RLGS Fall Gathering
The Department of Religious Studies thanks everyone who attended our fall gathering for current undergraduate majors, minors, and MA students, as well as area alumni, on Thursday, October 18 at the Myhren Art Gallery. The evening was a great success, with students, alumni/ae, and faculty enjoying the conversation, the food, and the Richard Bell exhibit.
RLGS bids a fond (and reluctant) farewell to Assistant to the Chair Consuelo Bennett
On August 1, 2012, Consuelo Bennett, the Department's Assistant to the Chair and heart
of the department, retired from the University. As she stated in her official notice:
The Spanish word for retirement is 'jubilacion', which puts a great spin on the action.
Or English, re-tire, to put new tread on for the further journey.
We will miss Consuelo greatly but look forward to hearing more about her future journeys,
which include a term at Oxford University in England and working with ESL students.
Consuelo visiting Stonehenge with her daughter and granddaughter
The Department also welcomes Kristy Firebaugh as the new Assistant to the Chair. Kristy is completing her doctorate in English and comes to us from the Gender and Women's Studies Program.
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Religious Studies and the DU Presidential Debate
On October 3, 2012, DU hosted the first of three presidential debates. The Department of Religious Studies offered several fall courses that addressed themes of religion in the public sphere, and RLGS faculty participated in a range of Debate-related events.
DU Today's recent RLGS coverage
April 2012: Historian Gutierrez to deliver religious studies lecture
Ramón Gutiérrez, historian, award-winning author, and director of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago, will deliver the 2012 James Kirk Lecture — sponsored by the Department of Religious Studies — at DU on April 11.
The title of his lecture is "Reies López Tijerina and the Religious Origins of the Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement". An early leader of the Chicano movement in the United States, López Tijerina was known primarily for his activism in the 1960s and '70s.
"This year's lecture marks the 15th in a truly distinguished series that continues to enhance the University's mission and its dedication to the public good," says Professor Gregory Allen Robbins, chair of the Department of Religious Studies.
Click here to read more.
January 2012: Speaker Edward Curtis: Today's American Islamophobia has roots a century deep
It all started with 9/11. Except it didn't.
Visiting lecturer Edward Curtis IV, who serves on the religious studies faculty at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, spoke at the University of Denver Jan. 25 as part of the Marsico visiting scholar program. In a lecture titled "The Black Roots of American Islamophobia," Curtis challenged the common belief that America's unease with the Islamic faith started with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Click here to read more.
October 2011: Religious Studies to host "Teaching Islam" workshop:
DU's Religious Studies Department is hosting a workshop called "Teaching Islam." While the workshop is aimed at graduate students and high school teachers, it is also open to any interested community members.
"This program is a great opportunity for graduate students in religious studies, international studies, and related fields to enhance their professional development," says Andrea Stanton, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies. "They'll end the day with a certificate as well as teaching tools and resources that will be useful for public speaking as well as for the classroom."
Click here to read more.
October 2011: University of Denver offers faculty experts on Mormonism
University of Denver (DU) Professor Carl Raschke says Mormonism is not a cult, according to the academic definition. However, he can explain why it's so often labeled that by other denominations.
Raschke explains that cults are almost entirely leader-centered; when the leader dies, the 'cult' dies. Mormonism is not leader-center.
Click here to read more.
July 2011: Religious Studies to offer six areas of specialization for MA program:
As the world has become a more global society, people are seeing an increasing need to study religion. To meet the need, DU’s religious studies department is offering a wider range of programs to help prepare graduate students for careers in related fields.
Historically, the department offered students a master’s degree in religious studies with no specialization. Starting fall 2011, students can choose to specialize by enrolling in a particular track.
New tracks include: biblical studies, Islamic studies, world religions, theory of religion, philosophy of religion and international and multi-cultural studies.
Click here to read more.
