CURA celebrates scholars affiliated with the Institute who received 2026 book awards from the American Academy of Religion (AAR). Anthony M. Petro, former member of CURA’s Executive Committee, received the Religion and the Arts Book Award for Provoking Religion: Sex, Art, and the Culture Wars (Oxford University Press). Two-time CURA Fellow Candace Lukasik received the […]
From June through August 2026, CURA travel grantee Syeda Rumana Mehdi accompanied hundreds of people on pilgrimages to Karbala, Iraq, marking the beginning of her dissertation fieldwork. The pilgrimages commemorated Ashura, the anniversary of Imam Hussain’s martyrdom in 680 CE, and Arbaeen, the fortieth day of mourning that includes an 80-kilometer walk from Najaf to […]
With support from a CURA Travel Grant, Ofir Tenenbaum conducted three months of preliminary ethnographic fieldwork in Berlin, Germany, from May through August 2026. The research explores migration, identity, and belonging among Jewish Israelis living in Berlin, with particular attention to how recent political developments have shaped their experiences in the city. During the summer, […]
Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies is proud to announce that Alexia Nastasia (BA ’27) has been awarded the prestigious Harold C. Case Scholarship for the 2026–2027 academic year. A double major in International Relations and Sociocultural Anthropology with minors in Urban Studies and Philosophy, Nastasia has distinguished herself through her interdisciplinary […]
Professor Jeremy Menchik, Director of CURA: The Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs, has been awarded the Adil Najam Prize for Advancing Public Understanding of Global Affairs by Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies. The award, presented during Pardee’s 12th Convocation Ceremony, recognizes Menchik’s contributions to advancing public understanding of global […]
With support from a CURA Travel Grant, Boston University PhD student Aixin Yi (GRS’28) traveled to Vancouver in March to present her research at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), the largest international conference in the field. Yi co-organized the panel “What Can Christianity Do in a World at War?”, […]
Professor Nicolette Manglos-Weber is the author of the forthcoming book Sacred Economies: Christianity, Islam, and Community Care in Uganda. This timely work explores how religious communities in Uganda mobilize care, resources, and social support across Christian and Muslim contexts, offering important insights into the intersections of faith, economics, and community life. Advance copies are now […]
Couldn’t make the 2026 Conference of the Jewish Left? We have free, publicly-available recordings of the following sessions on our Youtube channel: Welcoming Remarks Delivered by CURA Director Jeremy Menchik and Pardee School Dean Scott Taylor. “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza” Author and journalist Peter Beinart’s discusses his book, with Professor of History […]
The BU Race, Prison, Justice Arts and BU Prison Outreach Initiative recently launched the first installment of their three-part speaker series featuring currently and formerly incarcerated guests. Titled Songs of Refusal: Storytelling Against the Afterlives of Slavery, the event took place on March 19 at the BU College of Fine Arts and was co-sponsored by […]
Professor Dana L. Robert is a co-editor of the newly released volume Connecting Christianities: World Christianity and Mission in the Twenty-First Century (Brill, 2026), alongside Muthuraj Swamy and Jenny Leith. This important collection brings together global perspectives on World Christianity and contemporary mission, exploring how Christian communities are shaped by transnational connections, cultural exchange, and […]