News & Events

Conference on Religion and Comics

The conference, "Graven Images: Religion in Comic Books and Graphic Novels," held from April 11 through April 13, 2008, was a three-day event that featured a keynote lecture by James Sturm, author of the graphic novel, The Golem's Mighty Swing and Director for the Center of Cartoon Studies; presentations by fifteen graduate students, professors, and independent scholars on subjects as wide-ranging as "Revelation and Revenge in the Comics," "American Catholic Citizenship," and "London as Sacred and Desecrated Space(s) in Alan Moore's From Hell;" and two panel discussions, one featuring five graphic novelists whose work explores religious ideas, from retellings of Hebrew and Christian scripture and Hindu sacred stories to wholly original tales that incorporate concepts from contemporary Islam or ancient paganism. This conference was conceived and organized by A. David Lewis, a PhD candidate in the Religion and Literature specialization and Christine Hoff Kraemer, who earned her PhD in Religion and Literature in January 2008.

Check out our website at: religionincomics

New Masters Program in Medical Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Practice

The Masters Program in Medical Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Practice is designed as a two-year, full-time program requiring a total of 60 semester hours, a summer fieldwork or field practicum requirement, and five day-long professional development workshops. Eight courses will be completed in the first year, and seven in the second year, plus a Special Project Course (4 credits) for writing the masters thesis. The fieldwork or field practicum will be undertaken during the summer after completion of the first year. Students are also required to participate in one professional-development workshop per semester, and in one during the summer.

The overall goal of the Masters in Medical Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Practice is to provide interdisciplinary training in medical anthropology and cross-cultural clinical practice. The curriculum has been designed to provide students with a solid foundation in the theory and methods of medical anthropological and qualitative research, and in the student's own area of concentration. Students also participate in anthropology-related skill and career-development workshops. For more information, see their website at:

http://www.bu.edu/bhlp/pages/masters/progdesc/index.html

New Book by Donna Freitas
Congratulations to Professor Donna Freitas of our own Religion Faculty for her new book, "Sex and the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America's College Campuses," just released by Oxford University Press. Professor Freitas and the Lilly Foundation-funded study on which "Sex and the Soul" is based are featured in "Better than Sex" in the new issue of Bostonia. Why do so many college students migrate from religion to spirituality during their college years? Might sexual experimentation have something to do with it? You can see what Professor Freitas has to say about all of this in her own op-eds in the Wall Street Journal and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Or you can see her in person on Wednesday, April 16, at the Boston Univesity Barnes and Noble, where she will be discussing her provocative new book.

Read more at:

http://www.bu.edu/alumni/bostonia/2008/spring/perspectives/freitas/

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120728447818789307.html

SHARI RABIN BLOGS FOR FAITHNET
It's not Facebook -- It's Faithbook, "a place where college students can discuss a serious topic: their experiences with faith and religion." And CAS's own Shari Rabin is amongst its inaugural six bloggers with her own "Chuztpah Chronicles." Says Religion Department Chair Stephen Prothero, who had Rabin in his class, "I knew she could write." The unergraduate "ask[ed] wonderful questions and ma[de] sharp observations." Read the BU Today article on Rabin here!

STEPHEN PROTHERO'S RELIGIOUS LITERACY NAMED QUILL WINNER
Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know — and Doesn’t was named a 2007 recipient of the Quill Book Award in the religion and spirituality category. The annual honors are taped this year at the Lincoln Center in Washington, DC and will be televised on October 27th on NBC. Read complete coverage of this news at the BU Today website as well as Professor Prothero's own reaction at his site.

PETER HAWKINS TO GIVE LYMAN BEECHER LECTURES ON PREACHING
October 8-10th, Peter Hawkins, Boston University Professor of Religion and Director of the Luce Program in Scripture and Literary Arts, will be presenting three talks collectively entitled "The Preacher's Divine Comedy" for this year's Lyman Beecher Lectures on Preaching at the Yale Divinity School. Separated into "The Preacher in Hell," "The Preacher in Purgatory," and "The Preacher in Paradise," these lectures are the latest in a long line of yearly distinguished speakers dating back to 1871. Named in honor of minister Lyman Beecher (1775-1863), the series marks yet another impressive accomplishment for our Professor Hawkins!

THE RELIGION DEPARTMENT IS NOW OFFICIALLY HIP
On Monday, March 19, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart welcomed our own Professor Steve Prothero, who dropped by to discuss his new book Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know — and Doesn't. Prothero, whose seven-minute appearance garnered him laughter and applause from the audience, even managed to receive an on-air book endorsement from Stewart, who described Religious Literacy as "a wonderful book, very interesting, and, for people who would normally be turned off — on either side — it presents a very nice, reasonable case." Most importantly, according to Prothero, "I didn't fall off my chair or throw up."

So, now that the interview is said and done, the real question remains-- what's Jon Stewart like in real life? "He's a great guy," says Prothero. "When he came backstage to meet me, he was very high-energy and welcoming. He's obviously funny. But he's also super smart."

For all who were not able to catch the show on Monday night see below or, if you have difficulty with the Flash video, click here.

And congratulations, Prof. Prothero — we are all now cooler by association.

NEW PROTHERO BOOK POSES QUESTIONS ABOUT AMERICAN RELIGIOUS LITERACY
Congratulations to Department of Religion Chair Steve Prothero, whose new book, Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know-- and Doesn't (HarperSanFransisco, forthcoming March 13) has generated a wealth of media attention in recent days. Choose from the links below to read selected articles about Prof. Prothero's new book. Also, make sure to catch his upcoming appearance at BU's Barnes and Noble-- Tuesday, March 27 at 7PM (click here for more info).

• "The Case for Teaching the Bible," Time Magazine, March 22, 2007
• "The Gospel of Prothero," Newsweek, March 12, 2007
• "Holy Book Learning," The Boston Globe, March 4, 2007
• "Blind Faith," Washington Post, March 3, 2007

DOCTORAL CANDIDATE SEMINAR SERIES: "PHILOSOPHY AND REVELATION IN AL-GHAZALI'S THE NICHE OF LIGHTS"
What can reason and philosphy contribute to our understanding of scripture and religion? This question was at the center of a dialogue between Avicenna, al-Ghazali, and Averroes that had a significant impact on medieval Muslims, Jews, and Christians. This talk will examine the commentaries of Avicenna and al-Ghazali on the "Light Verse" (Qur'an 24:35), exploring al-Ghazali's relationship with philosophy through a consideration of this work The Niche of Lights and its subsequent reception.

Scott M. Girdner is a graduate student in the Department of Religion at Boston University and a former Fellow of the Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies and Civilizations. his research is focused on Muslim traditions of philosphical and mystical interpretation of scripture and their reception in Christian and Jewish tradition.

February 28, 2007 - 745 Commonwealth Avenue - 4pm.
Click here for .PDF flier of the event.

BU TODAY: COMICS CONSPIRACY - BU RELIGION GRAD STUDENT INVENTS LOCAL LORE IN NEW GRAPHIC NOVEL
When A. David Lewis, a Ph.D. candidate in religion and theological studies, isn’t studying biblical literature, he’s plotting action-packed tales for his comic books.

Last fall, Lewis (GRS’10) teamed up with illustrator Jason Copland to publish Empty Chamber, a “rock ’em, sock ’em, two-part miniseries” whose conspiracy theory plot takes place in Boston.

Click here for full article.

DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION ANNOUNCES NEW FELLOWSHIP
Ancient Christianity Fellowship Now Available The Department of Religion at Boston University announces a new doctoral fellowship to support students working in Ancient Christianity, Origins to Late Empire. The fellowship provides full tuition plus a stipend of $16,500.00/year for five years. The student will be eligible to assist in teaching only in the third year, after her or his completion of qualifying exams. For a description of this concentration in Boston University¹s Division of Religion and Theological Studies see www.bu.edu/religion and direct inquiries to Professor Paula Fredriksen, augfred@bu.edu.

UNDERGRADUATE RELIGION ASSOCIATION IN THE NEWS!
Congratulations to the Undergraduate Religion Association on holding their most successful event to date! "Tea and Tie-Dye," (Tuesday, December 5th) drew about 25 students to the Religion Department basement, and merited a write-up in the December 6th issue of the Daily Free Press. Click here for full coverage of the event. Thanks to Professor Gina Cogan for lecturing, and to the URA executive board (Jen Burda, Tali Stern, Nafeesa Achmed, and Patrick Cox) for pulling it all off!

URA President Jen Burda gets things started.

Students listen with rapt attention as Prof. Cogan talks tea.

Prof. Cogan displays some Japanese tea utensils, while Jen looks on.

(counterclockwise from right) Tali Stern, Jen Burda, and Nafeesa Achmed, with two attendees.

DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION TAKES AAR BY STORM
American Academy of Religion, 2006 Annual Meeting The Department of Religion is excited to boast a dominant presence at this year's meeting of the American Academy of Religion, to be held November 18-21 in Washington, DC. The three-day extravaganza will feature no less than twenty of our graduate students and faculty, speaking across a wide range of topics and disciplines. See below for a complete list of Religion Dept. presenters; visit the American Academy of Religion's website (www.aarweb.org) for presentation dates and times.

Boston University Department of Religion Faculty and Students participating in the American Academy of Religion &
the Society of Biblical Literature’s
2006 Annual Meetings (November 18-21, 2006)
click here for .PDF version

Kecia Ali, Assistant Professor of Religion. Women and Religion Section and Study of Islam Section (A20-109), “I Wanted One Thing and God Wanted Another:” Al-Shafi`i’s Attempt to Reconcile Qur’an and Sunnah on Subject of Striking Wives. Panelist: Sexual Ethics/Sexual Justice: Feminist/Womanist Perspectives in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (A21-6).

Linda L. Barnes, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, BUSM. Religions, Medicines, and Healing Group, Presiding over Business Meeting (A18-26) and Teaching Religion and Healing (A19-96). Responding: Religion, Health, and Social Justice: African Perspectives on a Global Issue (A20-52).

Gina Cogan, Visiting Assistant Professor of Religion. Buddhism Section (A20-104), Serving the Buddha through Serving the Emperor: Imperial Buddhist Monks and Nuns as Abbots, Abbesses, and Adoptees in Edo Japan.

Jonathan Cooney, PMPhD-History of Christianity. Christian Spirituality Group and Wesleyan Studies Group (A20-16), The Shout Heard ‘Round the World: Similarities and Differences between American and English Camp Meetings.

Katheryn Darr, Professor of Theology, STH. Panelist: Formation of the Book of Isaiah Group (S18-114). Theological Perspectives on the Book of Ezekiel Section (S19-35), Are Sayings Didactic?: Ezekiel and the Pedagogy of Proverbs.

Garth W. Green, Assistant Professor of Religion. Platonism and Neoplatonism Group (A20-73), Christian Neo-Platonism, Medieval and Modern.

Jonathan Klawans, Associate Professor of Religion. Responding: Hermeneutics of Jesus and the Prohibition of Oaths (S20-19).

Rodney Knowles, PBPhD-Religion and Society. History of Christianity Section and Death, Dying, and Beyond Consultation (A18-106), Nefarious Necromancy: Christian Critiques of Nineteenth-Century American Spiritualism.

Christine Kraemer, PBPhD-Religion and Literature. Religion, Film, and Visual Culture Group (A19-30), The Spectator, Gender Performance, and Gnosis in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Presiding: Arts Series/Films: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (A20-132).

Christopher Lehrich, Visiting Assistant Professor of Religion. Critical Theory and Discourses on Religion Group and Western Esotericism Group (A20-117), Discipline and Interdiscipline: On Magical Comparisons.

A. David Lewis, PmPhD-Religion and Literature, will be sitting on the SBL panel: "Comic Books, Graphic Novels, and the Bible"

Emily Merriman, PMPhD-Religion and Literature. Religion, Film, and Visual Culture Group (A18-122), Channeling, Trance, and Religion in What the Bleep Do We Know!?. Arts, Literature, and Religion Section (A19-9), “I Mean Great Poets”: William Blake and Geoffrey Hill.

David Montgomery, PBPhD-Religion and Society. Religion and the Social Sciences Section (A18-108), The Transmission of Religious Knowledge in Kyrgyzstan: How Learning Influences Practice, or Accounting for the Difference between Hizb ut-Tahrir and Ancestral Worshipers.

Robert C. Neville, Professor of Philosophy, Religion, and Theology and Executive Director of the Danielsen Institute. Responding: The Comparative Religious Ideas Project: A Critical Retrospective Five Years Later (A20-116).

Martyn Oliver, PBPhD-Religion and Literature. Religion in Europe Consultation (A18-130), What to Be or Not to Be: Islam, Satire, and Identity in the European Union.

Steve Prothero, Chairman. Panelist: Library of Congress Forum: Writing the Story of America's Religious Origins.

Josh Reeves, PMPhD-Science, Philosophy, and Religion. Evangelical Theology Group (A19-64), Evangelicals, Theological Method, and God’s Two Books.

Robert Smid, PMPhD-Philosophy of Religion. Panelist: The Comparative Religious Ideas Project: A Critical Retrospective Five Years Later (A20-116).

Sean Smith, PMPhD-New Testament and Christian Origins. Book of Acts Section (S20-57), Can We Learn about Community Rituals from Narratives?: Acts 2-5 as a Test Case (co-presenter, 2005 DRTS alum Jonathan Schwiebert, Washington University). Presiding: Organizing Session for New Program Unit: Ritual Studies Working Group (S20-134).

Bradford Verter, Visiting Assistant Professor of Religion. Responding: Wrestling with Method: Case Studies in Religion, Media, and Culture (A18-31); Presiding: Freedom of Expression and Religious Sensibilities: The Danish Cartoon Controversy in a Global Media Environment.

Wesley Wildman, Associate Professor of Theology and Ethics, STH. Panelist: Human Uniqueness: Dialogue on Evolution and Human Dignity (A20-28).

SWINGERS WIN CHAMPIONSHIP

The Department of Religion intramural softball team, The Almighty Swingers, captured the summer AA League championship, completing a 10-1 campaign. Pictured above are: (back row, l to r) Sarah Whitman, Pagiel Czoka, Stephen Prothero, Christian Estrella, Janette Countryman, Per Smith, (front row, l to r) captain Eric Baldwin, Karen Nardella, and Jane Bennett. Not pictured are Josh Reeves, Courtney Reeves and Neil O'Callaghan.

HAWKINS AWARDED METCALF
Boston University awarded Professor of Religion Peter S. Hawkins with its prestigious Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching on Sunday, May 14, during its University Commencement Ceremony at Nickerson Field.

"The Metcalf Awards for Excellence in Teaching are the highest honor given by Boston University,” said BU President Robert A. Brown. “They symbolize our commitment to exemplary instruction and scholarship and serve as a means to express our gratitude to the professors recognized by this distinction.”

Guiding students to find the influence of sacred texts in literature and the literary art within original scriptures — and helping them divine personal meaning from the texts — is the gift Hawkins shares enthusiastically. Since being lured to BU in 2000 after more than two decades at Yale Divinity School, he has taught undergraduate sellout courses on the Bible and on Dante’s journey into hell, and guided students through the graduate Division of Religious and Theological Studies. “Peter has turned our Religion and Literature specialization into not only one of our most popular and competitive areas of graduate study,” said Department Chair Stephen Prothero, “but also a genuine community of scholars.”

KOROM GRABS GUGGENHEIM
Professor Frank Korom received a 2006 Guggenheim fellowship that will help him complete Singing Modernity, a book about how performers of the Indian state of West Bengal have adapted the application of the ancient art form of singing a narrative ballad while a painted version of the story is unrolled frame by frame to modern audiences, themes, and economics. Korom, a former curator for the museum and a current Professor of Religion and Anthropology, is creating a catalogue for the exhibition. He has written several books, including South Asian Folklore, due out in April, and hopes to complete his book on the scroll painters by next year. Click Here to read the complete story on BUToday.com. For additional coverage on IndiaNewEngland.com, Click Here.

HONORS FOR ZANK
The Boston University Honors Program recently awarded professor Michael Zank with one of its 2005-06 Awards for Excellence in Teaching. The Honors Program awards for excellence in teaching are given each year, to faculty who are nominated by honors students. According to Honors Program Director Bonnie Costello, "We select the faculty who have been consistently nominated, have been teaching for the Honors Program over a considerable period of time, and/or who have been especially innovative in designing and teaching Honors courses. Only faculty enthusiastically nominated by Honors Program students are considered for the award." Zank's efforts in his CAS RN 389 Moses and Monotheism class yielded such nominations as: "This was an incredibly enjoyable class! I think anyone would benefit from it and would recommend it to people who I believe would be honestly interested in learning from it!" and "One of my teachers this semester is Michael Zank, of Moses and the Origins of Monotheism, and he is AMAZING!!!"

FACULTY PUBLISHED
Boston University released its list of recent publications, acknowledging the hard work of Department of Religion Director of Undergraduate Study, Jonathan Klawans. Ancient Jewish sacrifice has long been misunderstood. Some find in sacrifice the key to the mysterious and violent origins of human culture. Others see these cultic rituals as merely the fossilized vestiges of primitive superstition. Some believe that ancient Jewish sacrifice was doomed from
the start, destined to be replaced by the Christian eucharist. Others think that the temple was fated to be superseded by the synagogue. In Purity, Sacrifice, and the Temple: Symbolism and Supersessionism in the Study of Ancient Judaism (Oxford University Press), Klawans demonstrates that these supersessionist ideologies have prevented scholars from recognizing the Jerusalem temple as a powerful source of meaning and symbolism to the ancient Jews who worshiped there.

Also making his mark was Core Curriculum instructor Bradley L. Herling, who achieved his PhD from the Division of Religion and Theological Studies in 2004. Herling published The German Gita: Hermeneutics and Discipline in the German Reception of Indian Thought, 1778–1831 for Routledge. ... Jennifer Knust, a School of Theology assistant professor of New Testament and Christian origins, penned Abandoned to Lust: Sexual Slander and Ancient Christianity for Columbia University Press. Knust taught Ancient Varieties of Christian Origins for the Department of Religion in Spring 2006.

GRADUATE STUDENTS MAKING THE MARK
Thomas Nesbit, who achieved his PhD in Religion and Lit in 2005, has a contract to publish his dissertation with Routledge ... Christine Hoff Kraemer received a $12,000 Religion, Media, and Culture dissertation fellowship from the Journalism department at the University of Colorado at Boulder ... Shawn Arthur, who will finish his dissertation within the next year, landed a job at Appalachian State University in North Carolina ... David Montgomery, who is currently working on his dissertation, has a fellowship at the Kroc Institute for Peace Studies at Notre Dame for the coming academic year.