American Academy of Religion

Deval Patrick is a politician, civil rights lawyer and businessman who served as the 71st governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. He is the only African-American to have served as governor of Massachusetts. Born to and raised by a single mother on the South Side of Chicago, Patrick attended Harvard University and Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. After graduating, he practiced law with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and later joined a Boston law firm, where he was named a partner, at age 34. In 1994, Bill Clinton appointed him as the United States assistant attorney general for the civil rights division of the United States Department of Justice, where he worked on issues including racial profiling and police misconduct. During his governorship, Patrick oversaw the implementation of the state's 2006 health care reform program; increased funding to education and life sciences; won a federal Race to the Top education grant; and raised the state's minimum wage from $8 per hour to $11 per hour by 2017. Under Patrick, Massachusetts joined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Patrick is now a managing director at Bain Capital and currently serves as the chairman of the board for Our Generation Speaks, a fellowship program and startup іnсubаtor whose mіѕѕіоn іѕ to bring together young Israeli and Palestinian leaders through entrepreneurship. Deval Patrick is a politician, civil rights lawyer and businessman who served as the 71st governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. He is the only African-American to have served as governor of Massachusetts. Co-sponsored by the AAR and the Memorial Church of Harvard University. Eddie Glaude, Princeton University, presiding Jonathan L. Walton, Harvard Divinity School, presiding This audio was recorded at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion on November 18 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Winnifred Fallers Sullivan is the recipient of the 2017 Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion. Sullivan is professor and chair of religious studies, and affiliate professor of law, at Indiana University at Bloomington. Sullivan’s work focuses on the phenomenology of religion under the modern rule of law, and she is widely known for her critical studies of American law and jurisprudence about religion. She is the author of four books: Paying the Words Extra: Religious Discourse in the Supreme Court of the United States (1994), The Impossibility of Religious Freedom (2005), Prison Religion: Faith-based Reform and the Constitution (2009), and A Ministry of Presence: Chaplaincy, Spiritual Care, and the Law (2014); and the co-editor of three volumes: After Secular Law (2011), Varieties of Religious Establishment (2013), and The Politics of Religious Freedom (2015). Beyond the religious studies guild, Sullivan’s public scholarship on religion and her work as an expert witness have had an important impact in courtrooms, prisons, military units, and government offices from city halls to the State Department. In this year’s Marty Award Forum, Laurie Patton, president of Middlebury College, will join Sullivan for an extended public dialogue about Sullivan’s life and work. Erik Owens, Boston College, presiding Panelists: - Winnifred Fallers Sullivan, Indiana University - Laurie Louise Patton, Middlebury College The forum was recorded at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion on November 19 in Boston, Massachusetts.

This panel analyzes the intensified colonization of academic spaces—both intellectual and physical—under the current presidency. How do we accurately map these changes and negotiate these spaces in an era of national “whitelash” from peripheral ideological and embodied spaces? How do we contend with the increasing marginalization and targeting of vulnerable populations? What strategies might scholars use to contribute to the ongoing process of decolonizing the academy? What are the potential ramifications of our non-action or complicity in this academic landscape? Munir Jiwa, Graduate Theological Union, presiding Panelists: - Hatem Bazian, Zaytuna College and University of California, Berkeley - Jasmin Zine, Wilfrid Laurier University - Mel Chen, University of California, Berkeley - Shanell T. Smith, Hartford Seminary This session was recorded at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion on November 19 in Boston, MA.

Worried about the job market? Thinking that a career in higher ed no longer matches your interests and goals? Or just wondering about options? The American Academy of Religion's Applied Religious Studies Committee hosts a discussion on career paths outside the academy. Panelists discuss fields including: publishing and editing, freelance writing, nonprofits and foundations, government, religious communities, academic administration, and more; and current PhD candidates talk about their own experiences of exploring nonacademic career options in the context of their graduate studies. Panelists also explore the ways faculty, departments, and the AAR might better support scholars as they consider careers beyond the academy. Cristine Hutchison-Jones, Administrative Director, Petrie-Flom Center of Harvard Law School, presiding Panelists: - Jason Blakeburn, PhD candidate, McGill University - Regina Walton, Pastor and Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Newton (MA)and Counselor to Episcopal/Anglican Students Harvard University - Emily Mace, Chicago Digital Humanities Coordinator, Lake Forest College - Robert P. Jones, CEO, Public Religion Research Institute This roundtable and Q&A was held at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 18.

Lena Salaymeh joins Religious Studies News to talk about her 2017 AAR award-winning book, "The Beginnings of Islamic Law: Late Antique Islamicate Legal Traditions." Salaymeh is interviewed by Kristian Petersen. Her book won the 2017 Award for the Excellence in the Study of Religion in the textual studies category.

What's it like to work in the US Department of State? How is academic knowledge about religion practical to public policymakers? What are the ethical implications of engaging?and of declining to engage?in such work? What seems to be the future of such work in this area. Three of the panelists recently completed a year or more as an AAR-Luce Fellow in the US Department of State: in the Office of Religion and Global Affairs, Evan Berry focused on the environment, and Jerome Copulsky on anti-Semitism, refugees, and training; and in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Todd Green focused on Islamophobia.Rounding out the panel are Elizabeth Prodromou, former Vice-Chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, who brings expertise on international policy and conflict resolution; and Robert Albro, a sociocultural anthropologist, who chaired the American Anthropological Association's Ad Hoc Commission on the Engagement of Anthropology with the U. S. Security and Intelligence Communities.AAR-Luce Fellowships are made possible through a generous grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. Panelists: - Evan Berry, American University - Jerome E. Copulsky, American University - Todd Green, Luther College - Elizabeth Prodromou, Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy - Robert Albro, American University Mara Willard, University of Oklahoma, presiding This session was recorded at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion in Boston, Massachusetts on November 19.

Linda Sarsour is a working woman, racial justice and civil rights activist, and mother of three. Ambitious, outspoken and independent, Linda shatters stereotypes of Muslim women while also treasuring her religious and ethnic heritage. She is a Palestinian Muslim American and a self-proclaimed “pure New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn!” She is the Executive Director of the Arab American Association of New York and co-founder of the first Muslim online organizing platform, MPOWER Change. Linda has been at the forefront of major civil rights campaigns including calling for an end to unwarranted surveillance of New York’s Muslim communities and ending police policies like stop and frisk. In wake of the police murder of Mike Brown, she co-founded Muslims for Ferguson to build solidarity amongst American Muslim communities and encourage work against police brutality. She is a member of the Justice League NYC, a leading NYC force of activists, formerly incarcerated individuals, and artists working to reform the New York Police Department and the criminal justice system. Linda co-chaired the March2Justice, a 250-mile journey on foot to deliver a justice package to end racial profiling, demilitarize police and demand the government invest in young people and communities. Linda Sarsour was instrumental in the Coalition for Muslim School Holidays to push New York City to incorporate 2 Muslim high holy holidays in to the NYC Public school calendar. This year, New York City will be the largest school system in the country to officially recognize these holidays. This year, Linda joined leading social justice faith leaders as a Senior Fellow at Auburn Seminary. She has received numerous awards and honors including “Champion of Change” by the White House, YWCA USA’s Women of Distinction Award for Advocacy and Civic Engagement and the Hala Maksoud Leadership Award from the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Sarsour was named among 500 of the most influential Muslims in the world. Most recently, Linda was profiled on the front page of the New York Times Metro Section and dubbed “Brooklyn Homegirl in a Hijab” and introduced Linda to their readership as “Mixing street smarts, activism and her Muslim identity, Linda Sarsour has become a political force”. She has written for and has been featured in local, national, and international media discussing impact of domestic policies that target Arab and Muslim American communities, criminal justice issues and Middle East affairs. Linda is well respected amongst diverse communities in both in New York City and nationally. She is most known for her intersectional coalition work and building bridges across issues, racial, ethnic and faith communities. Eddie Glaude, Princeton University, presiding This plenary session was recorded at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion on November 20 in Boston, Massachusetts.

The Reformed Theology and History Group and the Martin Luther and the Global Lutheran Traditions Group host a joint panel on the meaning of 'Reformation' and what implications the notion of 'Reformation' or 'reformations' has for us today—theologically or ecclesially. Panelists explore the relevance of 'reformation/s' for the contemporary context, including ways in which aspects of the Protestant Reformation deserve retrieval, reframing, or retraction today. Panelists: - Amy Plantinga Pauw, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary - Kristen E. Kvam, Saint Paul School of Theology - Cornelis van der Kooi, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam - Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar, Lenoir-Rhyne University Kirsi Stjerna, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, presiding The panel was recorded at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion on November 20 in Boston, Massachusetts.

This panel is on the different approaches scholars of religion are taking in presenting religion and the study of religion to a wider audience on television. Reza Aslan (Prayer in America, The Secret Life of Muslims, and Believer), Amir Hussain (The Story of God with Morgan Freeman), Candida Moss (Bible Secrets Revealed, Greatest Mysteries, and Finding Jesus: Faith. Fact. Forgery), Vanessa Ochs (Religion and Ethics Newsweekly), and Stephen Prothero (God in America) are all experts in this area, and will answer questions about their experiences on being a part of these programs, as well as being invited guests on various news and talk shows. The goal of this panel is to generate a robust discussion, during which the panelists will respond to some preliminary questions, but will also take questions from each other and the audience. The moderator will ask them to consider: what were your hopes and expectations, what challenges did you face, and what lessons did you learn, in the process of producing these programs for a general, often non-academic, audience? Further, what was the reception, both popular and scholarly, of your program, and what changes would you make if you had the chance/moving forward? Do the theoretical discussions and expectations of the academic study of religion translate to popular representations of religion, or is that perhaps, a false binary? What other concerns regarding religious representation, scholarly responsibility or popular prejudices did you find you had to address when in the midst of program production? Through this discussion, we hope to give some insight into the complicated processes of presenting religion for a wider audience, but also think through the role of religious studies scholars during these times when religions are often demonized, exoticized, misappropriated, misrepresented and misunderstood in the media and popular culture. Shreena Gandhi, Michigan State University, Presiding Panelists: - Reza Aslan, University of California, Riverside - Amir Hussain, Loyola Marymount University - Candida Moss, University of Birmingham, UK - Stephen Prothero, Boston University This panel was recorded during the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion on November 20 in Boston, Massachusetts

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. Panelists: Amy Defibaugh, Assistant Director, Academic Affairs, Temple University - Susan Lawler, Director of Career Services, Harvard Divinity School - Brooke Noonan, Executive Director, UChicagoGRAD Experience, University of Chicago - Susannah Laramee Kidd, Mellon-ACLS Public Fellow, Los Angeles County Arts Commission Presiding: Cristine Hutchinson-Jones, Administrative Director, Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics Harvard Law School This session was recorded on November 19, 2017 at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion in Boston, Massachusetts.