American Academy of Religion

Countering the narrative that Langston Hughes was uninterested in religion, scholar and author Wallace Best describes the poet as an "avid and eclectic churchgoer" who returned time and again to the question, construction, and meaning of salvation in American religious history. Wallace Best's book "Langston's Salvation: American Religion and the Bard of Harlem" won the 2018 Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in the Textual Studies category, presented by the American Academy of Religion. He is professor of religion and African American studies at Princeton University.

Nancy Levene, professor of religious studies at Yale University, joins Kristian Petersen in a conversation about her book, Powers of Distinction: On Religion and Modernity, which won AAR's 2018 Award for Excellence in Constructive-Reflective Studies.

Lincoln Mullen, author of "The Chance of Salvation: A History of Conversion in America," joins Kristian Petersen in a conversation about the spectrum of religious identity in American history and how the phenomena of conversion is an opening which allows scholars to study a variety of religious groups—and their relationships to each other. Mullen is the winner of the 2018 Best First Book in the History of Religions.

When humanities scholars talk about exploring and pursuing “alt-ac” and “post-ac” careers, two concerns often dominate the conversation: 1) Graduate studies in the humanities don’t prepare us for or aren’t relevant to non-academic career paths, and 2) We don’t know where to look for or how to apply for non-academic jobs. Whether you are a scholar thinking about non-academic careers or a faculty member interested in supporting students engaged in such searches, join our panel of career services experts to discuss the many careers that are open to — and even looking for! — people with advanced training in the humanities. Panelists will discuss existing resources and where to find them, as well as ways that departments, universities, and professional organizations like the AAR can better support scholars in non-academic careers. Amy Defibaugh, Temple University, Presiding Panelists: - Sarah Peterson, ImaginePhD - Emily Swafford, American Historical Association - Karen Kelsky, The Professor Is In - Jenny Whitcher, Juniper Formation This session was recorded on November 18, 2018 in Denver, Colorado, during the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion.

This joint panel explores ways in which contingency may be constructive (and the ways contingent faculty work can be made more humane and viable) as part of a larger discussion about non-tenure-track and “alt-ac” paths. Lynne Gerber, Harvard University, Presding Panelists: - Simran Jeet Singh, New York University - Megan Goodwin, Northeastern University - Hussein Rashid, Barnard College - Matthew Bingley, Georgia State University The session was recorded on November 19, 2018 in Denver, Colorado, during the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion.

In recent years as the job market for tenure-track academic positions has tightened and the use of contingent faculty has exploded, increasing numbers of graduate degree seekers are intending to pursue nonacademic careers. While some areas of study present obvious nonacademic options, for scholars in the humanities, nonacademic career opportunities and the best preparation for them may not be obvious and religious studies faculty are exploring how graduate programs can — and should — prepare all alumni for multiple employment outcomes. This panel brings together faculty members from a variety of institutions to discuss some of the problems confronting their students and their programs as more people turn — by necessity and by choice — to nonacademic career paths. Cristine Hutchison-Jones, Harvard University, Presiding Panelists: - Paul W. Harvey, University of Colorado - Colorado Springs - Patrick Mason, Claremont Graduate University - Nathan Schneider, University of Colorado - Annette Stott, University of Denver This session was recorded at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion on November 19 in Denver, Colorado.

The panelists in this session showcase the work of current AAR-Luce Religion and International Affairs Fellows. Reflecting on their experiences in a variety of policy-shaping institutions, these four fellows will consider how their scholarly expertise has been applied outside the academy. How does knowledge about religion function outside traditional academic settings? What are the opportunities for religion researchers to engage policymakers and other public institutions? What are the obstacles facing scholars interested in this kind of work? The religion-related issues these fellows cover in public sector or civil society contexts include contemporary tribal and religious politics in Yemen; U.S. international religious freedom policy; peacebuilding in Iraq; socio-cultural aspects of treatment of advanced HIV and neglected tropical diseases; and advocacy in philanthropic settings. Evan Berry, American University, Presiding Panelists: - Asher Orkaby, Harvard University - Sousan Abadian, US Department of State - Ann Wainscott, Miami University - Margaret/Maren Milligan, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Sara Kamali, University of Oxford, Responding This session was recorded on November 18, 2018 in Denver, Colorado, during the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion

Jenna Reinbold, winner of the 2018 Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in the category of Analytical-Descriptive Studies, discusses her book "Seeing the Myth in Human Rights" (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016).

Noah Salomon, author of "For Love of the Prophet: An Ethnography of Sudan's Islamic State" (Princeton University Press, 2016) and winner of AAR's 2017 Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in the category of analytical-descriptive studies, talks to Kristian Petersen about his fieldwork in Sudan, the attempts at a unified Sudan prior to the 2011 partition, and tradition of the Islamic nation-state.

In recent years as the job market for tenure-track academic positions has tightened and the use of contingent faculty has exploded, increasing numbers of graduate degree seekers are intending to pursue nonacademic careers. While some areas of study present obvious nonacademic options, for scholars in the humanities, nonacademic career opportunities and the best preparation for them may not be obvious and religious studies faculty are exploring how graduate programs can - and should - prepare all alumni for multiple employment outcomes. This panel brings together faculty members from a variety of institutions to discuss some of the problems confronting their students and their programs as more people turn - by necessity and by choice - to nonacademic career paths. Cristine Hutchison-Jones, Harvard Law School, Presiding Panelists: - Molly Bassett, Georgia State University - Jason C. Bivins, North Carolina State University - Kathleen Moore, University of California, Santa Barbara This session was recorded at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 19.