fund that will support the study of Jainism, an ancient religious […]
Read more "New Endowment to Establish Jain Studies Program at UF"
As a quick skim through any newspaper or social media feed reveals, contemporary societies face many complex, large-scale challenges that have no easy solutions, such as climate change, police violence, […]
Read more "Launching in Summer 2021: A New Ethics and Society Certificate"
This course takes a critical approach to the paranormal as an “other” category for religion and science, including insights from folklore studies, laboratory research and cognitive science.
The course explores the theories and practices of meditation developed by the major Buddhist traditions, in relation to the relevant social, philosophical, and religious contexts. The focus is on the […]
This advanced undergraduate course explores the relations between religion and politics in Latin America and the Caribbean, past and present.
This course explores the competing secular and religious views regarding human impacts on and moral responsibilities toward nature and the key thinkers and social movements in contention over them.
This course critically examines the roles played by religion, ethics, and nature during the evolution of the cultural, political, and environmental history of North America since European contact. It pays […]
5th Annual RGSA Graduate Conference Religion Graduate Students Association (RGSA) Department of Religion University of Florida Call for Papers “Religion in a Time of Pandemic” March 6, 2021 You are […]
This course explores the ethical dimensions of global social, political, and environmental issues. Students will learn about different philosophical and religious ethics and use those approaches to understand and evaluate […]
This is a new course, offered at UF for the first time. It is open to students from all majors who are interested in learning about Buddhist philosophy. There are […]
The Religion Department provides advice about classes, credits, and other questions for Religion majors and minors. Many of your general questions about our major and minor are answered on our […]
The goal of this course is to instruct students with no prior knowledge of Sanskrit with a systematic introduction to the language. Using introductory textbooks and handouts students will learn […]
Due to current admission examination testing difficulties amid the COVID-19 pandemic the Department of Religion, in sync with the UF Graduate School, is waiving the GRE requirement for applicants seeking Fall 2020, […]
The study of Muslims in South Asia—in India, but also in Bangladesh and Pakistan—is crucial for understanding contemporary Islam in our global world. South Asian Muslims are also active in […]
This class explores the role of religion in movements for social change. We will address core questions in study of social movements – how movements emerge, why people join, how […]
The modern study of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) effectively began in the nineteenth century, when scholars, through painstaking critical analysis of the biblical text, discovered that the Pentateuch (the first five […]
Religion is arguably the most powerful and pervasive force in the world. Majoring in religious studies can help you understand the complex and sometimes volatile relationships between religion and politics, […]
In the twenty-first century, spirituality and health care are intersecting in new ways. Traditional and indigenous medical practices are increasingly being sanctioned by and integrated with Western biomedicine. Health providers […]
Due to the Covid-19 virus, the Department of Religion is temporarily shut down. If you need any assistance please contact our office manager, Annie Newman (annen1@ufl.edu), or our chair, Terje […]
The question of immigration has always been a point of debate in American politics and public life. As the United States heads into another presidential election, the dispute over immigration […]
Read more "Welcoming the Stranger: Immigration and American Values"
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 […]
Read more "UF Religion at AAR/SBL 2019 in San Diego, California"
Pressures from the left and the right are shaping the next generation of American Islam creating new forms of identity and community. This was the argument Haroon Moghul offered in […]
As many as three-quarters of Americans believe in ghosts. The majority hold other paranormal beliefs as well. What does this tell us about the future of religion? In a “disenchanted” […]
4TH Annual RSGA Graduate Conference February 21-22, 2020 This conference will explore the intersections of religion and/or spirituality and activism as we seek to highlight instances of religious resistance, dynamics […]
The Religious Right’s embrace of Donald Trump has fatally transformed American evangelicalism. This was the message Dartmouth Professor Randall Balmer delivered to a packed house of students, faculty and […]
Read more "Donald Trump and the Death of Evangelical Christianity"
The Intersections group on Ethics and the Public Sphere is convening a series of ethics cafes this fall. The cafes are opportunities for students to talk about the moral dimensions […]
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 […]
During an interview in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Richard Powers indicated that in The Overstory, his Pulitzer Prize-winning arboreal novel, there is a lot of what University of Florida […]
Read more "Religion prof explains the backstory to The Overstory and its “dark green religion”"
The UF Department of Religion is excited to announce the first three speakers in its 2019-2020 Scudder Lecture series. The speakers, each leading scholars in their respective fields, will bring […]
Read more "2019-2020 Scudder Lecture Series Addresses Relevant Topics in Religion"
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 […]
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 […]
Read more "UF Religion Undergrads Present Research on Catholic Vaporwave Art"
The University of Florida (UF) Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere launched its Intersections Research-Into-Teaching Grants earlier this year, made possible with $400,000 in funding from The Andrew […]
Read more "New Mellon-funded program led by UF Religion faculty, graduate students"
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 […]
Read more "UF alum elected to Department of Religion’s Advisory Board"
A Summer Institute at the University of Florida Lived Islam in Contemporary Africa co-hosted by the Center for African Studies, Center for Global Islamic Studies, & Department of Religion May […]
Read more "Summer Institute: Lived Islam in Contemporary Africa"
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. […]
The University of Florida, with a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation’s Initiative on Religion in International Affairs, will appoint a postdoctoral associate to begin August 16, 2018. This is […]
Read more "Islam in Africa in Global Context: Postdoctoral Associate Announcement"
Each year the Department of Religion at the University of Florida awards the top undergraduate and graduate student performers in Religious Studies. The 2018 Russell Jaberg Award, which recognizes outstanding […]
Religion news is a beat in its own right. At the same time, religion as a category is not independent or sui generis. It is implicated in politics, society, science, culture, and […]
Lies, lies, and other religious news. Religion news isn’t all bad. Nor is it all good. This week’s news tends to lean toward the more scandalous, investigative, and questionable side […]
Read more "Lies, Lies, and Other Religion News: April 20, 2018"
Religion is a diverse object of study. Some people even argue that religion is not an object of study. At the very least, if there is a thing to the thing […]
Read more "Give us news from ALL the religions: April 13, 2018"
It’s not the sort of thing you hear everyday — the government was working with a televangelist to discredit Martin Luther King Jr. It maybe sounds a bit crazy… But […]
Read more "A Televangelist Plot & The Americanization of Coptic Christianity: April 6, 2018"
The study of religion can take you anywhere. This week’s news goes to show it. Some Christians are boycotting what they see as “satanic ice cream.” Other Christians are shielding […]
Read more "Satanic Ice Cream & Sanctuary Churches: March 30, 2018"
Hipster — a person who follows the latest trends and fashions, especially those regarded as being outside the cultural mainstream; can often be seen wearing alternative and ironic clothing, sipping […]
The Religion Graduate Students hosted an incredible conference this past weekend that focused on the theme of Religion & Power. Scholars from across the U.S. — and Mexico — as […]
Read more "Scholars from U.S., Mexico, Discuss Religion and Power at Conference"
Religion and power. That’s the theme for our 3rd annual RGSA Conference this weekend at UF. It’s also the theme of religion and the news this week. From the way […]
The canonization of Latin American Catholic hero Oscar Romero is a big deal and for those who study religions of Latin America (like we do!) it’s a significant moment to take note […]
Read more "Of Muslims, Octopuses, & Latin American Saints – Religion in the News: March 9, 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 […]
Hope and despair, death and life. Religion explores, navigates, and brings both to its practitioners, observers, and students. This week’s RELIGION IN THE NEWS testifies to the full range of […]
Read more "Hope & Despair, Death & Life – Religion in the News: March 2, 2018"
Jodi Shaw (Ph.D. Candidate, Asia) is currently an American Institute of Indian Studies Language Fellow (2017-2018) studying Tamil in South India. This is in preparation for her upcoming research in […]
Read more "Dancing Siva Never Dances Alone: UF Dissertation Project Receives Tedder Funding"
The graduate program in the Department of Religion at the University of Florida (#UFReligion) is designed to prepare students for careers in academia, public service, non-governmental organizations, and various forms […]
Religion unites. Religion divides. Religion takes part in peace. Religion plays a part in violence. Religion is neither wholly positive, despite the prognostications of some evangelists. Nor is religion wholly […]
Religion news isn’t confined to the U.S. It’s a global phenomenon with impact in places across the continents. You’ll see that clearly in this week’s religion news round-up. You’ll also […]
It no longer seems surprising that religion rears its head in politics — on both the right and the left — and especially in the United States. But you may […]
Despite the overblown claims of some, religion is powerful and persistent, and it shows no signs of disappearing. It provokes heartfelt commitment, eloquent expression, forthright action, and intense debate. For […]
The UF Religion graduate program is designed to prepare students for careers in academia, public service, non-governmental organizations, and various forms of advocacy work. With students in five tracks — […]
New year, new stories…many centering on religion and many more with religion angles. Get ready, because we are kicking off this year’s “Religion in the News” post with a whole […]
This week’s Religion in the News not only looks back on the week that was in “religion news,” but also to the entire year. Recently, religion reporters voted on the Top […]
Religion remains relevant. Just look at the headlines. The discipline of religious studies remains relevant to interpret those headlines. Why? Because religious literacy is severely lacking these days. Check out […]
It’s cold outside…well, maybe not in Florida…but the religion news is heating up. Here are a few headlines from the world of Religion in the News this week: HERe’s where […]
Remember that ole’ “secularization thesis?” You know the one, that idea that traditional religions would go by the wayside in the industrialised world? Well, anyone who still reckons that’s the case […]
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 […]
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 […]
This week’s Religion in the News stories focus on the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Don’t know exactly what that is? Check out the stories below. We also have […]
3rd Annual RSGA Graduate Conference March 16-17, 2018 In an increasingly interconnected world, religion continues to play a critical role in the lives of individuals and their relations to society. […]
For this week’s Religion in the News stories we wanted to explore a variety of perspectives on the academic study of religion, perspectives on the field, and research within it. […]
For this week’s Religion in the News stories, we didn’t have to look far. All we had to do was focus on our top-notch faculty as they address critical issues […]
The University of Florida, and its Religion Department, “are dedicated to increasing college access and providing opportunities for students from all backgrounds.” Furthermore, we celebrate and value a student body […]
Read more "Statistics showcase department’s ongoing commitment to diversity"
This week’s Religion in the News stories focus on many diverse issues having to do with religion in the modern world, but the BIG story is connected to the religious […]
This week’s Religion in the News stories emphasize not only the diversity of religious experiences, positions, and practices, but also address how religious individuals, and institutions, are reacting to […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Read more "Center for Global Islamic Studies Welcomes New Director"
The Department of Religion at UF (UF Religion) is pleased to announce that Prof. Terje Østebø is to be appointed as chair of the Department of Religion. As he will […]
Read more "Østebø named new chair of Department of Religion at UF"
During the summer our faculty & graduate students not only teach summer courses and attend to long neglected reading lists, they also depart for various locales to engage in invaluable […]
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 […]
Read more "Graduate Program Expanded: Global Islam, Buddhist & Hindu Traditions Added"
This special summer bulletin features some fresh presentations from our faculty, publications from students and faculty, alumni news, and a new book from Dr. Whitney Sanford entitled Living Sustainably: What […]
Read more "A new website & a fresh new book on sustainable communities"
Professor Robin M. Wright (ONLINE) This course is dedicated to the study of non-Western healers and medicine in relation to various religious traditions around the globe. The most important themes […]
Read more "Summer Students Explore Non-Western Healing Practices"
*Aya Cockram is a graduate student in UF’s Religion Department. Cocrkam contributed this blog post in her personal capacity. The views expressed are her own and do not necessarily represent the views of […]
On January 21, 2017, the Matheson History Museum welcomed visitors to River of Dreams: The St. Johns River and its Springs. This exhibit took months of planning, fieldwork, and meetings (and several heroic […]
*Victoria Machado is a Ph.D. student in UF Religion’s Religion and Nature track. Ms. Machado contributed this blog post in her personal capacity. The views expressed are her own and do not […]
Read more "What the Women’s March can teach us about the Importance of the Humanities "
The American Academy of Religion brings thousands of professors and students, authors and publishers, religious leaders and interested laypersons to its Annual Meeting each year. Co-hosted with the Society of […]
Read more "UF religion goes west — Gators at AAR/SBL 2016 in San Antonio, TX"
The Center for Global Islamic Studies presented its Fall 2016 Conference: Islam and Encounters with Secularism: Futural Openings on October 1, 2016, from 9:00am – 3:00pm in The Atrium – Ustler Hall. The […]
The Center for Global Islamic Studies presents their Fall 2016 Conference: Islam and Encounters with Secularism: Futural Openings on October 1, 2016, from 9:00am – 3:00pm in The Atrium – Ustler Hall. The […]
News and Upcoming Events The Department of Religion is pleased to welcome guest speaker Dr. Donovan Schaefer on September 12-14, 2016. Dr. Schaefer will give a public lecture entitled “You Don’t Know What Pain […]
The Department of Religion is pleased to welcome guest speaker Dr. Donovan Schaefer on September 12-14, 2016. Dr. Schaefer will give a public lecture entitled “You Don’t Know What Pain Is: Animal Religion and […]
The 2016 primaries have been full of religious rhetoric, be it pandering to a specific religious group or promoting fear of another. With this being the case, it can be […]
The University of Florida Religion Department is excited to announce its Spring Digital Humanities Seminars. The seminars with #UFreligion provide an ideal environment for discussing and learning about new computing technologies and how […]
Read more "Spring Digital Media Seminars — Meet n’ Greet, Maps, & More!"
Our very own Dr. Terje Østebø — Director of the Center for Global Islamic Studies here at UF — was profiled in-depth by The Chronicle of Higher Education about teaching Islam in […]
Read more "What It’s Like to Teach Islam 101 When Anti-Muslim Rhetoric Runs High"
As you register for Spring coursework in the coming weeks we wanted to make sure you had all the relevant information on courses offered through #UFreligion (you can find the […]
We are very sad to report that Dr. Austin Creel, former chair of our department, passed away earlier this week, after a short illness. Austin Bowman Creel was born in […]
The University of Florida Religion Department is excited to welcome our newest faculty member, Dr. Jonathan Edelmann. Dr. Edelmann will be joining our faculty focusing on Religions of Asia. He […]