Come back next Monday for another spine-tingling episode from the Praxis Squad. […]
Month: January 2015
Science and Religion
The relationship between the categories “science” and “religion” retains great significance within contemporary society. Exactly what that significance is, though, depends on the person’s conceptions and interests. For example, some want to emphasize the value of one over the danger of the other, while some work to bridge the apparent divide separating them. An article that a student pointed out to me last week connects the two categories by asserting scientific explanations for particular practices and traditions that the author […]
The Artistic Avenger
Ali Hval, the art major behind the Praxis Squad. Have you been reading the weekly Praxis Squad comic strips? (Of course you have.) Ever wonder who creates these academic adventures? (Again, of course.) Our latest video gives you a behind-the-scenes look at Ali, REL’s cartoonist-in-residence, and the steps she takes to bring the Praxis Squad to life. Give it a watch! An Inside Look at the Praxis Squad from UA Religious Studies. Jared precariously perches as he films Ali’s artwork for […]
“What’s this argument about?”
Yesterday we posted about a current US Supreme Court case concerning a local ordinance in Gilbert, Arizona, that curtails displaying certain signs (in the case before the court, a church sign) but not others — a case that, on first glance, might seem rather uninteresting but which, if you look again, turns out to involve principles that many would see as being at the very heart of a liberal democracy. […]
A Serious Perspective
Brittany Brooks is a senior from Midland City, Alabama, who is majoring in Religious Studies and minoring in Anthropology. She has a beautiful, lovable, four pound sister named “Eva the Diva” and enjoys the “awesomeness” that is taught in the Department. This post was originally written for Dr. Sarah Rollens’ course, REL 360: Popular Culture/ Public Humanities. The Indie film A Serious Man is a work that is fascinating, perplexing, gloomy, and funny all at the same time! It tells the story […]
A Sign of the Good News or an Eyesore?
Have you heard of the case of the church sign that local government in Arizona is trying to regulate? It’s going before the US Supreme Court today… […]
Critical Thinkers on the Move, Part 1
Join us each Monday for another exciting episode from the Praxis Squad… […]
Book Review: Pollution and Religion in Ancient Rome
Pollution and Religion in Ancient Rome. Jack J. Lennon. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014. 229 pages. Mark Ortiz is a senior majoring in Religious Studies and New College with a depth study in Political Ecology. This review was written as a final project as part of Dr. Sarah Rollens’ course, REL 237: Religion and Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean World. In many societies, concepts of social order have been shaped considerably by notions of purity and pollution. According to […]
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Second Sabbatical: First Thoughts
For those other than academic colleagues—primarily our students and our non-academic supporters—a sabbatical is a special benefit every seven years, upon application and approval, awarded to those of us who teach, for “time off” to purse sustained research and sustained writing without the additional responsibilities of teaching, grading, committee meetings and the like. In my case, spring, 2015, is my second opportunity to take full advantage of this award to pursue two special projects, the first on my mind for […]
A Pleasant Surprise: Lage Raho Munnabhai
Vincent M. Hills is a senior at the University of Alabama majoring in History and minoring in Religious Studies. This post was originally written for Dr. Rollens’ course, REL 360: Popular Culture/Public Humanities. Lage Raho Munnabhai is a prime example of the statement that “appearances can be deceiving.” What at first glance looks like a mediocre comedy ends in a film that not only provokes laughter, but also serious thought. The movie attempts to show that people, regardless of their social […]