CURA
the oldest center for the study of religion and world affairs in the United States, is dedicated to supporting research and education on the role of religion in world affairs.
Latest Stories
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Call for 2025 – 2026 Fellows
Selected fellows participate in bimonthly colloquium sessions to workshop research papers. This year-long conversation brings together an interdisciplinary community of Read more
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In Memory of Amalek: Biblical Allusions in the I/P Conflict
Mónica Isabel Rey, Adjunct Professor in Women’s and Gender Studies, Babson College and Wheaton College (MA) Date: May 2, 2025 Read more
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Forging Elite Fitness, Forging the Nation: CrossFit and Christian Nationalism
Cody Musselman, Preceptor, Harvard University Initiative Date: April 25, 2025 | 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM Location: Pardee School of Read more
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CURA on Giving Day
The Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs (CURA) at Boston University is the oldest center for the study of Read more
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Sacred Cities, Civic Futures: The Role of Pilgrimages in Shaping Civil Society in Iraq and India
Marsin Alshamary, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boston College. Faculty Affiliate at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative Date: Read more
Fast Facts
CURA is an academic research center with a public mission to lift up the peacemakers, and we’ve been doing that for 40 yearsJeremy Menchik
The Jewish left Event
Each year, CURA Fellows join bimonthly sessions at BU to refine research aligned with a shared theme—fostering deep academic dialogue before publication.
Colloquium Program
Since 1985, CURA has supported 140+ global projects, resulting in the publication of over 160 books on religion and world affairs.
CURA Publications
BU’s World Religion Database offers comprehensive global statistics on religious affiliation—past, present, and future—based on censuses and expert estimates.
World Religion Database