American Academy of Religion

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.

Noreen Khawaja talks to Religious Studies News about her book "The Religion of Existence: Asceticism in Philosophy from Kierkegaard to Sartre" (University of Chicago Press), which won the American Academy of Religion’s 2017 Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in Constructive-Reflective Studies. Music is Dexter Britain, “Fresh Monday” (www.dexterbritain.co.uk)

Eddie S. Glaude Jr. is the William S. Tod Professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University. He is chair of the Department of African American Studies, a program he first became involved with shaping as a doctoral candidate in Religion at Princeton. His books on religion and philosophy include African American Religion: A Very Short Introduction, Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul, In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America, and Exodus! Religion, Race and Nation in Early 19th Century Black America, which was awarded the Modern Language Association’s William Sanders Scarborough Book Prize. Currently Glaude is at work on a book about James Baldwin, tentatively titled James Baldwin’s America, 1963–1972. Glaude left his home in Moss Point, Mississippi at age 16 to begin studies at the Morehouse College. He holds a master’s degree in African American Studies from Temple University, and a Ph.D in Religion from Princeton University. He began his teaching career at Bowdoin College. He has been a visiting scholar at Amherst College and Harvard. In 2011 he delivered Harvard’s Du Bois lectures. Known to be a convener of conversations and debates, Glaude takes care to engage fellow citizens of all ages and backgrounds — from young activists, to fellow academics, journalists and commentators, and followers on Twitter in dialogue about the course of the nation. His scholarship and his sense of himself as a public intellectual are driven by a commitment to think carefully with others in public. Accordingly, his writing and ideas are cited and shared widely. Glaude has written for The New York Times and The Huffington Post. He is a columnist for Time Magazine and regularly provides commentary on radio and television news programs like Democracy Now!, Morning Joe, and The 11th Hour. Prior to Dr. Glaude’s address, former AAR President Emilie M. Townes presented a tribute to Executive Director Jack Fitzmier, who will be retiring in 2018. This session was recorded during the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion on November 18, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Taking off from their new book, Goddess and God in the World: Conversations in Embodied Theology (Fortress, 2016), Carol P. Christ and Judith Plaskow introduce their embodied theological method and explore their theological differences: Is Goddess a personal presence who cares about the world? Or is God an impersonal creative energy equally supportive of good and evil? Mary E. Hunt will moderate a conversation that includes Monica Coleman, Aysha Hidayatullah, Miranda Shaw, and Julia Watts-Belser, who will speak from Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, and Goddess perspectives. The panelists respond to the book, especially to its method, but also discuss their own theological positions, reflecting on what theological perspectives best make sense of and promote the flourishing of our common world.

Building upon a 2015 conference on Black Liberation Theologies of Disability at Union Theological Seminary, organized by Kendrick Kemp, this session attempts to construct liberation theologies that take seriously the experiences of blackness and disability. Panelists explore the ways that racialized and disabled embodiment offers innovative readings of text, tradition, and theological frameworks. What resources for a black liberation theology of disability can be sourced from black religious traditions? From disability activism? From black protest movements? Can theology be more responsive to the presence of elders in black religious communities? How can theologies grapple with the disabling traumas, state and social violence, and the toll of activism in black experiences? How can black theologies support those living with mental health challenges, learning differences, and brain injuries? How do our theologies honor and celebrate black disabled bodies? Panelists: - Nyasha Junior, Temple University, presiding - Monica A. Coleman, Claremont School of Theology - Garth Kasimu Baker-Fletcher, Texas College - Kendrick Kemp, Union Theological Seminary - Pamela Lightsey, Boston University This session was recorded during the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion on November 21, in San Antonio, Texas.

Simran Jeet Singh, a religion professor and Sikh advocate, discusses the intersection of academia and journalism. Patrick Blanchfield, an expert in religion and international affairs, shares insights on navigating complex themes in accessible ways. Brook Wilensky-Lanford, an author and editor, highlights the importance of representation and personal narratives in media. The conversation touches on the challenges of balancing specialized language, the vulnerabilities of public engagement, and the ever-evolving landscape of online writing about religion.