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 Religion Department. The moderator is April Hines, Journalism and Mass Communications Librarian. This event was sponsored by UF Ethics in the Public Sphere and George […]
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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 religion major, went to Shiri Abramson. *Photo Credit: Dr. Narayanan
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 Traditions (CHiTra), the first such center in the United States. Founded in 1780 by members like John Adams and John Hancock, the American Academy of […]
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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 and museum studies. His first book, The Jewish Imperial Imagination: Leo Baeck and German-Jewish Thought was supported by an Alexander von Humboldt fellowship and is under contract […]
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 as a complete listing of all courses being offered in the spring of 2022.
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 listing of all courses being offered this fall.
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 tradition with roots in India. Established through a generous $500,000 gift from a group of donors, the Sri Kanjiswami Endowment in Jain Studies will fund […]
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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, terrorism, and world poverty. While these challenges may all seem very different, they each force us to confront ethical questions: what is morally right and […]
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 classical models of contemplative practice developed in South Asia, their transformation in East Asian Buddhism, the contemporary practice of meditation in America, and the growing […]
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 special attention to the role religion has variously played in hindering and promoting proenvironmental behaviors and the quest for environmental sustainability and social justice. The […]
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 cordially invited to participate in the University of Florida’s Religion Graduate Students Association annual conference: “Religion in a Time of Pandemic.” Due to the current […]
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 the moral issues involved in contemporary issues, including human rights, war and peace, climate change, and public health.
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 no formal prerequisites and no knowledge of Asian languages is required.
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 department webpage. If you have additional questions or wish to schedule an appointment, our undergraduate coordinator (advisor) for 2020-21 is Dr. Anna Peterson. The best way […]
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 to read core narrative and philosophical Sanskrit texts by mastering the grammar and vocabulary. Class time will consist in practicing exercises and reading Sanskrit sentences. […]
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, Spring 2021, Summer A/B/C 2021, or Fall 2021 admission. This temporary emergency waiver applies only to admission for those four semesters.
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 the Arabian Gulf region and in Western Europe and North America, especially in the UK. In this course, we take “Islam in South Asia” as […]
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 they mobilize resources, what strategies and tactics they employ, and what goals they seek – by examining a range of case studies, including civil rights […]
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 books of the Bible) was written not by one author — Moses, according to venerable tradition — but by several, over the course of several centuries. […]
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, economics, and social structures, as well as the ways in which the past (scripture, tradition, history) has helped shape the present. Fall classes now enrolling! […]
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 are expected to be aware of patients’ spiritual needs. Students will learn about: The historically shifting boundaries between medicine, psychology and religion in the West. […]
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 Østebø (ostebo@ufl.edu). If you need to contact any of the faculty, you can find their contact info here: https://religion.ufl.edu/faculty/core/
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 seems set to intensify. How might American history help Americans respond to the contemporary immigration debate? The Department of Religion, in its third Scudder Lecture […]
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 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 […]
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 his wide-ranging talk on the Americanization of Islam at the Pugh Hall Ocora on Wednesday, November 6th. In the second Scudder Lecture for this year, […]
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” world, why do we continue to be fascinated with the paranormal, as seen in the explosion of the topic in film (horror, superheroes), television, gaming […]
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 of power, and instances of socio-cultural change. Historically, religious individuals and communities have engaged with political and social activism in cultural movements including those focused […]
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 community members at the Pugh Hall Ocora on Tuesday, September 10th. A prize-winning historian and commentator on religion in American life, Balmer’s lecture was the […]
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 of public issues they care about and learn from their peers. All UF students are welcome and encouraged to attend. Are you interested in learning […]
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 […]
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 religion professor Bron Taylor called “Dark Green Religion” in his own book on contemporary nature spirituality. “Dark Green Religion,” according to Professor Taylor is, “a […]
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 relevant and deep insight to a range of topics including “Donald Trump and the Death of Evangelical Christianity” with Dr. Randall Balmer, “Religion and Identity […]
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 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"
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 W. Mellon Foundation. Awards of $30,000 were given to four Intersections Groups of UF faculty and staff working together across disciplines on researching and addressing […]
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 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 […]
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 7–25, 2019 This Summer Institute will explore ways of being Muslim and lived Islam in contemporary Africa from a comparative perspective. Our main objective […]
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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. […]
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 a one year position to work within the project “Islam in Africa in Global Context.” The postdoctoral associate will be affiliated with the Department of […]
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 achievement by a graduating religion major, went to winner Austin Young. The runner-up for the award was Malcolm Devers. Congratulations Austin and Malcolm for your […]
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 many other fields of understanding, study, and news. The religion news this week comes from a variety of sources covering it from a variety of […]
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 of things with accusations leveled at a top institutional atheist leader, claims that halal slaughter is inhumane, and the “culture of lies” surrounding Donald Trump. So you’ve been warned, […]
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 of religion, we can agree that it is a varied thing. The religion news round-up this week testifies to that fact. This week’s news includes […]
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 if you study religion, you know things can get weird quickly. Or, at least, you think they are weird. The truth is that they are […]
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 potential deportees from being sent back home. Still, others are rallying around Trump or marching in the streets for gun control. Religion is not something […]
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 on craft beer, and making plans to move to Austin, TX (a.k.a. Hipsterville U.S.A.). Humor aside, this week’s religion in the news illustrates how religion […]
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 well as those from disciplines outside religious studies including political science and history, gathered Saturday morning to discuss how religion negotiates unequal power relations, aids […]
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 in which Evangelical Christians and Trump are getting along (or not) to the threat of violence against Muslims as a sign of national identity, these […]
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 of. So too are stories about Hindu nationalism and the rewriting of history (especially for our Religions of Asia students) and Muslims saving octopuses in […]
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 and have been shaped by religion, leading scholars and public intellectuals to rethink traditions, beliefs, and practices and how they mediate power relations within the […]
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 human experiences and emotions, from the good to the bad to the in-between: CULTURAL DISINtegration (SIGHtings) PRAYER & A PACKING PASTOR (RNS) A SHORT HISTORY OF TECH […]
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 the fall of 2018 when she will travel to Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu in order to gather oral stories, as well as visit the archives of […]
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 of advocacy work in the popular and public sphere. Our desire to connect our academic study of religion to the real world is helped along […]
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 negative, despite the prognostications of certain evangelists. Religion is. The headlines from this week testify to that fact from the Olympics in South Korea to […]
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 notice the prevalence of religion in popular culture — in video games and on television, religion continues to rear its head and be a relevant […]
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 be surprised that religion pops up on your social media feed, on your movie screen, or on your bookshelf in the form of a text […]
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 both practitioners and observers—for everyone who wants to be informed about the world around them—religion is an intensely curious phenomenon that calls out for better […]
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 — Buddhist Traditions, Global Islam, Hindu Traditions, Religion in the Americas and Religion and Nature — this work requires broad experience, a commitment to collaboration, and […]
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 slew of religion headlines: Looking back on religion in 2017, looking forward to 2018 (BAYLOR) TOP RELIGIOUS ARcHITECTURE in the world (RNS) Islam could be U.S.’s second largest […]
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 News Stories of 2017. Many of these stories were featured in our Religion in the News feature posted each Friday on UF Religion’s RELIGION […]
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 these “Religion in the News” headlines and see the religion angles abound. Who knows, you might just learn something: The relevance of religious studies (Sightings) cue […]
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 evangelicals are giving money (Christianity Today) every day glory and indigenous american spirituality (RNS) trump tweets unverified videos from anti-muslim far-right political party (the washington post) resisting […]
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 hasn’t read the headlines recently. In fact, this week we’ve almost got too much Religion in the News! From Muslims in South Korea to sausage […]
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 […]
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 a bonus on why Muhammad Ali converted to Islam… Reformation debate continues in brazil, not germany (Washington Post) GLobal protestantism more “global” than you realize (Gordon Conwell) […]
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. 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 […]
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. Here are the articles we found below: Can Evangelicals and Academics Talk to One Another? (The Wall Street Journal) PROBlems in the big tent of “religion […]
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 and important events in religion and culture. Take a look at their religion and news commentaries and analysis below: Religion prof Explains diwali holiday (UF […]
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 with diverse experiences and scholarly perspectives. It is with this in mind that we are excited to share some statistics on diversity within our department’s […]
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 accents of fear around today — Friday the 13th: RELIGIOUS ROOTS OF FRIDAY THE 13th (NATional GEOGRAPHIC) MAN DRESSED AS SHARK FALLS AFOUL OF AUSTRIA’S […]
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 modern technology, communication, travel, and social issues: On this kenyan Commute, the train becomes a church (RNS) HASIDIC JEWS, AMISH, WRESTLE WITH TECH (ISR Baylor REligion […]
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 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 be on sabbatical during academic year 2017-18, his appointment has an effective date of August 16, 2018. Prof. Østebø came to UF in 2010 from […]
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 fieldwork projects. This summer is no different. From Trinidad to Ethiopia, Poland to Texas, and many places abroad and in between our department is engaged […]
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"
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 Intentional Communities Can Teach Us about Democracy, Simplicity, and Nonviolence. Read more HERE.
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 we shall discuss are: the efficacy of religious symbols in the healing process; cross-cultural notions of the body, pain, and healing; embodiment of healing powers […]
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 the University of Florida Religion Department, University of Florida’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, or the University of Florida. The recent Executive Order banning […]
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 late nights by UF Museum Studies personnel), but seeing the images and the silhouette of the river installed on the museum’s walls made it all […]
*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 necessarily represent the views of the University of Florida Religion Department, University of Florida’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, or the University of Florida. […]
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 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 "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 conference featured the following speakers: Keynote speaker: Carrie Wickham, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, Emory University. Her talk is entitled“Humanist Islam as a Catalyst of Democratic Transformation: […]
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 conference address the issue of current perceptions about Islam and secularism, reflecting how we in recent years we have seen the emergence of new ideas […]
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 Is: Animal Religion and the Violence of Confinement,” on September 13, 2016 in Anderson 216. The event will begin at 4:05pm and include a discussion […]
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 Violence of Confinement,” on September 13, 2016 in Anderson 216. The event will begin at 4:05pm and include a discussion period after the lecture […]
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 expected to play a big role in the presidential election. The Republican Party is often conjured as being representative of the “Christian Right” while the […]
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 they are influencing teaching, research, dissemination, creation, and preservation in different disciplines, via a community-based approach. This semester there are three events to take part […]
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 an environment of tense rhetoric concerning religion and violence. The article begins: Terje Østebø displays a succession of photographs on the screen behind him: a […]
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 full course listings HERE [PDF] and HERE [Excel]). We may be biased, but we have a great line-up of classes ranging from Religion in Latin America to Islam, Media, […]
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 Alexandria, Virginia, in 1929. After graduating from high school in 1946, he went to Northwestern University. He started his graduate work at the Colgate-Rochester Divinity […]
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 comes to us most recently from Mississippi State University. He will serve as Assistant Professor of Hinduism, Department of Religion, at the University of Florida. Beyond […]