On Transitioning Out of the Academy: 7 Questions for Kelly Baker
Kelly J. Baker I don’t really define religion in relation to my work in this, but rather I write about the field of religious studies and the problem of contingent labor that religious studies and other scholars in the humanities face.
Humor is Not Just Entertainment: 7 Questions for David Feltmate
David Feltmate Popular culture scholarship is actually quite difficult, but people seem to think it is easy. It is not enough to just watch TV or listen to music, you really have to dig into the significance of the material and its social importance.
How Group Identities Work: 7 Questions for Michael Altman
Michael J. Altman First, I’d want readers to understand that when “we” talk about “them” over there (whether in India or, say, the Middle East) we are really talking about what it means to be “us.”
Eddie Glaude on Black Religious Life and Politics: Parts 2 and 3
Glaude discusses here how African-American religious life can facilitate a response to political problems and he introduces a key concept called the “value gap,” or, “belief that white people are valued more than others,” from his latest book Democracy in Black.
The Rise of the Internet Witch
Audrey Lundahl Although witches are using the internet to connect and share with wider communities, the web is only one aspect of the wider interconnectedness of witchcraft.
Eddie Glaude on Race and The American Soul: Part 1
Beginning with a distinction between African American religions and African American religious life, Professor Glaude explains how black religious life and thought have historically entered public discourse to mediate matters of race and justice.
Tactile Materiality and Iconic Abundance in Zen? 7 Questions for Pamela Winfield and Steven Heine
Pamela D. Winfield and Steven Heine We hope to demonstrate the tactile materiality and iconic abundance of the tradition, thereby calling attention to the vast range of “stuff” in Zen.
Christianity Meets State Shinto in Meiro Koizumi’s “Today My Empire Sings”
Jeremy Woolsey This story is a stark reminder of continuing taboos surrounding the emperor in contemporary Japan and the difficulties artists face in challenging them.
Weird, Wacky, and Contradictory Yoga: 7 Questions for Anya P. Foxen
Anya P. Foxen For the purposes of this book, religion is the possibility of the human to become superhuman.
Christianity Floats Too: Why Christians Should Watch “It”
Daniel Anderson The town is philosophically Darwinian as it viciously works to separate its losers from its winners. Then, like pagans, it discards them as sacrifices to appease Pennywise.