In this video, Abram Van Engen (Associate Professor of English) examines the surprising history of John Winthrop’s striking image of “a city upon a hill” and its subsequent adoption by presidents John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama.
Emma Green interviews Leigh Schmidt (Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor with the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics) about his new book Village Atheists: How America's Unbelievers Made Their Way in a Godly Nation. Click here to read the interview.
In The Moral Psychology of Clement of Alexandria, Kate Gibbons (Lecturer in Religious Studies and Classics) proposes a new approach to Clement’s moral philosophy and explores how his construction of Christianity’s relationship with Jewishness informed, and was informed by, his philosophical project.
As one of the earliest Christian philosophers, Clement’s work has alternatively been treated as important for understanding the history of relations between Christianity and Judaism and between Christianity and pagan philosophy. This study argues that an adequate examination of his significance for the one requires an adequate examination of his significance for the other. For more information about the book or to order it please click here.
Abram Van Engen, Associate Professor of English, asks the question, "How does a belief in American exceptionalism shape foreign policy?" Click here to read his answer.
Denise Gill, Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology, discusses recent unrest in Turkey where amidst the sounds of gunfire and explosions a call to prayer was heard. Click here to read the full article.
We are delighted to announce that this fall Anna (Fannie) Bialek, Kathleen (Kate) Gibbons, and Tobias Zürn will join the Religious Studies Program. All three bring energy and critical areas of expertise to our course offerings as well as to our intellectual life. Click here to read more.
Civil rights pioneer addresses 2,900 graduates at 155th Commencement
Commencement Speaker, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, holds a B.A. in Religion and Philosophy from Fisk University and is a graduate of the American Baptist Theological Seminary, both in Nashville, Tennessee. In his commencement address, he urges students: “If you see something that’s not right, not fair, not just, do something about it. ... Have the backbone to get in the way.” Both a summary and a full transcript of Lewis’ address are available online.
Moralizing gods help societies cooperate, research shows
Robert M. Sapolsky of The Wall Street Journal delves into recent research on moralizing gods and human behavior. Included in his article is research by Carlos Botero, Assistant Professor of Biology at WashU and lead author of "The ecology of religious belief" published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Most people don't normally associate comic books and superheroes with religion. However, Roshan Abraham, a comics studies scholar and assistant professor of religious studies and classics, reveals how religion is actually in the DNA of comics. He traces the many ways religion influences, shapes, and appears in comics, and how scholars in both religious and comics studies face very similar problems. Click here to listen to this episode of Hold that Thought.
